Dragontape, which lets users create ‘mixtapes’ of their favorite YouTube videos, has added the ability to embed the final result in blog posts, and more importantly, Facebook updates. That’s because the new feature uses the oEmbed standard to ensure widest possible compatibility. It’s also a feature that, frankly, should have existed from the start considering Dragontape’s emphasis on sharing.
That said, the site whose numerous competitors include vodpod.com, worldtv.com and yubby.com, has done a good job of implementing embeds. The resulting player offers the same gapless playback and easy tape controls as the web app, but with a simplified view of the timeline, which targets a smaller viewing area.
In addition, the update brings a few other tweaks, such as the addition of a volume control to the player, and the ability to directly search existing YouTube playlists and favorites from within the app.
Creating the mixtapes themselves remains unchanged and uses a familiar (and fun) drag ‘n’ drop timeline-based User Interface similar to video editing apps like Apple’s iMovie. To find content on YouTube you enter search terms into Dragontape’s built-in search box, which pulls up a bunch of thumbnails representing any clips that have been found. You then drag and arrange those clips on the timeline of your ‘tape’.
One feature that may or may not be new is the ability to have multiple authors of a mixtape. Described as a “YouTube party”, it lets you invite anyone to drop their favorite videos into the mix, like a jukebox.
Dragontape is founded by Tamas and Peter Szakál – a.k.a. the Szakál brothers – and is based in Budapest, Hungary. It’s funded via a small amount of seed money from individual investors.