Web music hosting platform SoundCloud has announced a €2.5 million first round of VC funds, led by Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures. Doughty’s partner Stefan Tirtey will join the board.

Berlin-based SoundCloud aims to help musicians collaborate on and distribute tracks by hosting large, high-quality music files. The tracks can be embedded around the web and users can comment on specific parts. On the surface, it’s little more than a web-embedded music player, of the kind provided by iMeem, iLike and umpteen other social music sites, with additional analytics.

But SoundCloud certainly isn’t trying to make a consumer destination yet - so far, the front page focuses on an explainer video rather than the hot tracks contained beneath - rather, it seems to be going for composers and music industry types. Release.