
Key Takeaways
- SoundCloud is a web based streaming platform for music and podcasts, permitting artists to simply add their content material and achieve publicity.
- The platform affords a user-friendly app for iOS and Android customers to reinforce the listening expertise.
- SoundCloud is free to make use of with some limitations, however affords paid subscriptions for ad-free listening and extra options for each listeners and artists.
SoundCloud has been round for musicians attempting to make a reputation for themselves since 2007. Though the platform is most effectively related to impartial, underground music, many now well-known artists like Submit Malone, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Ice Spice, and Lil Nas X discovered their begin on SoundCloud.
From podcasts to music, by way of free and paid-for plans, we have got all the important thing particulars you could learn about what SoundCloud is, the way it works, and why you must give it an opportunity.
What’s SoundCloud?
Though music streaming companies like Spotify or Apple Music have change into extra recognizable names, at its base, SoundCloud is a web based streaming platform for music and podcasts, similar to these companies.
One attribute that makes SoundCloud distinctive is how straightforward the platform has made it for artists to add their songs, tracks, podcasts, or different audio. Establishing a profile to share music by means of is straightforward and may be free, permitting newbie and price range artists to get their names on the market.
This high quality has made SoundCloud an incredible platform for up-and-coming artists to interrupt out, since SoundCloud’s customers are sometimes fairly interested by discovering new music and artists.
Tips on how to obtain SoundCloud
SoundCloud originated as an internet site that you might solely entry on an web browser. Though the web site continues to be up and operating, SoundCloud has since developed a user-friendly app for iOS and Android customers.
I made a SoundCloud account. What now?
On the prime of SoundCloud’s house web page, each on-line and within the app, you will be prompted to discover a few of the platform’s trending genres. Instantly under these, SoundCloud affords an array of music that their algorithm has deemed as tracks you could take pleasure in based mostly on what else you hearken to. If you wish to hearken to what’s well-liked within the US proper now, you’ll be able to scroll all the way down to the part that gives Music Charts with High 50 playlists for numerous genres.
You are additionally in a position to search with filters to search out any tracks, artists, albums, or playlists you are in search of. One other fascinating characteristic on SoundCloud are the “Scenes: Corners of SoundCloud” playlists and “FOSC: First on SoundCloud 2023” artists discovered slightly additional down on the platform’s house web page. Scenes highlights some area of interest genres which have discovered a group of listeners on SoundCloud, and FOSC places an annual highlight on 5 of its rising artists with the purpose of serving to these artists achieve listeners and attain new audiences.
SoundCloud
Is SoundCloud free?
SoundCloud’s origins are rooted in impartial music and user-driven uploads, so it is nonetheless out there to make use of without cost, though there are some drawbacks.
Free listening has promoting in it, and non-paid customers aren’t in a position to obtain any tracks for offline listening. Nevertheless, income that SoundCloud makes from commercials helps them to pay the artists whose music you are listening to.
There are a number of tiers of paid memberships for SoundCloud, which every deliver additional options.
SoundCloud pricing: Listeners
SoundCloud affords multiple paid options for these trying to pay attention ad-free and with another perks. Listed here are their subscription choices:
The extra fundamental paid subscription is SoundCloud Go, which prices $4.99 month-to-month and removes all of the adverts whereas additionally letting you obtain as many tracks as you would like for offline listening.
SoundCloud Go+ is priced at $9.99 which affords the advantages of SoundCloud Go in addition to allows you to pay attention with higher-quality audio, will get you entry to a wider library, and even means that you can combine out there tracks in sure DJing apps. For college students, SoundCloud Go+ is obtainable at a 50% low cost.
SoundCloud pricing: Artists
When you’re looking to upload music, SoundCloud affords a free subscription referred to as SoundCloud Subsequent. This feature permits artists to add as much as three hours of audio both privately or publicly and have entry to fundamental analytics experiences of listeners.

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SoundCloud Next Pro is the platform’s paid artist plan, which prices $8.25 a month. It removes the restrict on how a lot music you’ll be able to add and opens the door to an entire heap of stats that will help you perceive who’s listening to your music and the way. This plan helps artists to increase their tracks’ attain, have wider distribution, monetize their tracks, have restricted entry to trace mastering, and extra.
Who makes use of SoundCloud?
Whereas SoundCloud is utilized by a big selection of artists and listeners from all over the world, sure genres have positively discovered their area of interest viewers on the platform.
Listeners usually flip to SoundCloud to hearken to new and distinctive sounds and artists fairly than the present Billboard High 50.
Some present trending genres on SoundCloud embody electronic, house, reggae, pop, and hip hop & rap. Trying on the songs discovered on SoundCloud’s trending playlists reveals that whereas some large names are included, like Megan Thee Stallion, Jhené Aiko, and Zeds Lifeless, most of the trending artists are removed from family names. There are additionally playlists out there that supply new tracks exclusively found on SoundCloud or every week’s fresh sounds on the platform.
SoundCloud will also be used to hearken to extra area of interest music genres that many individuals might by no means have heard of. Though stats aren’t but out there for 2023, the 2022 fastest growing genres included plugg, an Atlanta-based hip-hop scene, drill, a lure subgenre by which Ice Spice had a prime SoundCloud monitor of 2022, phonk, UK dance, and digicore, a hyperpop microgenre.
SoundCloud
Ought to I exploit SoundCloud?
When you like to find new artists, area of interest genres, and distinctive tracks, you ought to be utilizing SoundCloud. SoundCloud affords a world away from trending music that is being overplayed on the radio. A number of underground expertise that deserves to be heard is offered to hearken to solely on SoundCloud. When you give SoundCloud artists an opportunity, you might discover ardour for genres you did not know existed or uncover the subsequent large identify in music.
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