SoundCloud: What Is It and How Can It Actually Be Useful to Up and Coming Artists?

If you have been active on the internet for a while, you may have heard of a little platform called Soundcloud. Although, it’s actually not very little; it hosts over thirty million users and creators who are looking to share their music to the online community. 

Soundcloud is a free listening and free music sharing platform that was founded in 2007 in Sweden. Along with other streaming platforms such as Spotify and Napster, Soundcloud allows people to distribute and stream music for free. According to their website, Soundcloud is an “artist-first platform powered by a global community of artists and listeners on the pulse of what’s new, now and next in music culture.” Basically, they allow independent artists a space to share their music with others and grow their audience, while listeners get to discover all kinds of music without payment.

Pretty much anyone can use Soundcloud, you just have to fall into either the artist or listener category. As an artist, you simply just upload tracks and share them with your network. Soundcloud also gives artists the opportunity to monetize their uploads once they meet the eligibility criteria. However, using the app as an artist can be totally free unless you choose to opt into their paid program which gives you access to more artist tools such as distribution to other social media platforms and full range of what the platform offers.

So how can artists use Soundcloud to their full advantage and grow their audience? Firstly, Soundcloud is just as much a social media platform as it is a music streaming platform. Users can like, comment, and share people’s tracks throughout the platform, which is fantastic for getting engagement and expanding your network. Staying active also helps boost your profile on SoundCloud’s algorithm, which can result in your music being seen and heard by new people, and even earning positions on playlists. Basically, you cannot just upload your music and wait for it to go viral. You want to get your profile involved by partaking in basic social media engagement activities.

You can start out small by leaving a heart on someone else’s track, or you can connect with your growing fanbase by replying to their comments on your own music. You also have the opportunity to repost tracks in order to support fellow artists or spread the word about music that you may have worked on but is not on your personal profile.

If you want to search for more professional connections, any user is free to send a direct message to another. You may want to reach out to a producer to make beats for some lyrics you have on the back-burner. Or if you are a producer, sliding into a singer’s inbox is a great start for finding someone who can take your instrumental to a new level. Overall, staying active within the SoundCloud community, not only by uploading your own music but by interacting with others and their tracks, is key to getting discovered on this platform. 

Soundcloud has so many opportunities open for its users if you know how to take advantage of them. With millions of users active on the site, Soundcloud is an endless source of new fans, connections, and of course, new music. However, the most important thing to remember is that you get back what you give on the platform, which is why supporting others in their music careers and staying active on the app is the best way to make an impact on your own music.