SoundCloud offers music tracks from new artists around the world. So if you’re into music discovery, it’s definitely a service to check out. But that’s not all. It provides a platform for new artists to share their songs and then evaluate statistics for their work. Let’s take a deep dive into SoundCloud so that you as either a listener or a creator knows if it’s an application that’s worth your time.
What is SoundCloud?
To sum it up in a single sentence, SoundCloud is an open audio platform for listeners, creators, and curators.
For listeners, it gives you a way to discover new music from up and coming artists.For musicians, you can use it as a platform to share your musical talents.For music lovers, it lets you curate songs into playlists for others to enjoy.
What Can I Do With SoundCloud?
How you use SoundCloud depends on which of the above categories you fall into.
Listen to and Curate Music
Browse by genre, see what’s trending, create playlists, and more. SoundCloud offers similar features to other music services when it comes to listening, enjoying, and sharing music. Play a track and control the playback with the toolbar. You can use features like shuffle and repeat, share, repost, or like a song, and add tunes to a playlist or your Next Up queue. You can also follow artists so you’re always up to date with their new songs, receive notifications when interacting with others, and review your listening history to replay songs you like. If you move from just listening to becoming a curator, you can gather a following of other users who like your musical tastes.
Create Music
Upload your track, use the mastering tool, and share it with the world. SoundCloud provides a dedicated section on the site for creators to take advantage of the tools at their fingertips. Watch and learn with SoundCloud’s videos for creators. You’ll see how to set up your profile, optimize tracks, promote, distribute, and monetize your work, and get extensive stats. Read through the helpful SoundCloud creator guide for the same types of items as above but in written form along with copyright policies, release strategy, and other artist services. You can make connections with musicians just like you. And in the Creator Forum, you’ll get tips from other artists and industry experts, solidify a networking strategy, and establish yourself in the artist community.
Additional Options for Creators
In addition to music, SoundCloud offers features and tools for podcasters and DJs. Whether you’re just dipping your toes in the podcast waters or are already a pro, take advantage of SoundCloud’s large number of listeners. You can share, connect, and grow your fanbase with your podcast on SoundCloud.
Mix and spin millions of tracks with a DJ subscription. This lets you upload unlimited sets, schedule your mixes, and get full statistics as a DJ on SoundCloud.
Where Can I Get SoundCloud?
You can visit the SoundCloud website, create an account for free, and use the service in your browser. For music on-the-go, download the official app to your iOS or Android device. The app is free on both platforms with in-app purchases for SoundCloud Go and SoundCloud Go+ (see below).
You can sign up with your email address or Facebook, Google, or Apple account.
How Much Does SoundCloud Cost?
SoundCloud is available for free online and on mobile devices with the options for the paid subscription plans below. Plans for listeners and curators: SoundCloud Go ($4.99 monthly) offers unlimited tracks for offline listening and no ads. SoundCloud Go+ ($9.99 monthly) offers the same features as SoundCloud Go but also gives you high-quality audio and access to the full catalog. Plans for creators: SoundCloud Pro Unlimited ($144 yearly) offers unlimited upload time, pay for your plays, advanced listener insights, and additional features. Repost by SoundCloud ($30 yearly) offers the distribution of tracks to major music services, promotional tools, payment splitting with collaborators, and more.
Listen, Create, or Curate with SoundCloud
Whether you want to find a new song, share a playlist that you think others will love, or show the world your talents as an artist, SoundCloud is the place to start.
