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{{Short description|German audio streaming service}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

factoids

| language = EnglishBerlinTITLE=YOU WILL WANT TO LIVE IN SOUNDCLOUD’S STUNNING BERLIN OFFICES WEBSITE=BUSINESS INSIDER INSIDER INC. >ACCESS-DATE=20 MAY 2023 DATE=JUNE 12, 2014, | country_of_origin = Germany| area_served = WorldwideKommanditgesellschaft>KGAlexander Ljung|Eric Wahlforss}}| key_people = {{UblChief executive officer>CEO)SoundCloud Names Michael Weissman to Succeed Kerry Trainor as CEO at Variety;by Jem Aswad; published 1 December 2020; retrieved 5 May 2021President (corporate title)>President)OFFICIAL: ELIAH SETON NAMED PRESIDENT OF SOUNDCLOUD at Music Business Worldwide; by Murray Stassen; published 8 April 2021; retrieved 5 May 2021Chief operating officer>COO, CFO)SoundCloud Names Drew Wilson COO & CFO at Billboard Magazine; by Chris Eggersten; published 22 March 2021; retrieved 5 May 2021Chief Content Officer>CCO, CMO)LAUREN WIRTZER-SEAWOOD JOINS SOUNDCLOUD AS CHIEF CONTENT AND MARKETING OFFICER at Music Business Worldwide; by Murray Stassen; published 10 May 2021; retrieved 26 May 2021Chief diversity officer>CDO)Antonious Porch, General Counsel, SoundCloud at Legal500; published 2019; retrieved 2021| Alexander Ljung (Chairman and Co-Founder)}}Music|Social media}}Sound recording and reproduction>Internet forum}}| num_employees = ≈425 (2021)SoundCloud employees shocked by job cuts: ‘Nobody saw it coming’ at Business Insider; by Sam Shead; published 7 July 2017; retrieved 26 May 2021| url = {{official URL}}| registration = Optional;Required to post and upload content.WEBSITE=STATISTA, May 5, 2024,

• Ruby
• Scala
• ClojureWEB,developers.soundcloud.com/blog/building-products-at-soundcloud-part-1-dealing-with-the-monolith/, Building Products at SoundCloud —Part I: Dealing with the Monolith, SoundCloud,

}}}}SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG.WEB, Terms of Use - Listen to music,soundcloud.com/terms-of-use, 2023-08-15, SoundCloud, en, Welcome to SoundCloud®, a service provided by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG (“SoundCloud”, “we” “our”, or “us“)., WEB, 2019-11-04, SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG,opencorporates.com/companies/de/F1103R_HRA55946, 2023-08-15, OpenCorporates, The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming services in the world and is available in 190 countries and territories.WEB, About SoundCloud – Listen to music,soundcloud.com/pages/contact, 2021-12-20, SoundCloud, en, The service has more than 76 million active monthly users and over 200 million audio tracks as of November 2021.WEB, Smith, Craig, 2016-06-24, 16 Amazing SoundCloud Statistics,expandedramblings.com/index.php/soundcloud-statistics/, 2021-12-20, DMR, SoundCloud offers both free and paid memberships on the platform, available for mobile, desktop and Xbox devices. SoundCloud has evolved from a traditional online streaming platform to an entertainment company.

History

(File:Eric_Wahlforss.jpg|thumb|Eric Wahlforss in 2010)SoundCloud was established in Berlin on August 27, 2007, by Swedish sound designer Alexander Ljung and Swedish electronic musician Eric Wahlforss, and the website was launched on October 17, 2008.Jenna Wortham, SoundCloud, an Audio-Sharing Site, Hits 5 Million Users. New York Times, 15 June 2011. Later that year, Rapper Kid Cudi posted the video for his Soundtrack 2 My Life track, then got replaced to YouTube in 2012. It was originally intended to allow musicians to collaborate by facilitating the sharing and discussion of recordings, but later transformed into a publishing tool for music distribution.MAGAZINE,www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/07/soundcloud-threatens-myspace-as-music-destination-for-twitter-era/, SoundCloud Threatens MySpace as Music Destination for Twitter Era, Eliot Van Buskirk, 6 July 2009, Wired (magazine), Wired, According to Wired magazine, soon after its inception, SoundCloud began to challenge the dominance of Myspace as a platform for musicians to distribute their music.In April 2009, SoundCloud received €2.5 million Series A funding from Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures.NEWS,techcrunch.com/2010/05/18/now-a-million-on-soundcloud-this-startup-is-scaling-globally/, Now a million on SoundCloud – This startup is scaling globally, Mike, Butcher, 18 May 2010, TechCrunch, In May 2010, SoundCloud announced it had one million users. In January 2011, it was reported that SoundCloud had raised US$10 million Series B funding from Union Square Ventures and Index Ventures. On 15 June 2011, SoundCloud reported five million registered users and investments from Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s A-Grade Fund, and on 23 January 2012, it reported 10 million registered users.WEB,blog.soundcloud.com/2012/01/23/ten-million/, SoundCloud Hits Ten Million Users, David, Noël, 23 January 2012, SoundCloud, In May 2012, it was announced that SoundCloud had 15 million users, and site usage was increasing by 1.5 million users per month.WEB, Drew, Olanoff, SoundCloud announces “Next” version of its site, hits 15M users,thenextweb.com/insider/2012/05/09/soundcloud-announces-next-version-of-its-site-hits-15m-users/, The Next Web, The Next Web, Inc, 11 December 2014, 9 May 2012, In March 2014, Twitter announced it would partner with SoundCloud in developing its first integrated music app. However, the project never moved forward because SoundCloud was unable to accommodate licensed music due to a lack of necessary arrangements with music labels.WEB, Peter, Kafka, Twitter’s Music App Will Let You Watch, Too, With Help From Vevo,allthingsd.com/20130313/twitters-music-app-will-let-you-watch-too-with-help-from-vevo/, All Things D, Dow Jones & Company Inc, 11 December 2014, 13 March 2013, In July 2013, SoundCloud had 40 million registered users and new users were joining at 20 million per month.NEWS,www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/talkingtech/2013/07/17/whos-listening-to-soundcloud-200-million/2521363/, Who’s listening to SoundCloud? 200 million, Jefferson, Graham, 17 July 2013, USA Today, SoundCloud announced in January 2014 that it had commenced licensing negotiations with major music companies to address the matter of unauthorized, copyrighted material regularly appearing on the platform.WEB, Ellis, Hamburger, SoundCloud pursuing its first licensing deals with record labels,www.theverge.com/2014/1/24/5342300/soundcloud-pursuing-licensing-deals-with-record-labels-60-million-funding, The Verge, Vox Media, Inc, 11 December 2014, 24 January 2014, The announcement followed a round of funding in which US$60 million was raised, resulting in a $700 million valuation.WEB, Peter, Kafka, SoundCloud Has a New Pile of Cash, and Wants to Cut Deals With Big Music,recode.net/2014/01/24/soundcloud-has-a-new-pile-of-cash-and-wants-to-cut-deals-with-big-music/, ReCode, Revere Digital LLC, 11 December 2014, 24 January 2014, According to media sources, the negotiations were initiated in an attempt to avoid similar problems faced by Google, which had been forced to handle a large number of take down notices on its YouTube video-sharing platform.MAGAZINE, SoundCloud holding licensing talks with labels - report, Music Week, Tom, Pakinkis, 28 March 2014, 31 March 2014,www.musicweek.com/news/read/soundcloud-holding-licensing-talks-with-labels-report/058049, In May 2015, it was reported that Twitter was considering the acquisition of SoundCloud for approximately US$2 billion. However, the prospect of acquisition was discounted by the media, with one report stating that “the numbers didn’t add up”,WEB, Bobby, Owsinski, Major Labels Buying Into Soundcloud Sets It Up For Acquisition,www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2014/07/24/major-labels-buying-into-soundcloud-sets-it-up-for-acquisition/, Forbes, 11 December 2014, 24 July 2014, and Bobby Owsinski hypothesizing on the Forbes website in July that SoundCloud’s ongoing inability to secure deals with the major music labels was the foremost culprit.WEB, Nathan, Ingraham, Twitter’s plans to purchase SoundCloud have evaporated, claims report,www.theverge.com/2014/5/20/5735828/twitters-plans-to-purchase-soundcloud-have-evaporated-claims-report, The Verge, Vox Media, 11 December 2014, 20 May 2014, On 28 September 2016, Spotify announced that it was considering to buy SoundCloud.NEWS,www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2016/09/28/report-spotify-is-in-talks-to-buy-soundcloud/#35e4976c6a49, Is Spotify Buying SoundCloud?, McIntyre, Hugh, 28 September 2016, Forbes, 9 October 2016, On 8 December 2016, Spotify was reported to have abandoned its acquisition plans.NEWS,techcrunch.com/2016/12/08/spotify-soundcloud-deal-dead/, Spotify has backed out of talks to acquire SoundCloud, Russell, Jon, 8 December 2016, TechCrunch, 9 December 2016, In February 2019, SoundCloud reported having surpassed 200 million sound tracks,WEB, Deahl, Dani, Over 200 million tracks have been uploaded to SoundCloud,www.theverge.com/2019/2/13/18223596/soundcloud-tracks-uploaded-200-million, The Verge, 14 January 2023, 13 February 2019, four times as many as Myspace had.(File:Next10, Speakers Dinner, 10.05.2010 (4598391076).jpg|thumb|Alexander Ljung at Next10 (2010))In May 2019, SoundCloud bought artist distribution platform Repost Network.WEB,social.techcrunch.com/2019/05/28/soundcloud-repost-network/, SoundCloud buys artist distribution platform Repost Network, TechCrunch, 28 May 2019, 2019-05-28, In January 2020, a US$75 million investment by Sirius XM was announced.WEB,social.techcrunch.com/2020/02/11/music-streaming-pioneer-soundcloud-raises-75m-from-pandora-owner-siriusxm/, Music streaming pioneer SoundCloud raises $75M from Pandora owner SiriusXM, TechCrunch, 11 February 2020, en-US, 2020-02-17, On 2 March 2021, SoundCloud announced a new pay model for artists, entitled “fan-powered royalties”, which went into effect on 1 April 2021.WEB, rhiannon-williams, 2021-03-03, SoundCloud becomes first streaming platform to distribute subscribers’ fees only to artists they listen to,inews.co.uk/news/technology/soundcloud-first-streaming-platform-distribute-subscribers-fees-artists-listen-896931, 2021-10-19, inews.co.uk, en, Under this new model, royalties come directly from the subscription and advertising revenue that listeners earn for SoundCloud, instead of allotting a certain portion of the total “pool” of revenue earned by SoundCloud to each artist based on streams. This means that a fan who listens to more advertisements or pays for a SoundCloud Go subscription will be more valuable to an artist, supposedly benefiting smaller independent artists with fans who listen to their music frequently.WEB,help.soundcloud.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260801306810-Fan-powered-Royalties-FAQs, Fan-powered Royalties FAQs, SoundCloud Help Center, {{self-published inline|date=August 2021}} Little is known about how beneficial fan-powered royalties have been for artists, beyond SoundCloud’s claims, over the traditional pooled royalties model, which most competing services such as Spotify continue to use.In December 2021, SoundCloud Chief Financial Officer, Drew Wilson, said the company is “at the doorsteps of break-even” and said the company expects to generate a net profit by 2023.WEB,www.wsj.com/articles/soundcloud-plans-to-expand-free-services-to-attract-new-artists-11639002178, SoundCloud Plans to Expand Free Services to Attract New Artistslast1=Broughtondate=8 December 2021, The rise in popularity of Soundcloud rap and ability for new artists to gain popularity helped SoundCloud gain enough users to continue business. Compared to other streaming services, SoundCloud is an interactive platform, which contributes to the artist being able to gain popularity.DUNHAM DATE=2022-03-15 URL=HTTPS://WWW.TANDFONLINE.COM/DOI/FULL/10.1080/15295036.2021.2015537 LANGUAGE=EN ISSUE=2 DOI=10.1080/15295036.2021.2015537 ISSN=1529-5036, subscription, On 8 January 2024, SoundCloud was put up for sale, with an estimated value of $1 billion. WEB, Music streaming service SoundCloud tunes up for sale,news.sky.com/story/music-streaming-service-soundcloud-tunes-up-for-sale-13043602, 2024-01-08, Sky News, en,

Monetization, subscription services

In August 2014, SoundCloud announced a new program known as “On SoundCloud”, which would allow “Premier” partners to monetize their content through pre-roll audio ads, channel sponsorships, mobile display ads, and native content. The company announced deals with a number of content partners (including Comedy Central and Funny or Die), independent labels, and YouTube multi-channel networks, and that it was in “active and ongoing, advanced discussions” with major record labels.MAGAZINE, SoundCloud Debuts Monetization Play With ‘On SoundCloud’, Announces $100 Million In Funding,www.billboard.com/articles/business/6228878/soundcloud-monetization-advertising, Billboard, 21 August 2014, 29 March 2016, In December 2014, it was reported that SoundCloud could potentially raise approximately US$150 million in new financing, resulting in a valuation surpassing one billion dollars. The major label issue became prominent again when the new financing information was released, as the lack of monetization was presented as an issue—SoundCloud signed an agreement with Warner Music Group as part of the new Premier program that allows both Warner Music, which also has a minor stake in the company, and its publishing division to collect royalties for songs they have chosen to monetize on the site; meanwhile, the other labels remained skeptical of the company’s business model. By December 2014, SoundCloud had shared ad revenue with about 60 other Premier Partners.NEWS, Evelyn M., Rusli, Hannah, Karp, Douglas, MacMillan, SoundCloud’s Valuation Could Top $1.2 Billion With New Fundraising,blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/12/09/soundclouds-valuation-could-top-1-2-billion-with-new-fundraising/, 11 December 2014, The Wall Street Journal, 9 December 2014, WEB, Jill, Krasny, SoundCloud May Soon Join the Billion-Dollar Startup Club,www.inc.com/jill-krasny/SoundCloud-may-soon-join-billion-dollar-startup-club.html?cid=em01011week50day09b, Inc., Monsueto Ventures, 11 December 2014, 9 December 2014, Concerns over the amount of revenue from the program led Sony Music Entertainment to pull its content from the service entirely in May 2015.WEB, Sony pulls music from SoundCloud over money dispute,www.theverge.com/2015/5/6/8561781/soundcloud-sony-music-negotiation-breakdown-songs-pulled, The Verge, 6 May 2015, 29 March 2016, In June 2015, SoundCloud announced that it had reached a deal with the Merlin Network, a group representing 20,000 independent record labels, to monetize their content through the Premier partner program.WEB, Soundcloud Signs Indie Labels As It Preps Subscription Service,variety.com/2015/digital/news/soundcloud-signs-indie-labels-as-it-preps-subscription-service-1201512628/, Variety, 4 June 2015, 29 March 2016, In January and March 2016, SoundCloud reached respective deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. A UMG spokesperson told The New York Times that the deal would give the company an option to require certain content to be restricted to paid subscribers, a statement suggesting that SoundCloud was preparing to launch its own subscription streaming service.WEB, Soundcloud strikes licensing deal with Universal Music Group,www.theverge.com/2016/1/13/10760002/souncloud-licensing-deal-universal-music-group, The Verge, 13 January 2016, 29 March 2016, WEB, Sarah, Perez, TechCrunch,techcrunch.com/2016/03/18/soundcloud-confirms-its-deal-with-sony-music-paving-the-way-for-its-subscription-services-launch/, SoundCloud confirms its deal with Sony Music, paving the way for its subscription service’s launch, 18 March 2016, 18 March 2016, WEB,www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2016/03/21/sony-has-officially-signed-on-to-soundcloud/#37cfef624a04, Sony Has Officially Signed On To SoundCloud, Forbes, 21 March 2016, In February 2017, SoundCloud launched a mid-range subscription tier named SoundCloud Go, that allows users to remove ads and listen offline for $US5 per month through the site.NEWS,www.digitaltrends.com/music/soundcloud-go-mid-tier/, SoundCloud debuts middle-tier streaming service, its cheapest ad-free option ever, Parker, Hall, Digital Trends, 28 February 2017, 1 March 2017, The original version, which was renamed to SoundCloud Go+, allows access to (at the time) over 150 million songs, offline playback, no ads, no previews, and premium music tracks for $US10 per month through the site.NEWS,www.digitaltrends.com/music/soundcloud-go-mid-tier/, SoundCloud debuts middle-tier streaming service, its cheapest ad-free option ever, Digital Trends, Parker, Hall, 28 February 2017, 1 March 2017, NEWS, Max, Buondonno,mbeddedmaximum.com/2017/02/28/soundcloud-introduces-5month-go-plan-renames-10month-plan-go/,web.archive.org/web/20170301133225/https://mbeddedmaximum.com/2017/02/28/soundcloud-introduces-5month-go-plan-renames-10month-plan-go/, 1 March 2017, SoundCloud Introduces $5/Month Go Plan, Renames $10/Month Plan ‘Go+’, 28 February 2017, 1 March 2017, live, MBEDDED, Both subscriptions were categorized for listeners, with separate subscription services provided specifically for creators.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}In Spring 2017, SoundCloud initially faced being sold after not raising the $100 million needed to support the platform.WEB,www.vox.com/2017/3/10/14887806/soundcloud-sale-investment, SoundCloud needs more money, or it may sell at a fire-sale price, Kafka, Peter, 2017-03-10, Vox, 2019-07-24, The initial evaluation of SoundCloud at $700 million did not hold as strong to investors after their financial shortages.In July 2017, SoundCloud announced layoffs and the closure of two of its five offices in San Francisco and London in an effort to manage costs.NEWS,www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-06/soundcloud-cuts-40-percent-of-staff-in-bid-to-remain-independent, SoundCloud Cuts 40% of Staff in Push for Profitability, 2017-07-06, Bloomberg.com, 2017-07-10, WEB,blog.soundcloud.com/2017/07/06/note-alex-ljung/, A note from Alex Ljung, blog.soundcloud.com, WEB, Constine, Josh, SoundCloud sinks as leaks say layoffs buy little time,techcrunch.com/2017/07/12/soundshroud/, Techcrunch, 12 July 2017, 21 September 2017, In August 2017, SoundCloud announced it reached an agreement on a $169.5 million investment from The Raine Group and Temasek.WEB,social.techcrunch.com/2017/08/11/soundcloud-saved/, SoundCloud saved by emergency funding as CEO steps aside, TechCrunch, 11 August 2017, en-US, 2019-07-24, In connection with the investment, veteran digital media operators Kerry Trainor and Michael Weissman joined the SoundCloud team respectively as chief executive officer and Chief Operating Officer. Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss remained with the company—Ljung as chairman of the board, and Wahlforss as Chief Product Officer until 2019, when Wahlforss transitioned into an advisory role.WEB,social.techcrunch.com/2017/08/11/soundcloud-saved/, SoundCloud saved by emergency funding as CEO steps aside, 11 August 2017, In May 2022, SoundCloud announced the company had acquired the Singapore based music AI company Musiio, with the aims of increasing features on the site such as discovery features.JOURNAL, 3 May 2022,techcrunch.com/2022/05/03/soundcloud-acquires-musiio-ai-music-discovery/, SoundCloud acquires Musiio, an AI music curator, to improve discovery, Tech Crunch, 3 May 2022,

Platforms and features

A new APN was released in December 2012 which improved mobile device support and added features such as concurrent listening, site navigation, and the ability to create personal collections.WEB, Robin, Wauters, SoundCloud user accuses SoundCloud of “doing a Zuckerberg” – on SoundCloud,thenextweb.com/apps/2012/12/10/soundcloud-user-accuses-soundcloud-of-doing-a-zuckerberg-on-soundcloud/, The Next Web, The Next Web, Inc, 11 December 2014, 10 December 2012, At this time, SoundCloud was reported to be “reaching 180 million people per month”, with 10 hours of content being uploaded per minute.WEB, Martin, Bryant, With 10 hours of audio uploaded every minute, SoundCloud rolls its new site design out to all users,thenextweb.com/insider/2012/12/04/with-10-hours-of-audio-uploaded-every-minute-soundcloud-rolls-its-new-site-design-out-to-all-users/, The Next Web, The Next Web, Inc, 11 December 2014, 4 December 2012, SoundCloud offers two mobile apps; the main SoundCloud app is oriented towards streaming, with music discovery, playlist, and sharing features.WEB, In Wake Of Apple Music, SoundCloud Update Focuses On Music Discovery, Better User Experience,techcrunch.com/2015/07/02/in-wake-of-apple-music-soundcloud-update-focuses-on-music-discovery-better-user-experience/, TechCrunch, 2 July 2015, AOL, 29 March 2016, In November 2015, its separate app known as SoundCloud Pulse was released for Android and iOS; it is primarily oriented towards content creators, allowing users to upload and manage their uploads, reply to comments, and view statistics.WEB, SoundCloud Rolls Out A Dedicated App For Creators,techcrunch.com/2015/11/02/soundcloud-rolls-out-a-dedicated-app-for-creators/, TechCrunch, 2 November 2015, AOL, 29 March 2016, By the end of 2016, SoundCloud Pulse had over 100 million downloads.WEB,play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.soundcloud.android, SoundCloud - Music & Audio - Android Apps on Google Play, play.google.com, 25 August 2016, In July 2020, SoundCloud introduced Insights into its mobile app, discontinuing SoundCloud Pulse. Through the new Insights portal all users can see their top listener, top city, top country and top 50 tracks, while Pro Unlimited subscribers have access to their top 50 everything (listeners, cities, countries, and tracks).SoundCloud takes Insights analytics to its main mobile app at MusicAlly; published 9 July 2020; retrieved 30 September 2021In April 2017, Chromecast support was added to the main SoundCloud iOS app.WEB,www.theverge.com/2017/4/1/15148864/soundcloud-chromecast-iphone-support, SoundCloud adds Chromecast support on iOS, Welch, Chris, 1 April 2017, The Verge, 1 April 2017,

Subscription services

SoundCloud Go

On 29 March 2016, SoundCloud unveiled SoundCloud Go, a subscription-based music streaming service; the service provides an ad-free experience, offline playback, and integrates licensed music from major labels into the existing, user-uploaded content of the service.WEB, SoundCloud Adds $5 Monthly Plan,www.pcmag.com/news/352057/soundcloud-adds-5-monthly-plan, 28 February 2017, PC Magazine, Co-founder Eric Wahlforss stated that this aspect would help to differentiate SoundCloud Go from other music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, as it technically provides a larger total library of songs than competing services, with a higher degree of diversity in its content. The Verge found that, excluding existing content uploaded by users, the service’s initial library of songs is smaller than those of its closest competitors.NEWS, SoundCloud offers a subscription service in a late play for mainstream music fans, Los Angeles Times,www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-soundcloud-launches-subscription-service-20160328-story.html, 29 March 2016, WEB, Kastrenakes, Jacob, 29 March 2016, SoundCloud’s subscription streaming service is here (and it needs work),www.theverge.com/2016/3/29/11321978/soundcloud-go-subscription-music-service-announced, 16 July 2016, The Verge, The service was initially priced at US$10 per month. On 28 February 2017, SoundCloud renamed its main Go plan SoundCloud Go+, adding a secondary tier titled SoundCloud Go at a US$5 price point, which does not include the licensed music library but still offers ad-free and offline playback.NEWS, 4 January 2017, No One Wants to Pay $9.99 for Your Remixes, Bloomberg.com,www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-04/in-apple-spotify-world-soundcloud-can-t-find-room, 28 February 2017, SoundCloud Go+ offers mix tracks for certain DJ apps, has a complete catalogue, and has 256 kbit/s streaming.WEB, SoundCloud,checkout.soundcloud.com/go, 2021-10-12, checkout.soundcloud.com,

Next Pro

Next Pro offers premium services for musicians under the banner Next Pro. The Next Pro service allows users to upload up to six hours of audio, and adds additional features such as enhanced analytics, and the ability to disable comments on tracks. The Next Pro tier allows unlimited uploads.WEB, SoundCloud launches simplified, cheaper Pro plans and embraces brands with Pro Partner accounts,thenextweb.com/insider/2013/03/11/soundcloud/#gref, The Next Web, 11 March 2013, 29 March 2016, This service is available for US$99 per year.WEB, SoundCloud,checkout.soundcloud.com/artist, 2023-09-05, checkout.soundcloud.com,

Label services

SoundCloud For Artists

In October 2022, SoundCloud announced a new program known as “SoundCloud For Artists”, which is a rebranding/merger of Jeff Ponchick’s Repost Network which was acquired by SoundCloud in 2019. The company formerly had two divisions of Repost By SoundCloud, Repost and Repost Select. Repost was a paid distribution platform available to the public while Repost Select was the dedicated label services department that provided label services such as marketing, funding and music distribution for artists that signed with SoundCloud directly/independent labels that have partnerships with SoundCloud.In July 2022 SoundCloud A&R Cameron Cox carried out a distribution deal with Sohaib Ali and Alontae Lloyd’s BlondeWorld Label which is the first independent label to enter into a partnership venture with the company prior to the rebranding.MAGAZINE, SOUNDCLOUD REBRANDS CREATOR SERVICES PLATFORM TO “SOUNDCLOUD FOR ARTISTS”,edm.com/news/soundcloud-for-artists-rebrand, EDM.com, 18 October 2022, 24 December 2022,

Criticism

As SoundCloud evolved and expanded beyond its initial user base, consisting primarily of grassroots musicians, many users complained that it had sacrificed its usefulness to independent artists in an attempt to appeal to the masses, perhaps in preparation for public sale. Such criticism particularly followed the launching of a revamped website in 2013 which, according to former CEO Alexander Ljung, was implemented for the purpose of increasing SoundCloud usage.NEWS,www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2013/04/26/soundcloud-manages-criticism-as-it-moves-to-become-the-youtube-of-audio/, Forbes, Ryan, Mac, SoundCloud Manages Criticism as it Moves to Become the YouTube of Audio, 26 April 2013, On 3 July 2014, TorrentFreak reported that SoundCloud offered unlimited removal powers to certain copyright holders, allowing those copyright holders to unilaterally remove paid subscribers’ content without recourse.NEWS,torrentfreak.com/record-labels-can-remove-soundcoud-tracks-without-oversight-140703/, TorrentFreak, Universal Music Can Delete Any SoundCloud Track Without Oversight, 3 July 2014, NEWS,www.complex.com/music/2014/06/soundcloud-boldly-releases-new-app-allows-universal-flag-account-quietly-announces-data-mining-one-month, Complex Media, Soundcloud Boldly Releases New App, Allows Universal to Flag Your Account, and Quietly Announces Data Mining, All in One Month, 3 July 2014, dead,www.complex.com/music/2014/06/soundcloud-boldly-releases-new-app-allows-universal-flag-account-quietly-announces-data-mining-one-month," title="web.archive.org/web/20171020060708www.complex.com/music/2014/06/soundcloud-boldly-releases-new-app-allows-universal-flag-account-quietly-announces-data-mining-one-month,">web.archive.org/web/20171020060708www.complex.com/music/2014/06/soundcloud-boldly-releases-new-app-allows-universal-flag-account-quietly-announces-data-mining-one-month, 20 October 2017, dmy-all, In April 2015, SoundCloud announced a new partnership with Zefr, a content tracking company that works with YouTube to help identify songs on the platform and facilitate either takedowns or ads being run against it.WEB,www.musictimes.com/articles/35344/20150412/soundcloud-partnering-zefr-youtube-copyright-enforcement-manager-warner-music.htm, SoundCloud Partnering With Zefr, YouTube’s Copyright Enforcement Manager, Music Times, 22 January 2017, In July 2016, SoundCloud notified registered users via email that it would be “phasing out” groups because they “were not a strong driver to help users share their new tracks to the most users effectively”.WEB,soundcloudcommunity.com/uploading-transcoding-230060/im-a-moderator-how-can-delete-tracks-group-new-design-site-7287151/index1.html#post17765823, I’m a moderator. How can delete tracks in group in new design of site?, live,web.archive.org/web/20161222084837/https://soundcloudcommunity.com/uploading-transcoding-230060/im-a-moderator-how-can-delete-tracks-group-new-design-site-7287151/index1.html, 22 December 2016, 21 December 2016, This announcement was met with alarm and concerned responses from numerous artists, who deemed the change unacceptable because it would eliminate their only effective means of sharing music on SoundCloud.WEB,soundcloudcommunity.com/soundcloud-on-your-computer-230066/soundcloud-phasing-out-groups-one-the-few-remaining-ways-to-actually-share-my-music-to-new-listeners-7061938/index1.html, SoundCloud is phasing out groups, one of the few remaining ways to actually share my music to new listeners, live,web.archive.org/web/20161222082939/https://soundcloudcommunity.com/soundcloud-on-your-computer-230066/soundcloud-phasing-out-groups-one-the-few-remaining-ways-to-actually-share-my-music-to-new-listeners-7061938/index1.html, 22 December 2016, 21 December 2016, SoundCloud has also been criticized for changes in service. The anti-piracy algorithm — which was put into place to combat the number of illegal music downloads — has often been criticized for taking down music that was not illegally submitted or downloaded.WEB,createdigitalmusic.com/2013/03/soundcloud-more-affordable-for-creators-as-service-attempts-balancing-acts-analysis/, SoundCloud More Affordable for Creators, As Service Attempts Balancing Acts [Analysis] - CDM Create Digital Music, 25 March 2013, Also, Universal Music Group has the right to take down any files on SoundCloud. Uploads can be taken down directly by Universal Music Group outside of SoundCloud’s anti-piracy policy. Other than uploads, Universal Music Group has the ability to take down accounts, both premium and free. Customers of the company have claimed this to be “bogus,” arguing that the right to manage and delete accounts should be reserved to SoundCloud itself, not to an outside company.WEB,www.techdirt.com/articles/20140702/10252827760/soundcloud-has-given-universal-music-group-ability-to-directly-remove-content.shtml, SoundCloud Has Given Universal Music Group The Ability To Directly Remove Content - Techdirt, 2 July 2014, 1 July 2016,

Cultural impact

Music industry

SoundCloud first entered the music streaming industry as a new way for artists to share and promote their music. As an online platform, artists can release music without a record label or distributor.WEB,pitchfork.com/levels/how-raps-soundcloud-generation-changed-the-music-business-forever/, How Rap’s SoundCloud Generation Changed the Music Business Forever, Pitchfork, 27 February 2019, en, 2019-07-21, SoundCloud users are both listeners and artists, using the platform together, creating a community focused space.NEWS,www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/magazine/if-soundcloud-disappears-what-happens-to-its-music-culture.html, If SoundCloud Disappears, What Happens to Its Music Culture?, Wortham, Jenna, 2017-08-01, The New York Times, 2019-07-23, en-US, 0362-4331, Features that enable users to comment, like, and share songs allows the platform to operate as a social media site rather than a streaming service.WEB,qz.com/1054288/soundcloud-is-still-alive-and-thats-bad-news-for-musicians/, SoundCloud is still alive—and that’s bad news for musicians, Kardos, Leah, Quartz, 16 August 2017, en, 2019-07-23, In 2018, the Grammys began to recognize artists and their music on SoundCloud. The shift from The Recording Academy was thanks to the popularity of the platform and their artists.WEB,hiphopwired.com/534881/favorite-soundcloud-artists-will-eligible-grammys-2018/, Your Favorite Soundcloud Artists May Be Eligible For Grammys In 2018, 2017-01-20, The Latest Hip-Hop News, Music and Media {{!, Hip-Hop Wired|language=en|access-date=2019-08-04}} Chance the Rapper is an example of a SoundCloud artist who broke the mould of the industry; he released his debut mixtape, 10 Day, on SoundCloud.MAGAZINE,www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/02/why-chance-the-rapper-music-is-free-and-how-he-makes-money, Why Chance the Rapper Makes Music for Free (and How He Actually Makes Money), Vanity Fair, en, 2019-08-04, In a Vanity Fair interview Chance explained how he decided against signing to a major label and felt it was better for him to give his music “without any limit on it”.

SoundCloud rap

{{See also|Mumble rap}}Through SoundCloud, a sub-genre of rap was created. Artists such as Lil Pump, XXXTentacion, Juice Wrld, Nav, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Trippie Redd, Ski Mask the Slump God, Suicideboys and Lil Peep originated from SoundCloud and have since risen to the Billboard top charts.MAGAZINE,www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/look-at-me-the-noisy-blown-out-soundcloud-revolution-redefining-rap-123887/, Look At Me!: The Noisy, Blown-Out SoundCloud Revolution Redefining Rap, Turner, David, 2017-06-01, Rolling Stone, en-US, 2019-07-24, The sound created was different from the mainstream, with a grittier and darker sound that results from a lack of production. SoundCloud rap is a lo-fi, melody driven, distorted sound with lyrics that usually focus on repetition and less on content. The SoundCloud artists themselves are known to have exaggerated appearances that include bright colored hair and face tattoos.WEB,lnwy.co/read/meet-soundcloud-rap-hip-hops-most-punk-moment-yet/, Understanding SoundCloud Rap, LNWY, en-US, 2019-08-04, 2 July 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190702030010/https://lnwy.co/read/meet-soundcloud-rap-hip-hops-most-punk-moment-yet/, dead, These SoundCloud rappers are in the late teens to early twenties age range with a strong youth following. Smokepurpp, a SoundCloud artist, explained in a Rolling Stone article how the first songs he created and put on the platform were not recorded using a real microphone. The DIY nature of SoundCloud made it so millions of artists were able to put out their work without any studio equipment usually needed to make music.WEB,www.gq.com/story/soundcloud-rap-boom-times, The Messy Story of How SoundCloud Rap Took Over Everything, GQ, 31 January 2019, en, 2019-08-04, The freedom to upload on the platform allows for many SoundCloud rappers to post tracks impulsively or post many tracks at a time. For example, Lil Uzi Vert was known to upload songs to SoundCloud impulsively, usually without telling anyone except their security and close friends.WEB, Tour Tales {{!, DJ PforReal talks Lil Uzi Vert learning from The Weeknd, stage-diving and his new album |url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2019-04-23/44772/tour-tales-dj-pforreal-talks-lil-uzi-vert-learning-from-the-weeknd-stage-diving-and-his-new-album/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=REVOLT |date=29 July 2018 |language=en-US}} The imperfect sound created by these SoundCloud rappers has contributed to their growing popularity and the creation of a rap sub-genre.WEB, 2019-02-27, How Rap’s SoundCloud Generation Changed the Music Business Forever,pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-raps-soundcloud-generation-changed-the-music-business-forever/, 2023-04-27, Pitchfork, en-US,

Availability

{{see also|Censorship in Turkey#Blocking of Internet sites}}The government of Turkey blocked access to the SoundCloud website in January 2014.MAGAZINE, Marc, Hogan, Has Turkey Banned SoundCloud?,soundclouddirect.com/has-turkey-banned-soundcloud/,soundclouddirect.com/has-turkey-banned-soundcloud/," title="web.archive.org/web/20150204124119soundclouddirect.com/has-turkey-banned-soundcloud/,">web.archive.org/web/20150204124119soundclouddirect.com/has-turkey-banned-soundcloud/, dead, 4 February 2015, Spin (magazine), Spin, 4 February 2015, According to a report from New York-based online news startup Vocativ, earlier on January 27 a Twitter user posted links to SoundCloud audio of phone conversations by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government has been cracking down after allegations of widespread graft., WEB, Soundcloud.com’a eriÅŸim engellendi,sozcu.com.tr/2014/teknoloji/soundcloud-coma-erisim-engellendi-446604/, Sözcü, 25 January 2014, Sözcü Newspaper, tr, WEB, Turkey: Is a Dark Net Rising?,www.eurasianet.org/node/67999, Eurasianet.org, 1 February 2014, Dorian, Jones, In October 2022, Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media blocked access to SoundCloud due to its refusal to remove anti-war podcasts.WEB,www.fontanka.ru/2022/10/01/71701730/, Роскомнадзор ограничил доступ онлайн-платформе SoundCloud, October 2022, ru, WEB,zona.media/news/2022/10/01/soundcloud, Ð’ России по требованию прокуратуры заблокировали SoundCloud, ru,

See also

• Weird SoundCloud
• (:Category:Music websites|Music websites)
• (:Category:Music streaming services|Music streaming services)

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

• NEWS, Caramanica, Jon, The Rowdy World of Rap’s New Underground, The New York Times, 2017-06-22,www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/arts/music/soundcloud-rap-lil-pump-smokepurrp-xxxtentacion.html, 0362-4331, mdy-all,
• WEB, Deahl, Dani, How SoundCloud’s broken business model drove artists away, The Verge, 2017-07-21,www.theverge.com/2017/7/21/15999172/soundcloud-business-model-future-spotify-streaming, 2017-07-21, dmy-all,

External links

{{commons category}}

• {{Official website}}
• Repost by SoundCloud
• SoundCloud Charts

{{Music digital distribution platforms}}{{Music streaming services}}