SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service. It lets people upload, promote, and share audio online. It started in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss.

SoundCloud grew to become one of the largest music streaming services in the world. It can be used in 190 countries.

People can choose between free and paid memberships. SoundCloud works on mobile, desktop and Xbox devices. It began as a simple way to play music online but has become a bigger entertainment company.

History

SoundCloud started in Stockholm on August 27, 2007. It was created by Swedish sound designer Alexander Ljung and musician Eric Wahlforss. The website went live on October 17, 2008. At first, it was a place for musicians to share and talk about their recordings. Later, it became a place to share music.

SoundCloud grew fast. In May 2010, it had one million users. By January 2012, it had ten million users, and by May 2012, fifteen million users. In 2014, it tried to work with Twitter but couldn’t because of music licensing issues. SoundCloud kept growing and, in February 2019, it had over 200 million tracks, more than four times Myspace.

In May 2019, SoundCloud bought a platform called Repost Network. In January 2020, it got $75 million from Sirius XM. In March 2021, SoundCloud started a new way for artists to earn money called “fan-powered royalties.” By January 2024, SoundCloud moved its main office to New York City.

Monetization, subscription services

In August 2014, SoundCloud started a program called On SoundCloud. This let special partners earn money by showing ads and working with sponsors. SoundCloud made deals with many partners, including Comedy Central and Funny or Die.

In February 2017, SoundCloud launched SoundCloud Go. This was a subscription service that cost $5 a month. It let users listen without ads and offline. There was also SoundCloud Go+, which cost $10 a month. It gave access to more songs and tracks.

Platforms and features

In December 2012, SoundCloud updated its mobile app with new features like listening to music together and organizing personal collections. At that time, SoundCloud reached 180 million people each month, with 10 hours of new music added every minute.

SoundCloud has two mobile apps. The main app helps people find and share music. In November 2015, SoundCloud launched another app called SoundCloud Pulse for creators to manage their music and see who is listening. In July 2020, SoundCloud added special tools called Insights to its main app, stopping the need for the Pulse app. These tools show users who listens to their music and where.

In April 2017, SoundCloud added support for Chromecast to its iOS app.

SoundCloud used to use certain music formats but announced plans to change to a new format in September 2025. This change aims to make the app work better on different devices and operating systems.

Subscription services

SoundCloud Go

In 2016, SoundCloud started SoundCloud Go. This is a service where you can listen to music without ads and download songs to hear them offline. It has music from big record labels and songs uploaded by users. It cost US$10 per month.

In 2017, SoundCloud changed the name of its main Go plan to SoundCloud Go+. It also added a new plan called SoundCloud Go for US$5 per month. SoundCloud Go does not have the licensed music library but still lets you enjoy music without ads and download songs for offline listening. SoundCloud Go+ has extra features like mix tracks for some DJ apps and offers a full music catalogue with higher quality streaming.

Next Pro

SoundCloud also has a special service called Next Pro for musicians. With Next Pro, musicians can upload many audio files, see who is listening to their music, share their music on other platforms, and use tools to grow their audience. This service costs US$99 per year and is available worldwide.

Label services

SoundCloud For Artists

In October 2022, SoundCloud started a new service called SoundCloud For Artists. This service helps musicians share their music and connect with fans. It replaced an older service called Repost Network. SoundCloud bought Repost Network in 2019.

In July 2022, SoundCloud worked with a label named BlondeWorld Label. This was the first time an independent label partnered with SoundCloud before the service changed its name.

Criticism

SoundCloud has faced some criticism as it grew. Many users felt the service changed too much and became less helpful for independent artists. In 2013, the website was redesigned to try to get more people to use it.

In 2014, it was reported that some copyright holders could ask SoundCloud to remove content without giving users a chance to defend themselves. In 2016, SoundCloud announced it would stop allowing groups, which upset many artists who used them to share their music.

In 2023, SoundCloud made a change on its website about Taiwan. The service has also been criticized for removing music that wasn’t illegally shared, and for letting a big music company control which accounts or uploads can stay on the platform. Some users felt this wasn’t fair.

Cultural impact

SoundCloud changed the music industry by giving artists new ways to share and promote their music online. Artists can release music without needing a record label or distributor. Users can listen to and create music, building a community. Features like commenting, liking, and sharing songs make SoundCloud work like a social media site.

In 2018, the Grammys started recognizing artists and music from SoundCloud, showing how popular the platform had become. Chance the Rapper is a great example; he released his first mixtape, 10 Day, on SoundCloud and chose not to sign with a major label.

SoundCloud also helped create a new style of rap. Artists like Lil Pump, XXXTentacion, and Lil Uzi Vert became famous through the platform. Many of these artists started with simple homemade recordings, showing how SoundCloud lets anyone share music easily.

Availability

In November 2013, people in mainland China could no longer use SoundCloud on computers. In March 2014, the phone version and app were also blocked there.

In January 2014, the government of Turkey stopped people from using SoundCloud.

In October 2022, Russia blocked SoundCloud because the company would not remove some podcasts.

See also: Censorship in Turkey § Blocking of Internet sites