SoundCloud is often thought of as a hangout for indie kids and backyard bands, a place to discover new music. And that's true to some extent, but it's far from the whole story.
It's where many people (myself included) look for new tracks, as many bands often release their music on SoundCloud before they release on Apple Music Getting Started with Apple Music:What You Need to Know Getting Started with Apple Music:What You Need After Purchase from Beats last year, Apple has finally unleashed its music streaming service on the world. Learn more, Spotify Spotify Music Streaming:The Unofficial Guide Spotify Music Streaming:The Unofficial Guide Spotify is the world's largest music streaming service. If you're not sure how to use it, this guide will walk you through the service and offer some crucial tips. Read More It's where I first heard Table People, a band based in Seoul, South Korea, that plays a “whatever you want” style of sound.
However, the Berlin-based music sharing site is more than just a few indie bands that appeal to hipsters. The site boasts an impressive number of monthly active users, 175 million at the time of writing, many of whom share some fantastic tunes. Compare this to Spotify's 75 million monthly active users and you'll learn that SoundCloud is serious about music.
We think you should start using SoundCloud today, and here are seven reasons why.
Let's make something clear. The site is more than just a place to find obscure music. SoundCloud also boasts an impressive list of highly regarded bands, a place where distinguished help find the unknown, as was the case when Snoop Dogg and Polish artist Iza Lach collaborated.
Additionally, the site just signed a licensing deal with Universal Music, which includes a roster of Adele, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and other music sensations. SoundCloud also has a licensing deal with Warner Brothers, and it's one of the reasons so many bands today have taken notice, which is what G-Eazy says in his “SoundCloud 60” interview. Not bad for a supposed garage band music platform..
Whatever genre you prefer, whatever sound you want, you're bound to find something you like on SoundCloud.
Speaking of discovering new sounds, SoundCloud has released the best charts, which are sure to help you find what's popular in music today.
The “Top 50” and “New Hot” charts are made up of music genres including, but not limited to, metal, piano, world, and triphop, as well as audiobooks, business, and technology. You can find how many views the selection of the week or all time has received and easily share the clips directly from the list. It's a nice feature that artists and listeners alike have praised.
The most impressive thing about this is that the boards include names that you may or may not have heard of, which is sure to increase your knowledge and awareness of what is currently popular. Staying on top of what's good is never a bad thing.
In addition to finding the music you like, you'll also find sharing music via SoundCloud incredibly easy. The site's embedding, messaging, and sharing options are impressive. There's a good reason the site bills itself as a "global online audio distribution platform."
Instead of me just telling you about SoundCloud's sharing capabilities, I'll show you instead. Here's an accompanying song cloud from Torche, a stoner rock metal band, that you can easily share on social media, message your friends, or embed on a website, like we've done here.
Also, WordPress and SoundCloud have come to an agreement so you can seamlessly embed a song or playlist on your personal site. While on SoundCloud, just click “wordpress code” next to the embed code, copy the code, and paste in a post or on a page. Easy. Now you can easily share your favorite track on your site.
You'll also notice a bunch of heads in profile rolling along to a sound wave from your favorite song. This unique feature allows the community to interact with each other, whether it's a fan telling their favorite artist what they like about a song or just giving them a shout.
It's a really nice feature that artists and fans have used to further communicate with each other, helping to build on that community of 175 million people.
You can send a nice comment to your favorite group on desktop, which is where SoundCloud really thrives, and let them know you like their ringtone. I'm sure they'll appreciate the love.
If you want to be taken seriously as a music performer and be noticed by millions, SoundCloud can help. The impressive number of users willing to find a new sound, the ease of sharing on social networks and the commitment of the community are ideal for emerging artists..
Let's not forget that artists and representatives of the major labels visit the site frequently to find what's new in music.
Snoop Dogg found Iza Lach, Post Malone was discovered by Republic Records after his song. Iverson white racked up a lot of plays, Kodak Black was signed by Drake and also signed a deal with Atlantic Records, etc.
The list of artists who amass a huge number of plays on SoundCloud and, in return, a lot of attention on the Internet, is endless. I wish I knew this when I was coming out of high school with my guitar, playing Slash's rendition Confession Obsession .
Let's not forget one of the main reasons SoundCloud has so many active users...promotion. There are plenty of up-and-coming independent producers, DJs and bands on the site sharing their music in hopes of making it big, and they can do so with On SoundCloud, a partner program for creatives.
The program allows artists to monetize tracks they upload to the site through paid advertisements, much like YouTube's monetization program, and has largely been considered a success. There are tons of tips and tricks out there so you can better engage with your audience and make more money. So good luck, music creators!
As well as existing on a fantastic website Experience SoundCloud on desktop with CloudDeck and Adobe Air Experience SoundCloud on desktop with CloudDeck and Adobe Air Are you someone who uses SoundCloud every day? Here is the best desktop interface for SoundCloud. It's a quick and free download and you can start streaming your SoundCloud library in just seconds. Read More You can't comment on the songs or do much in terms of producing music with the apps, but everything else is there. You can easily listen to tracks and find new music to enjoy later, follow your friends, and share music.
Additionally, the app team has made it their mission to constantly update their product and, most recently on Android, have introduced a “Play Related Tracks” feature. This should help you find even more great songs.
If you find the official apps uninspiring, there are plenty of other unofficial SoundCloud apps to choose from, with which the company is completely up to the task, as you can see on their About page:
Also, if you have a Windows phone, you can download Nimbus for SoundCloud as an alternative. The app has received largely positive reviews, and the dedicated team behind the app seems to update it frequently with new music to appeal to the large user base.
With 175 million monthly users and growing, chances are you already use SoundCloud. If not, consider it, as SoundCloud is a really awesome platform to find new music, listen to your favorite songs, or try to get your own creations heard. If you've been using their services, we want to know what appeals to you the most, so others can learn from your experiences.
Is it useful for listening to your favorite artists or discovering new music? Do you share your own music on SoundCloud? Tell us your opinion in the comments below.!
