SoundCloud Announces More Affordable Plan for Musicians

SoundCloud Announces New Artist Plan and Plan Renaming

SoundCloud, a prominent music streaming service, revealed on Tuesday the launch of a new, more affordable subscription tier designed for artists, named simply “Artist.” Simultaneously, the platform is rebranding its existing “Next Pro” plan to “Artist Pro.”

Details of the New Artist Plan

This newly introduced basic tier will be available for $39 annually. It will incorporate certain limitations on functionalities such as track amplification, music distribution, revenue generation, and the use of AI mastering tools.

Artists who subscribe to the Artist plan will have a 3-hour upload limit, applicable across any number of tracks. This upload allowance mirrors the restriction present in the platform’s free plan.

Features and Benefits

The new plan provides artists with the capability to promote new releases to reach audiences exceeding 100 listeners through track amplification.

SoundCloud also functions as a distribution channel for monetizing tracks on other major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and TikTok. Artists retain 100% of royalties earned from plays on SoundCloud, as well as all revenue generated from other platforms.

These monetization and distribution features are enabled for two tracks each month under the basic plan.

Additional Plan Features

Users are also granted the ability to replace up to three tracks monthly without losing associated data, such as play counts, likes, and comments.

Furthermore, artists receive a monthly credit for mastering one track utilizing SoundCloud’s integrated tools.

SoundCloud stated that the new basic plan is now broadly accessible following a successful pilot program in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Artist Pro Plan Details

For artists requiring higher limits – including unlimited track uploads, amplification, monetization, and track replacements – an “Artist Pro” plan is available at $99 per year.

The Pro plan includes three AI mastering credits per month, alongside access to community management tools.

Recent SoundCloud Developments

Earlier this year, SoundCloud launched its own merchandise store, empowering artists to design and sell their own branded products.

Statement from SoundCloud CEO

“At SoundCloud, we believe great music can come from anywhere, and it shouldn’t be held back by cost or complexity. That’s why we created the Artist plan — to provide emerging musicians with pro-level tools and distribution at an affordable price,” said Eliah Seton, SoundCloud CEO, in an official statement.