By now, most folks take said their goodbyes to physical media. Although vinyl has made a scrap of a comeback. This is because the early 2000s ushered in a new era of music distribution in the class of digital download stores and streaming platforms.

Apple tree introduced the iTunes Store in 2003, and since and then, nosotros've seen YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, and many others grow in popularity. And if you're a music lover, SoundCloud is likely a name you've heard of every bit well.

In this article, we'll discuss what SoundCloud is, exactly what the platform provides, and whether or non you'll demand to pull your wallet out of your pocket to enjoy it.

What Is SoundCloud?

SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform that was founded in 2007 past Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss. They met while studying at the KTH Regal Plant of Technology, a university known for being one of the best schools in the world for calculator science. Having bonded over a mutual love for music, they decided they wanted to create something like Flickr or WordPress but for audio.

What started every bit a pocket-sized community for artists to promote their sound offerings has get a potent selection for indie musicians to really get themselves out in that location. Mail service Malone, Adventure the Rapper, and Kehlani are just a few mainstream music artists that originally started their careers on SoundCloud.

SoundCloud is now a streaming service, a distribution platform for new and upcoming artists, and an online community for fans. But at its core, SoundCloud is all about letting you lot discover and listen to new music.

At the time of writing, there are over 175 1000000 registered SoundCloud users and over 200 million uploaded tracks. You can access SoundCloud on both the desktop website and mobile app.

Is SoundCloud Gratuitous?

The Soundcloud app on the home screen of an iPhone

Listening to music on SoundCloud online is completely free and you don't even demand to create an account to do so. In order to upload and comment on tracks, withal, you will demand to register. Free users have an upload limit of 3 hours of audio, and file sizes cannot exceed 4GB. Additionally, a rail created by a gratuitous user can just be downloaded a maximum of 100 times.

If your account exceeds iii hours of uploaded audio, uploading will be temporarily disabled. To continue uploading, you will demand to make infinite for new uploads by either deleting older tracks to get nether the gratis limit, or past upgrading to the Pro Unlimited paid plan.

What Is Repost by SoundCloud?

Repost is a small upgrade to the complimentary basic SoundCloud account. For $30/year, you can unlock the following features:

  • Upload track artwork
  • Monetize track plays
  • Go unlimited distribution beyond all major streaming services
  • Select which regions tin can play your tracks
  • Pitch your tracks to top playlists
  • Promote on the SoundCloud Find folio
  • Dissever revenue with collaborators (e.g. fellow band or commonage members)
  • Gain access to SoundCloud'southward hub of resources from music manufacture professionals
  • Get guaranteed 1-day support responses
A screenshot of the Soundcloud Discover page

What Is SoundCloud Pro Unlimited?

Users that pay $144/year for SoundCloud Pro Unlimited have access to all of the basic account functions, everything Repost has to offer, and a multitude of other features that you lot might exist interested in if you accept music seriously:

  • Upload tracks that are upward to vi hours and 45 minutes long in length
  • No limit on number of uploaded tracks or how many times your tracks can be downloaded
  • Replace an already-uploaded track with a new file (keeping the plays, stats, and comments untouched)
  • Be more in-touch with your audience with avant-garde look at listener insights
  • Turn off commenting and viewing public stats
  • Get offered discounts from SoundCloud'southward hardware and software partners
  • Access to exclusive Gobbler-SoundCloud suite of audio plugins
  • 24/7 live chat back up

What Are SoundCloud Go and SoundCloud Get+?

Yous don't demand to exist a producer to improve your experience with SoundCloud. With SoundCloud Go for $iv.99/calendar month, you lot can save SoundCloud tracks for offline listening, and mind online without advertisements. SoundCloud Go+, which is priced at $9.99/month, gives yous high quality audio, and access to an exclusive library of A-list tracks that only Go+ subscribers take.

If you are a student enrolled at a Championship 4 degree-granting college or university, you can go SoundCloud Go+ for 50 percent off for up to 4 years.

Two adults listening to music and grooving to it together

SoundCloud Is a Smashing Identify to Discover New Music

SoundCloud is a streaming service, distribution platform, and online community that nevertheless delivers on its initial promise of allowing users to discover and share all kinds of music. Even with the rise of competing platforms, it has managed to stay on the pulse of trends and continue to provide a space for artists to promote themselves.

The viii All-time Free Online Music Streaming Services With No Limitations

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About The Author

Jessibelle Garcia (268 Articles Published)

Near days, yous can notice Jessibelle curled up underneath a weighted coating in a cozy apartment in Canada. She is a freelance writer that loves digital art, video games, and gothic fashion.

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