SoundCloud is a music streaming platform that provides independent artists with a place to showcase their music. However, it can be challenging for artists to make money on SoundCloud. Fortunately, SoundCloud offers a monetization program called SoundCloud Premier that allows artists to earn money from their streams.
To be eligible for SoundCloud Premier, artists need to meet certain criteria. They must have original music that they own the rights to and have no copyright strikes against them. Additionally, they must have at least 5,000 plays in the past month from eligible countries and be at least 18 years old. Once an artist is accepted into SoundCloud Premier, they can earn money from ads that play during their tracks, as well as from plays on SoundCloud and other platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
There are also other ways for artists to make money on SoundCloud beyond SoundCloud Premier. They can offer exclusive content to their fans through the platform, such as early access to new tracks or behind-the-scenes content. Additionally, artists can use SoundCloud to promote their merchandise and live shows. By utilizing these methods, artists can increase their revenue streams and make a living off their music on SoundCloud.
Understanding SoundCloud’s Monetization Features
SoundCloud offers several monetization features that allow artists to earn money from their music. One of the most notable features is fan-powered royalties, where independent artists can get paid more because of their dedicated fans.
To enable monetization on SoundCloud, artists can use the SoundCloud for Artists dashboard. Once they are approved for monetization, they can start earning money from their tracks. SoundCloud pays artists via PayPal, with payments auto-depositing once earnings meet or exceed $5 US.
In addition to fan-powered royalties, SoundCloud offers other monetization features such as track art customization. This feature allows artists to customize the waveform background of their tracks on SoundCloud. To add artwork to a track, artists can go to the track in the Tracks section of their SoundCloud tab in the SoundCloud for Artists dashboard and click on the “edit” button. The recommended dimensions for track art are 1240 x 400px (or 2480 x 800px) and smaller than 200KB.
Another monetization feature offered by SoundCloud is the ability to monetize remixes. This feature allows artists to monetize remixes of tracks that they do not own the rights to. To monetize a remix, the artist must have permission from the original copyright owner and provide documentation to SoundCloud.
Overall, SoundCloud’s monetization features provide artists with a way to earn money from their music. By utilizing fan-powered royalties, track art customization, and the ability to monetize remixes, artists can earn a steady income from their music on SoundCloud.
Creating Quality Music
To make money on SoundCloud, it is important to create quality music that people will want to listen to and share. Here are some tips for creating quality music:
Invest in Good Equipment
Investing in good equipment is essential to creating quality music. A good microphone, headphones, and software can make a big difference in the sound quality of your music. It is important to do research and invest in equipment that fits your budget and needs.
Mastering Your Craft
Mastering your craft is also important to creating quality music. This means practicing your skills and learning new techniques to improve your music. Taking music classes, watching tutorials, and collaborating with other musicians can help you master your craft.
Creating quality music takes time and effort, but it is essential to making money on SoundCloud. By investing in good equipment and mastering your craft, you can create music that stands out and attracts listeners.
Building an Engaging Profile
To make money on SoundCloud, building an engaging profile is key. This section will cover two sub-sections that will help you optimize your profile: Optimizing Your Bio and Using Attractive Cover Art.
Optimizing Your Bio
When it comes to making money on SoundCloud, optimizing your bio is crucial. This is where you can tell your story and explain who you are as an artist. Keep in mind that your bio should be short and sweet, but still informative.
Here are some tips to optimize your bio:
- Use keywords that describe your music genre and style
- Include links to your website, social media, and other platforms where your music is available
- Highlight any notable achievements, such as awards, collaborations, or press coverage
- Keep it concise and easy to read
Using Attractive Cover Art
Your cover art is the first thing that people see when they visit your profile, so it’s important to make it attractive and eye-catching. This is where you can showcase your creativity and make a great first impression.
Here are some tips to create attractive cover art:
- Use high-quality images that are relevant to your music
- Incorporate your brand or logo into the design
- Use contrasting colors to make your cover art stand out
- Keep it simple and avoid clutter
By optimizing your bio and using attractive cover art, you can create an engaging profile that will help you stand out on SoundCloud.
Growing Your Fanbase
To make money on SoundCloud, it’s essential to have a dedicated fanbase. Here are two effective strategies for growing your fanbase:
Leveraging Social Media
One of the best ways to grow your fanbase on SoundCloud is by leveraging social media. By promoting your music on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you can reach a wider audience and attract new fans.
To make the most of social media, it’s important to create engaging content that resonates with your audience. This could include behind-the-scenes footage of your recording process, sneak peeks of upcoming tracks, or even collaborations with other artists.
Collaborating with Other Artists
Collaborating with other artists is another effective way to grow your fanbase on SoundCloud. By teaming up with other musicians, you can reach new audiences and gain exposure to new fans.
When collaborating with other artists, it’s important to choose partners who share your musical style and vision. This will ensure that your collaborations are authentic and resonate with your audience.
In addition to collaborating on tracks, you can also team up with other artists to create joint marketing campaigns. For example, you could launch a joint social media campaign or even create a joint music video. By working together, you can amplify each other’s reach and grow your fanbase on SoundCloud.
Monetizing Your Music
There are several ways to monetize your music on SoundCloud. Two of the most popular methods are joining SoundCloud Premier and selling merchandise.
Joining SoundCloud Premier
SoundCloud Premier is a program designed for artists who want to monetize their music on the platform. To join SoundCloud Premier, you must first meet the eligibility criteria. You must have at least 5,000 plays in the past month from countries where SoundCloud has a monetization agreement, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, and Germany. You must also have at least one original track that is available for purchase or streaming on SoundCloud.
Once you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for SoundCloud Premier by clicking on the “Monetization” tab in your SoundCloud for Artists dashboard and following the instructions. If your application is approved, you will receive a revenue share of 55% for your streams and downloads. You will also have access to features such as Repost by SoundCloud, which allows you to promote your music to a wider audience.
Selling Merchandise
Another way to monetize your music on SoundCloud is by selling merchandise. You can sell a variety of items, such as t-shirts, hats, stickers, and posters, that feature your logo or artwork. To sell merchandise on SoundCloud, you can use a third-party service such as Merchbar or TeeSpring. These services integrate with SoundCloud and allow you to create and sell merchandise directly to your fans.
Selling merchandise can be a lucrative way to monetize your music on SoundCloud, especially if you have a loyal fan base. You can use social media and email marketing to promote your merchandise and drive sales. You can also offer exclusive merchandise to your SoundCloud Premier subscribers as a way to incentivize them to support your music.
In conclusion, joining SoundCloud Premier and selling merchandise are two effective ways to monetize your music on SoundCloud. By taking advantage of these monetization methods, you can earn money and grow your fan base on the platform.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SoundCloud is a great platform for independent artists to showcase their music and potentially make money. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, artists can increase their chances of monetizing their music on SoundCloud.
Upgrading to Next Pro, formerly known as Pro Unlimited, can unlock the full potential of an artist’s account by offering features like unlimited uploads, advanced statistics, and more. Fan-powered royalties, introduced by SoundCloud, can also help artists earn more money by rewarding them for their dedicated fans.
Additionally, collaborating with brands, promoting merchandise, and utilizing SoundCloud Premier are all viable ways to make money on the platform. However, it’s important for artists to remember that making money on SoundCloud is not a guarantee and requires hard work, dedication, and persistence.
Overall, SoundCloud provides a unique opportunity for independent artists to connect with fans and potentially earn money from their music. By implementing the strategies outlined in this article and consistently creating high-quality content, artists can increase their chances of success on the platform.