How to Get Paid on Soundcloud: 6 Ways to Make Money With Your Account

It is a popular online audio distribution platform that enables users to upload, promote, and share their original audio tracks. Launched in 2008, it has become a hub for musicians, DJs, podcasters, and other creatives to showcase their work to a massive global audience.

It offers a platform for users to share their music with a community of like-minded individuals and get discovered. It has evolved into a one-stop-shop for audio content, with over 200 million tracks and counting, making it one of the world's largest music and audio streaming platforms.

Whether you are an upcoming artist or a seasoned professional, the app provides an excellent opportunity to share your audio creations and reach a broad audience.

Getting Started on SoundCloud: A Step-by-Step Guide to Downloading and Setting Up Your Account

You can download the platform for iOS on the App Store and Android on Google Play Store. Here is how you can create an account on this app:

1. Download and install the app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Open the app and tap on the "Sign Up" button.
3. Enter your email address and create a password. You can also sign up using your Google or Facebook account.
4. Fill out your profile information, including your name, picture, and description.
5. Verify your email address.
6. Once your account is verified, you can start uploading and sharing your audio tracks with the SoundCloud community.

With an account, you can start uploading, sharing, and discovering audio content on the platform. It provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your talent to a global audience, whether you are a musician, DJ, or podcaster.

Maximizing Your SoundCloud Earnings: 6 Proven Strategies for Monetizing Your Account

Selling Tracks and Merchandise

Selling tracks and merchandise is one of the ways you can earn money with your account. Here is how selling tracks and merchandise works and what types of tracks and merchandise you can sell:

How it Works:

• You can sell your tracks directly from your profile by enabling the "Buy" button.
• You can promote your tracks and merchandise through your website, social media, and other marketing channels.
• When a customer purchases your track, the payment is processed by a payment gateway, such as PayPal or Stripe, and you receive the funds in your account.

Types of Tracks:

• Original songs: You can sell original music compositions, single tracks, or entire albums.
• Remixes: If you have created remixes of popular songs, you can also sell these tracks.
• Beat tapes: You can sell collections of beats and instrumentals to other musicians and producers.

Types of Merchandise:

• Physical merchandise could include t-shirts, posters, and other merchandise with your band or logo.
• Digital merchandise: This could include digital products such as e-books, sheet music, or tutorials related to music production.

Sponsored Content

Sponsored content is a powerful tool for making money on the app with your account. By partnering with brands, you can create and promote content showcasing their products and services while earning a fee for your efforts. Here's a step-by-step guide to the process of partnering with other brands:

1. Build your following: To be an attractive partner for brands, you need to have a substantial and engaged audience on the app. Focus on building a following of fans interested in your music and other content.
2. Identify brands that match your audience: Research brands that align with your interests and those of your fans. Look for active brands in your niche with products or services that complement your content.
3. Reach out to brands: Once you have identified potential brands to partner with, reach out to them and introduce yourself. Offer to create a sponsored content campaign to showcase their products and services to your audience.
4. Negotiate the terms: Work with the brand to determine the scope of the campaign and agree on compensation for your services. This may include a flat fee, a commission on sales, or a combination.
5. Create the content: Work with the brand to create the sponsored content. This may involve writing blog posts, making videos, or recording audio tracks that promote their products.
6. Promote the content: Once the sponsored content is complete, promote it to your audience on SoundCloud and other social media platforms. Make sure to follow the terms of your agreement with the brand and disclose any compensation received for the content.

Also read: Smart and Simple Budget Ideas to Save Money

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a powerful tool for artists and creatives to raise funds for their music projects and monetize the app's presence. By utilizing crowdfunding platforms like Patreon, Kickstarter, or Indiegogo, you can ask your fans and supporters to contribute to your music projects and receive rewards. Here is the process of linking your crowdfunding page to your SoundCloud profile:

1. Set up a crowdfunding campaign on a platform of your choice. Choose a venue that best suits your needs and offers the required features.
2. Create an enticing pitch highlighting your music project's benefits and explaining why your fans should support it.
3. Define the rewards you will offer to your backers. This can be from early access to your music tracks, exclusive merchandise, or personalized experiences.
4. Promote your crowdfunding campaign through your profile. Share the link to your campaign on your bio, tracks, and other social media profiles.
5. Engage with your backers and update them regularly on the progress of your music project. Please show your appreciation for their support and keep them involved.

By linking your crowdfunding page to your profile, you can reach a wider audience and leverage the power of the app community to raise funds for your music projects.

Licensing Your Music

One of the ways to earn money is through your account. For example, when you license your music, you grant permission to use your music in exchange for payment. This is typically done in commercials, TV shows, movies, and other forms of media.

By licensing your music, you can generate revenue and increase your exposure to new audiences. Here's a step-by-step process for licensing your music on the app:

1. Choose the tracks you want to license: determine which ways you want to empower and ensure they are high quality and suitable for use in other forms of media.
2. Add proper metadata: ensure your tracks have complete metadata, including title, artist name, and publishing information.
3. Join a licensing platform: you can join a music licensing platform such as AudioJungle, ProductionTrax, or Epidemic Sound to reach a wider audience and connect with potential buyers.
4. Upload your tracks: upload your licensed tracks to your account and ensure they are marked as "available for a license."
5. Market your tracks: promote your licensed tracks on your page and social media to reach potential buyers and increase visibility.
6. Collect payment: when someone licenses one of your tracks, you'll receive payment through the licensing platform.

Following these steps, you can empower your music and earn money through your account.

Advertising

can be a lucrative opportunity for app users looking to monetize their accounts. Users can make money from ad revenue by allowing advertisements to be played on their tracks. Here is the process for monetizing your page through advertising:

1. Sign up for SoundCloud's Promote on the app's program: this program is designed to help users monetize their tracks and earn money from ad revenue.
2. Enable monetization on your tracks: you can enable monetization on your channels by selecting the ways you want to monetize and then setting the "Monetization" toggle to "On."
3. Set your target audience: by targeting specific regions, languages, and devices, you can ensure your ads are shown to the right people.
4. Choose your ad types: you can choose between in-stream audio and display ads to monetize your tracks.
5. Track your earnings: it provides detailed reports of your payments and the performance of your ads, so you can track your progress and make changes as needed.

Whether you're a musician, DJ, or podcaster, it provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your talent to a global audience and monetize your content.

Live Performances

Are a great way to make money as a musician on the app. You can connect with your audience by performing live in clubs, festivals, or other events and earn money from ticket sales and merchandise sales. Here is the process for booking live performances through your SoundCloud account:

• Build a following: First, you must build a solid following on the app. This will help you attract fans interested in attending your live shows.
• Promote your shows: Share information about your upcoming live plays on your profile, including the date, location, and ticketing information. You can also promote your live shows on other social media platforms.
• Connect with booking agents: Contact booking agents in your area to see if they are interested in booking you for events. You can also use online platforms like GigMasters or Bandsintown to connect with booking agents.
• Perform live: Once you have booked a show, it's time to perform live and connect with your fans. Make sure to have merchandise such as t-shirts, posters, and other items available for sale at your shows.

By utilizing these steps, you can turn your SoundCloud presence into a source of income and start making money from live performances.

Earning Potential on SoundCloud: Factors Affecting Your Income

The amount of money you can make with the app depends on several factors, including the number of streams you receive, the type of monetization strategy you implement, and the geographical location of your listeners.

However, it's essential to remember that the app is not a platform that promises large sums of money to its users, and its success often takes time and effort.

Regarding the cost per stream, it is reported that the average payout per stream on the app is between $0.0024 to $0.0084. So if your track receives 10,000 plays, you can expect to make anywhere from $24 to $84.

Regarding the audio per play, the platform pays rights holders a pro-rata share of the app's advertising revenue based on the number of spaces each audio file receives. This means the more plays your audio receives, the more money you can make.

A Comprehensive Look at the Pros and Cons of SoundCloud

Pros

1. Broad Reach: has a massive user base, with over 175 million registered users, which means it offers a large pool of potential listeners for your music.
2. User-Friendly platform: This user-friendly platform is easy to navigate, making it an excellent option for musicians who want to share their work with the world.
3. Integration with Social Media: integrates with various social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, making sharing your music with a broader audience easy.
4. Collaboration Opportunities: It allows users to collaborate with other artists, a great way to network and create new connections in the music industry.
5. Monetization Options provides a range of monetization options, including advertising, licensing, and merchandising, which makes it an excellent platform for musicians looking to earn money from their work.

Cons

1. Competition: with so many musicians on the app, the platform can be highly competitive, making it difficult for your music to stand out.
2. Lack of Discoverability: with the sheer volume of music uploaded to the app, it can be challenging for your tracks to gain visibility, making it difficult to grow your audience.
3. Low Payouts: the amount of money you can make from the platform can be relatively low, especially if you are starting, which can disadvantage musicians looking to monetize their work.
4. Limited Marketing Features: this does not provide users with many marketing tools, making it challenging for musicians to promote their work effectively.
5. Copyright Issues: has a history of copyright issues, with many users uploading copyrighted material without proper permission. This can result in legal consequences and removing your music from the platform.

Alternative Platforms for Independent Musicians: An Overview

There are several alternatives to SoundCloud that you can consider as a musician or music creator, depending on your specific needs and preferences. Some of these include:

1. Spotify: A popular music streaming service that provides users access to a vast library of songs. As a musician, you can submit your music to Spotify and reach a massive audience of users.
2. Bandcamp: A platform that is specifically designed for independent musicians and bands. It allows users to upload and sell their music directly to fans without going through a label or distributor.
3. Apple Music: This is a music streaming service that provides users with access to an extensive library of songs and a range of exclusive content, including live performances, interviews, and more.
4. YouTube: A video-sharing platform that is also a great place to upload and share your music. With its massive user base, YouTube offers a large potential audience for your music.
5. Amazon Music: A music streaming service that provides users access to a vast library of songs. As a musician, you can submit your music to Amazon Music and reach a large audience of users.

These are just a few examples of the many alternatives to the app that you can consider as a musician or music creator. Ultimately, your chosen platform will depend on your specific needs and preferences, so thoroughly research each to determine your best fit.

Wrapping Up SoundCloud Monetization: 6 Proven Strategies to Earn Money With Your Account

In conclusion, the app is an excellent platform for musicians and music creators to reach a large audience and monetize their work. Various monetization options, including advertising, licensing, and merchandising, provide users with multiple ways to earn money from their music.

However, it's essential to keep in mind that success on the platform often takes time and effort, and the amount of money you can make from SoundCloud will depend on several factors, such as the number of streams you receive, the type of monetization strategy you implement, and the geographical location of your listeners.

Nevertheless, you can turn your passion for music into a profitable venture by leveraging the monetization options available on SoundCloud.