SoundCloud
Since its launch in 2008, Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, the founders of SoundCloud, have made, “The world’s largest music and audio platform” (SoundCloud 2019). Developed in Berlin, Germany, the app is now worth 800 million dollars. Soundcloud rakes in all its money through monthly subscriptions that allow the user to remove advertisements and listen to music offline, and advertisements for those who do not pay the monthly subscription. The purpose of SoundCloud was to share and promote one’s music without the need for a label or distributor, and this purpose has been and is currently being fulfilled. One supporter of the app commented saying, “mainstream music is not my choice, my taste is more towards independent music makers and SoundCloud is just the place for that”(Shubham Sharma 2020). Although Soundcloud is rated 18+ some think it’s safe for 12+ as some of the audios can be vulgar and inappropriate, compared to Spotify’s 12+ and wide music range, the ratings should be similar. Some words or phrases that have been commonly used when talking about SoundCloud include, “Yo! we makin’ it out the hood” (the guys who didn’t make it out the hood). Another term used towards artists on Soundcloud is a Soundcloud rapper. SoundCloud has produced many mainstream artists we hear on the radio today, artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Ski Mask The Slump God, Travis Scott, Post Malone, Trippie Redd, and many more. SoundCloud is still being used by millions and will continue to produce mainstream artists as, “SoundCloud starts a career, while Spotify cements it” (MysticDN 2019).
first image: “Soundcloud”. Venta Software. Sep.15.2021, https://ventasoftware.com/being-a-soundcloud-artist/
second image: Sgalbazzini, Marco. “Soundcloud”. 6amgroup. Sep.15.2021, https://www.6amgroup.com/soundcloud-annual-revenue-increased-43-to-nearly-28-million/
third image: axe802 “Soundcloud Wallpaper”. Deviant art. Sep.15.2021, https://www.deviantart.com/axe802/art/Soundcloud-Wallpaper-484879386
sources:
“Ways to get better at being a soundcloud artist”. Venta software. https://ventasoftware.com/being-a-soundcloud-artist/
Cleyn, Charles. “Spotify vs SoundCloud – An honest comparison”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXZfeFrAzE0
“About SoundCloud”. Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/pages/contact