How to get the most out of SoundCloud

Thousands of new songs are uploaded and shared on SoundCloud every day. Here are tips to help you get the most out of SoundCloud.

SoundCloud is one of the top platforms unsigned and independent artists use to share their music online. Despite recent rumors that it might be shutting down, SoundCloud insists it isn’t going anywhere and expects to remain a dominant force in the online music world.

While thousands of new songs are uploaded and shared on SoundCloud every day, too many songs and profiles aren’t optimized for marketing and promotion. Here are tips to help you get more exposure to your SoundCloud profile and songs.

Write a compelling profile bio

Your biography is one of the first things a visitor will see on your SoundCloud profile. Do not leave this blank! As an undiscovered artist, your listeners and potential new fans probably know very little about you; this is your chance to foster a connection! The Internet moves fast: as quick as someone can click your profile link, they can also click away and forget they even visited. Sharing where you’re from, what you do, why you’re invested in music, and what your plans are for the future is a great way to promote your brand and image to your visitors. 

Promote your social links and website

Adding your social media and website links to Your SoundCloud page is a great way to get a new listener locked into your journey. Add a Twitter profile to your links and include your official website with a newsletter sign-up option for interested fans. It’s important that you provide a way to keep visitors up-to-date with your new songs, videos, tours, etc. Forgetting to include a social media or web link makes it harder for someone interested in your songs to stay interested. If you don’t lead them to a next place to visit, they may exit your SoundCloud page and never come back.

Create song descriptions and tags

Once someone is interested in you as an artist, it is important to keep them interested by giving them relevant information about your catalog of songs and albums. If you are an artist, musician, or producer who creates music in a variety of different genres, make it easy for the listener to find songs of yours in the genres they’ll enjoy. Your SoundCloud tags describe the genre your song fits best; you can even customize and create your own tags. A user may be interested in hearing your acoustic track, but not your pop song. If they play a pop song without seeing your other songs with different genre tags, they may be turned off and not play the amazing acoustic track you’ve posted. This especially works well for sub-genres.

Post your album art (or some related image)

The cover art for each of your tracks is the first thing a listener will get to see, so make a good first impression. If someone visits your song and sees a low-quality photo before hitting play, it can send a signal about the quality of your music (and not a good one). Worst case, they may be turned off by your artwork and exit before playing your song at all. Ideally, a user will visit your song page and find high-quality, intriguing artwork that gets them excited for what they’re about to hear.

Include links to download and/or buy your music

If your song is available in places like iTunes, Spotify, or CD Baby, SoundCloud makes it possible to add a “buy” link while editing the song’s metadata tab. This provides a listener direct access to add your song to their collection without having to search for it! You can also provide free download links in your song’s “Buy/Link” box.

A popular trend in the electronic music world is for producers to use a web application like ToneDen to give free song downloads in exchange for a like or follow. This feature allows popular producers to gain fans and likes from users who download their tracks, growing their social signals at an explosive rate. Other sites offer the option of a free download in exchange for a fan’s email address.

Spotlight tracks (SoundCloud Pro feature)

Boost the appeal of your SoundCloud profile by spotlighting your most popular or most recent song(s). Spotlight tracks are the first songs a user will see when visiting your page, so you can lead with your highest-quality material. SoundCloud Pro allows you to add up to five tracks to spotlight, but it’s recommended that you only add three songs max for this feature. 

Study your stats (some stats are only available with Pro accounts)

If you have a SoundCloud Pro or Pro Unlimited account, you have the ability to see detailed statistical data on your song plays and visitors that include who plays your tracks the most, what sites give your songs traffic, most played tracks in a week, and the top cities/countries playing your music. This information is valuable for you to be able to see who is the most interested in your work; you need to make a note of these sites, fans, and locations for your future releases! Keeping in touch with your top listeners and referral sites is a great way to maintain the strength of your music brand.

Rachel Moore is a singer/songwriter and music marketing professional currently residing in the DC metropolitan area. For over 10 years, Rachel has been providing constructive feedback and advice for thousands of unsigned artists and bands with Push Power Promo, a popular digital music marketing company.

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