Started in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud has evolved to become one of the most extensive music streaming services reaching over 175 million monthly users worldwide. Recently, SoundCloud started focusing on in addition to music.
SoundCloud allows you to create content and expand your on this popular listening platform with millions of listeners.
Table of Contents
Best for Beginners and Advanced Podcasters
SoundCloud offers a creator guide for those who want to advance their career through this platform. You can watch videos taught by experts and learn the ropes of 101: everything from to .
There’s also easy upload and automatic discovery. Share any audio format for free and increase your online visibility in a pool of millions of people.
Beginner podcasters can upload their content free of charge to get a feel of the hosting service and go up from there.
Advanced podcasters can monetize their soundtracks by signing the SoundCloud Premier Monetization form if they are eligible. This is recommended for those with a large following base, as they are more likely to profit through many listens.
The repost plan utilizes monetization features to increase revenue chances through major listening platforms.
Integrated Plugin
SoundCloud has multiple plugins for easy website embedding.
- SoundCloud Ultimate Plugin for WordPress
- SoundCloud is Gold
- SoundCloud Short Code
- SoundPress plugin and more
Storage Limits
As for storage limits, these are based on the plan you are currently in. The free plan has a limit of a 3-hour upload max. With the SoundCloud Unlimited plan, you have an unlimited amount of uploads.
Bandwidth Limits
The bandwidth limit is 256kbps. The High-Quality streaming format is encoded in 256kbps AAC. (same to an mp3 encoded in 320kbps).
When uploading to SoundCloud, a single file shouldn’t be longer than 24 hours.
Video recordings are supported, and this is one of the few platforms that enable this. SoundCloud supports various formats, including WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, OGG, MP2, MP3, AAC, AMR, and WMA.
Statistics
If you want to track how your podcast is progressing, you can get immediate feedback with advanced stats. Find out what topics your likes best and keep making more of it to expand your fan base.
Keep track of your listeners’ location, interact with fans through immediate feedback comments, and see what accounts have listened to your podcast in the last week.
Listeners can comment on a particular section of the Soundcloud track to tell you what parts they resonate with or enjoy.
Most SoundCloud tracks have one-word comments for quick feedback, such as “Amazing!” or “Terrifying!”. This way, creators can get users’ firsthand reactions which are helpful in the content creation process.
Listing/Integration into P Directories
your episodes in one place and upload them for free. Share your content with millions of daily, active listeners. Or, if you prefer to go private, you can share a link with a selected amount of people to gain access to your work.
Immediately start hosting your with SoundCloud and distribute your playlist with an RSS feed to your favorite apps.
You can reach new audiences for your through distribution platforms like , , and TuneIn through an on SoundCloud and your favorite social media networking sites.
Advanced Features
SoundCloud Premier Monetization: Monetize downloads on SoundCloud and other music services.
- Firstly, ensure you’re eligible to monetize a (or multiple) tracks by signing the agreement.
- ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique code that is assigned to a sound recording and is needed to enable a track to be monetized
- Use the same ISRC for a soundtrack recording wherever you make it available: worldwide and on services. When uploading or editing a track, you can have them made for you if you don’t already have ISRCs for your episodes.
User Impression/Reviews
A review stated they love that you can upload and listen to tracks for free.
Another user stated that SoundCloud combines social networking and streaming services. It is easy to use, and it has a high chance of getting content to go viral.
It has a beautiful and simple user front-end design, and the graphics for commenting on music tracks are unique.
Other users have stated they disliked minor features such as navigating the site.
Another thing that’s annoying to some users is that SoundCloud is hard to listen to when you’re offline and traveling. If you’re not connected to wifi, you can’t really listen to it, even if you have the SoundCloud downloaded to your desktop or mobile device.
Current Pricing
SoundCloud offers three billing options for creators – Next, Next Plus, and Next Pro. All paid plans are billed monthly or annually at your choice, and you can switch between yearly and monthly plans.
- Next is free of charge, gives you 3 hours of upload, the option to share tracks with collaborators, and basic fan insights.
- Next Plus allows you to distribute your music to major streaming services and monetize your content for only $2.50 per month.
- Next Pro covers everything from Next Plus, track management tools, advanced insights, exclusive partner offers, and more, starting at $8.25 per month.
Final Words
Even though SoundCloud isn’t primarily meant for podcasters, it can be a decent hosting platform to get your work out there and expand your listenership.
With the tools and features it offers, you can be sure you get all the support you need to grow and monetize your show. You only have to choose the right subscription plan, and SoundCloud will do the rest.
Give it a try and share your voice with millions!