Published
Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 15:00
- The feature is a new part of the audio hosting website's "monetisation toolset."
SoundCloud Pro users can now have their original music distributed to major streaming platforms.
Available as a public beta, the new tool ports tracks listed by artists on the audio-hosting website directly to streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Instagram, Amazon Music and more, bypassing the need for third party distribution services. SoundCloud says that artists using the new feature "keep 100% of their rights, keep 100% of their distribution royalties from third-party services, and at no additional cost."
To be eligible, users must have a Pro or Pro Unlimited account, own all the rights to the music, have no previous copyright strikes and receive at least 1,000 plays a month in regions where SoundCloud subscriptions and advertising are available, such as Germany, the US, UK and France.
It's the latest move in SoundCloud's campaign to offer artists direct monetisation. The push began with the Premier service going public last year, which was quickly criticised for exploitative terms that were later revoked. Since then, SoundCloud's integration with Serato has been launched and company cofounder Eric Wahlforss resigned.
Watch an ad for the new distribution feature.