# Is SoundCloud still a thing…?



## gohrev (Jun 10, 2021)

Hi everyone,

is it just my impression, or has SoundCloud really stagnated since, say, 2016? No product improvement, overrun by spammy bots who automatically "like" your track the minute you post it… I remember this platform being HUGE 'back in the day', but it looks like it's heading to Ghosttown. 

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on SC.


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## gamma-ut (Jun 10, 2021)

Like a lot of things online: venture capital made it possible; venture capital broke it.

They made a bunch of decisions that worsened things for creators while trying to make it more attractive to labels in order to make it some kind of Spotify clone. It has not gone well.


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## Rasoul Morteza (Jun 10, 2021)

Ever since they removed groups it went south in my view...


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## GtrString (Jun 10, 2021)

I use Soundcloud all the time. It's very handy for sending out links to your music, reels and whatnot. Very useful and flexible hosting service. I only use it in the "private" setting though, but it's great! imo


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## IgneousOne (Jun 10, 2021)

Total decline. I had a Pro account for a couple of years, I certainly wouldn't renew it now. Spam bots are all over Soundcloud and they do nothing about it. They seem to think that everyone is a hip hop artist.

Still useful as a place to upload demos etc.


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## Blakus (Jun 10, 2021)

I’ve had a pro account for years, I was faced with the renewal bill a few weeks ago (which is significantly more costly than it used to be a few years ago) and decided to let it lapse. Sadly, it’s not what it used to be.

I mainly enjoyed the community aspect of it, but that is now completely gone with the removal of groups and the bot swarms. It doesn’t even function adequately as a showcase or music hosting service for me with its low streaming bitrate.


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## Alex Fraser (Jun 10, 2021)

Mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's still a great way to host and share music and easy to integrate into a website. (Streaming quality aside.) The site itself though, is going down the pan quickly. Bots everywhere and it all seems very stagnant, including the apps. And the inbox feature is still a mess.


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## darkogav (Jun 10, 2021)

I think it has gone downhill due to spammers. But to me there seems to have been some improvement added for hosting audio files. What other platforms are people using these days?


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## angeruroth (Jun 10, 2021)

Once upon a time... SC was more social-oriented... Then it somehow became an audio storage system. No conversations... Yes, PMs & comments, but it would've been great to see improved ways to meet and collaborate with other people, not the opposite, so I closed my paid subscription 'cause without the social features it wasn't worth it.
It is useful for other purposes, mind you, maybe like a show room, but it could've been more that what it is.


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## Tatu (Jun 10, 2021)

All I've got from Soundcloud are copyright strikes to my tracks on youtube (because people steal music from soundcloud and publish it as their own).


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## darkogav (Jun 10, 2021)

Tatu said:


> All I've got from Soundcloud are copyright strikes to my tracks on youtube (because people steal music from soundcloud and publish it as their own).


I don't get this. Why would someone do this? What's the point?


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## ceemusic (Jun 10, 2021)

It's no different from what the old mp3.com or soundclick eventually turned into: Online music parking lots.


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## gamma-ut (Jun 10, 2021)

darkogav said:


> I don't get this. Why would someone do this? What's the point?


Money.

If you can pass yourself off as a real artist, or at least get enough plays, you start earning from platforms like Soundcloud, Youtube etc. But you need material in the first place...

The copyright strikes are largely collateral damage and actually not what the fraudsters want I would imagine as it just draws attention to them.


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## nolotrippen (Jun 10, 2021)

So what would be a good alternative?


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## Tatu (Jun 10, 2021)

nolotrippen said:


> So what would be a good alternative?


I'd just put them on youtube. Even if you don't care to use it, make any sort of videos for them and make them private: Neat way to track, if somebody steals your unpublished music, since they often lead to an automated copyright claim against you. And that is when the fun begins. Last time that happened to me, I approached the company behind it presenting my case, and offered to provide further evidence with a bill for my time if they deemed so.


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## Polkasound (Jun 10, 2021)

darkogav said:


> I don't get this. Why would someone do this? What's the point?


SoundCloud is filled with undistributed music uploaded by hordes of unknown, unpublished artists, which makes it a shopper's paradise for IP thieves. They'll steal a track, digitally distribute it, and hopefully collect some royalties before getting caught.



Alex Fraser said:


> On the one hand, it's still a great way to host and share music and easy to integrate into a website. (Streaming quality aside.) The site itself though, is going down the pan quickly. Bots everywhere...


Yep. I use SoundCloud because it's a convenient way to embed playable music tracks onto a website (and without the need for Google.) Whenever I release something new, I create a page on my website with an embedded SoundCloud track, then send out an email blast directing everyone to my website rather than to some other platform like YouTube.

SoundCloud streaming quality seems to have improved in recent years.

The bot infestation is annoying, but I think it may have become part of the appeal for SoundCloud's EDM & Hip Hop clientele who are competing for high play, like, comment, and follower counts. That's my guess as to why SoundCloud apparently hasn't done much to deter it.


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## cygnusdei (Jun 10, 2021)

nolotrippen said:


> So what would be a good alternative?


I have used clyp.it in the past. I just checked my account again, apparently it's no longer a free service ($2/month for basic). But it boasts lossless streaming.


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## gohrev (Jun 10, 2021)

Reassuring to read that it wasn't just me being finicky (although I can't exclude that option entirely!). The App, in particular, isn't too useful. The fact that it is so hard to just visit your own profile so you can listen to / share your own work... Boggles the mind.

@angeruroth you are absolutely right: They really could have owned "the conversation" from artist to listener, and from artist to fellow artists. Innovative features that would allow for quick demonstrations, grabbing a slice of the song to highlight something, etc. 

But no, they went with a MySpace comment system instead...


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## darkogav (Jun 10, 2021)

Polkasound said:


> SoundCloud is filled with undistributed music uploaded by hordes of unknown, unpublished artists, which makes it a shopper's paradise for IP thieves. They'll steal a track, digitally distribute it, and hopefully collect some royalties before getting caught.
> 
> 
> Yep. I use SoundCloud because it's a convenient way to embed playable music tracks onto a website (and without the need for Google.) Whenever I release something new, I create a page on my website with an embedded SoundCloud track, then send out an email blast directing everyone to my website rather than to some other platform like YouTube.
> ...


I still don't get it. If I can't make royalties off it and it's mine I and even tried hard for that one track. How are the gonna make royalties off it?


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## Tatu (Jun 10, 2021)

darkogav said:


> I still don't get it. If I can't make royalties off it and it's mine I and even tried hard for that one track. How are the gonna make royalties off it?


Some people don't care / quantity over quality type of thing.


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## Polkasound (Jun 10, 2021)

darkogav said:


> I still don't get it. If I can't make royalties off it and it's mine I and even tried hard for that one track. How are the gonna make royalties off it?


If you're trying to earn royalties with a song, then you're probably affiliated with a PRO, digital distributor, publisher, ISRC, SoundExchange, etc. Many people uploading to SoundCloud don't bother with any of that. They're mostly just young, hopeful bedroom producers sharing their EDM and rap tracks. If SoundCloud seems to have become a target for IP thieves, I believe that's why.


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## Kony (Jun 11, 2021)

Blakus said:


> I’ve had a pro account for years, I was faced with the renewal bill a few weeks ago (which is significantly more costly than it used to be a few years ago) and decided to let it lapse. Sadly, it’s not what it used to be.
> 
> I mainly enjoyed the community aspect of it, but that is now completely gone with the removal of groups and the bot swarms. It doesn’t even function adequately as a showcase or music hosting service for me with its low streaming bitrate.


Sorry to hear that - will you be posting your tracks somewhere else? Love your orchestral material btw but am also keen to hear more of your guitar-based tracks


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