SoundCloud introduces a cheaper plan for artists

Music streaming platform SoundCloud announced Tuesday that it is introducing a new, cheaper paid plan for artists simply called Artist, while renaming its Next Pro plan to Artist Pro.

The new basic tier will cost $39 per year and put some limits on features like track amplification, distribution, monetization, and AI mastering. Artists subscribing to this plan get 3 hours of uploads across as many tracks as they want — this is the same limit as the one in the free plan.

With the new plan, artists get the opportunity to amplify new tracks to get more than 100 listeners. SoundCloud can also be used as a way to distribute and monetize tracks to other platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and TikTok. Artists earn 100% royalties from their SoundCloud plays and also keep earnings from other platforms. Both of these features are enabled for two tracks per month for the basic plan.

Users can also replace three tracks per month without losing stats, plays, likes, or comments. Artists also get a credit to master one track per month using SoundCloud’s tools.

SoundCloud said it is making the new basic plan widely available after piloting it in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

If artists want higher limits, such as unlimited track uploads, amplification, monetization, and track replacements, they can opt for a $99 per year Artist Pro plan. The Pro plan comes with three AI mastering credits per month and community management tools.

Earlier this year, SoundCloud launched its own merch store to let artists create their own designs.

“At SoundCloud, we believe great music can come from anywhere, and it shouldn’t be held back by cost or complexity. That’s why we created the Artist plan — to provide emerging musicians with pro-level tools and distribution at an affordable price,” SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton said in a statement.