Is SoundCloud very good to market my debut original songs?

W

Winfred

Member
Hi!

I notice some have SoundCloud, so I signed up for free and posted 2 original songs. It seems like YouTube, that no one knows you're there. After about 4 days there are 2 who liked my music but are in a very different genre from my Folk Music, they are in high tech electronic music area. What is the reality with SC? Do you spend a lot of money? They give you two options for promotion:
"Repost by SoundCloud A full-service marketing and distribution engine $30/year or included in Pro Unlimited "
Distribute unlimited tracks to all major music services like Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram and more.
Extend your reach with our promotional tools.
Access premium services to help you get paid for your plays on SoundCloud
Split payments with your collaborators with ease
Pitch your tracks to top playlists across major music services.

Then their is the "Select" and they don't say the price but say:
"Repost Select Our expert team works to accelerate your career, at your direction by application or invitation."
Work side-by-side with a dedicated, in-house account manager to develop your career
Get tailored marketing and promotional support for your upcoming releases on SoundCloud and other music services
Access exclusive features to promote your music and get paid for your plays
Curation opportunities on top DSP playlists and radio stations
Receive an expedited review process to get your music in stores fast.

Do you or do you have friends who have gone through SC? My songs, "Johanna", and "Tambourine Rain" are posted in the area of new music. I'm just curious if two of my original songs might be liked or "take off". I mainly just want to see how they do in the main market in Folk genre. Any input is very much appreciated. Which area of choice is better, "Repost" or "Repost Select"? How much does "Select" cost, or is it where they charge you in less straightforward ways? Do you like SoundCloud, or do you think there is a better such service?

Thanks!
Winfred
 
I use free SC to host demo songs I use for FAWM (February Album Writing Month), and a couple of old song files/shows I haven't bothered to put elsewhere.

"Marketing' - no, that's not what SC is. It's just a place to host your song files. You have to do marketing yourself - spreading the word via social media, email lists, etc. Pretty sure we told you the same thing when you started posting youtube videos.
 
mjbphotos said:
I use free SC to host demo songs I use for FAWM (February Album Writing Month), and a couple of old song files/shows I haven't bothered to put elsewhere.

"Marketing' - no, that's not what SC is. It's just a place to host your song files. You have to do marketing yourself - spreading the word via social media, email lists, etc. Pretty sure we told you the same thing when you started posting youtube videos.
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Hi MJB!

Thank you very much for taking the time! So I have the purpose of SC all wrong? They have that ad or description of two choices you have of their promotion services I included above, the "Repost" at $30, and the "Repost Select", that they don't say how much that route costs. As usual I get things all wrong ha! Doesn't that mean SC is more than just a place to post your music? If someone already posts their music at YouTube, then why also post it at SC when I read that YouTube is larger than the rest combined? Also at ReVerb Nation I posted one of my songs. I also paid for 100 critiques of my song, "Johanna" I was wondering about whether or not it made any difference to listeners. I got 8 out of 10 and number 3 in Folk in my upper MidWest area, but crits and all seemed bogus to me so I closed my free account. How is for example RN different than SC, or SC different from Band Camp, or Spotify?

Top of the Day!
 
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Hi! I'm not sure how to post to everyone at once here so trying this. I'm embarrassed and should say the ad SoundCloud presented and when you click "No Thanks" and it doesn't close thus not allowing you to access your SC site, well I just discovered a very small X in the upper right of the ad window that closes it. I don't know why SC designed it that way as I'd think 99% of musicians would click "No Thanks", and not being able to access they would then buy one of SC's services thinking that was the only way to access their free account. I'm still debating with myself over what the advantage actually is in joining a site like SC at least in the free category. Do similar sites offer free memberships that are not all that useful so you spend time creating your site then find you have to purchase their features in order to really function effectively?
 
Any 'reposting' that SC offers is a joke - they are reposting to other soundcloud users! Yes, there are some SC communities for like-minded musicians, but they are not your target audience. Soundcloud = audio only Youtube = video (with audio). Just places to house your music.

Reverbnation - just another place to house your music, with the advantage that you can also have pictures, list gigs, link youtube videos. Their premium services let you submit to all the 'we want your music' offers they bombard you with. Unless you are a good-looking 20-something, they are pretty much all a waste of time. As to their 'pay for critiques'.... well ... there are FREE places you can do similar. Think about it - WHO are they giving your music to to listen to, what are their qualifications? What makes their opinions any better than anyone else's? Most likely its just another money-making thing (for them) that they are doing. Everyone is out to make a buck from the hopeful musician.
 
Hi MJB!
Thanks for taking the time to be so helpful. I didn't know SC only reposts to other SoundCloud users, wow! So then SC is only like YouTube but audio only. At least at my YouTube videos they leave comments and like and subscribe. You'll readily see I'm no "good-looking 20-something" ha! I have six videos in my channel so far and three original songs. "Tambourine Rain" is my latest.

So if you're not young and handsome does it mean I don't really have a chance? A guy who seems to be like an agent in Nashville said to keep him up to date on what's happening with me. I only met him via his advertising. He gives song critiques and says he has a lot of experience in the music industry. Really though he complimented my songs so much with his critique you'd think I was the next Gordon Lightfoot! I thought... if he likes my music that much then why didn't he make some offer? Also a guy with iMusic left a very nice compliment at my video of my original song, Johanna. He also subscribed. Isn't iMusic like SC? Maybe not because iMusic has a long list of others they send your music to like Spotify etc. How are places like iMusic? Also, what's the difference between for example SC and iMusic? The musician pays them to distribute your music. There are different levels of intensity as to how hard they try to put your music out to others in the industry. About 2 months later the guy at iMusic unsubscribed, but I didn't post new songs every week and since last October posted six songs and all mainly in 2021. It seems like it was for me writing screenplays, everyone out to make a buck from the hopeful screenwriter. I wrote 5 feature length screenplays. I got major A list attention but all on my own, yet countless ads from endless entities trying to get money from the naive. If you don't have time I fully understand. Thanks for everything!
Carpe Diem!
 
The crap solicitations on soundcloud are just that -- they just want your money and they don't guarantee a single listen or lead. I get several of these a month between soundcloud and reverbnation. There's no magic pill for getting views or listens. It's an arbitrary combination of skill, looks, luck, and timing. And maybe a small part who you know, but I doubt anyone with actual connections is bothering with self promotion through those sites and is looking at getting, or already has the services of, a manager.

Tik Tok has been a good avenue for some independent artists, but most of the music that's progressing anyone from a no one to a someone is shit. You know, same teeny bopper shit, different generation. If you have something catchy that you think teenagers want to do silly dances to, then you mind as well upload a silly video of yourself 'performing' the song and maybe it will catch on. Or if you have a cute niece, maybe have her do a lip sync video to it. You need to bust a move before you can get jiggy wit it. Eep opp ork ah ah.
 
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Sondtradr have separate sections for their own marketing of music and the distribution by Spotify and the others. They are a fairly simple way to get your music to people who are looking for it, but that’s not really the same thing as getting it to random people. So if you went to songtradr and entered lots of genres and search terms it would find your stuff, less easy on the others. They tend to work by title or artist, so hard to get in there with own material. It gets lost. That said, my boring music is being played, mainly I note, by apple and Spotify as the major sources, and I have no idea how people found them.
soundcloud for me is just where you stick a piece of music and send somebody a link so they can play or download it.
 
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Pinky said:
The crap solicitations on soundcloud are just that -- they just want your money and they don't guarantee a single listen or lead. I get several of these a month between soundcloud and reverbnation. There's no magic pill for getting views or listens. It's an arbitrary combination of skill, looks, luck, and timing. And maybe a small part who you know, but I doubt anyone with actual connections is bothering with self promotion through those sites and is looking at getting, or already has the services of, a manager.

Tik Tok has been a good avenue for some independent artists, but most of the music that's progressing anyone from a no one to a someone is shit. You know, same teeny bopper shit, different generation. If you have something catchy that you think teenagers want to do silly dances to, then you mind as well upload a silly video of yourself 'performing' the song and maybe it will catch on. Or if you have a cute niece, maybe have her do a lip sync video to it. You need to bust a move before you can get jiggy wit it. Eep opp ork ah ah.
Click to expand...
Hi Pinky!
I went to bed but thinking so much about my music and a lot of nothing and I ended up turning on my computer again and glad to find your input and sense of humor. I got a crowd review from Reverb Nation about last March and paid for 100 reviews. I canceled my membership once my crowd review finished. They don't tell you until you start a free membership and upload your song that their max limit is 8MB and any song you want posted that is larger, and most are, you have to get a paid membership. I canceled okay. They put me as number three in my area (geographic) for Folk but it's no big deal that I could tell. One of the critique questions is what famous musician does your music remind you of and I got everything from Elvis to Bon Jovi to John Denver ha! Some of the critiquers were good but a lot seemed not to know English so well and wondered if RN pays people in impoverished countries for little or nothing to do a crit. They just race through, answer the critique questions and get their next to nothing pay. Also a lot of them answered the question about what my percussions were like and the bass and I had none, my song was just myself playing guitar and singing. It was better than no critique as RN I found after a lot of searching is the only business left that has crowd critiques. Have you heard of any businesses that have crowd critiques that are good?

I read about the silliness of Tik Tok and the little dances etc. Maybe I'll just upload my song and they can take it or leave it just to see what happens as I guess there's no harm to myself. Really though, what happens to the people whose video got major attention? Do they get some monetary reward for it? I'm just trying to see if my music has any impact on the general public. I've played at coffeehouse open mics but the open mic goers are other musicians and also family members and friends to the performers who are there for support, so it's an empathetic crowd. Really no one knows I'm on YouTube. I tell the people who connected to me on FaceBook and post my video I have on YouTube there. I also tell them to, if they like my song, to go to YouTube and put in a like and subscribe and comment so my ratings go up, but only one from FB ever did that. I don't even post my songs there anymore because it's like no one cares. Thanks a lot for your input. Wish I had a sense of humor like you! Sorry for the also bad experiences you've had.
Carpe Diem!
Mike (I should change my name to my real name since I'm trying to get my name out there.)
 
rob aylestone said:
So Gerard have separate sections for their own marketing of music and the distribution by Spotify and the others. They are a fairly simple way to get your music to people who are looking for it, but that’s not really the same thing as getting it to random people. So if yo7 went to songtradr and entered lots of genres and search terms it would find your stuff, less easy on the others. They tend to work by title or artist, so hard to get in there with own material. It gets lost. That said, my boring music is being played, mainly I note, by apple and Spotify as the major sources, and I have no idea how people found them.
soundcloud for me is just where you stick a piece of music and send somebody a link so they can play or download it.
Click to expand...
Hi Rob! Thanks a lot for taking the time and your helpful feedback! I'll have to look at Gerard. About how many distributors do they send your songs to? How much do you actually make? Do you have a whole album, or do you try a song at a time? I'll look at Song Trader too... as I think that's what you mean. I'm glad to learn is SC is only a posting of your music site as otherwise so far I have GoogleDrive where you allow individuals to access your song because you can't send an average video as an attachment through Gmail. They force you over to their GoogleDrive. Thanks for your help!
rob aylestone said:
Sondtradr have separate sections for their own marketing of music and the distribution by Spotify and the others. They are a fairly simple way to get your music to people who are looking for it, but that’s not really the same thing as getting it to random people. So if you went to songtradr and entered lots of genres and search terms it would find your stuff, less easy on the others. They tend to work by title or artist, so hard to get in there with own material. It gets lost. That said, my boring music is being played, mainly I note, by apple and Spotify as the major sources, and I have no idea how people found them.
soundcloud for me is just where you stick a piece of music and send somebody a link so they can play or download it.
Click to expand...
Hi Again Rob! A guy at iMusic, and I think that company is in Italy, when I first posted my original song "Johanna" he liked my music and subscribed and said he was going to follow me. I had contacted them about music promotion so people would know about my YouTube channel. I don't think employees of distribution companies do that very often, but maybe I'm wrong. I remember them listing about 20 different (not sure what they call them) song sales companies like Spotify and I think that's what Band Camp is. Have you heard of iMusic? Are they a good company? I also saw what I think is very wise advice and that is for new musicians to the music sales world etc that early on to start a website is like throwing your money away and not to have one until you get "traction" or have enough fans. I'm just saying that incase some musician comes along and reads this thread. You are knowledgeable and wondering if you were me in Folk music you'd go the route of Gerard or Soundtrader. Is your music under your name Rob Aylestone? Are you also on YouTube? If you don't have time for this I understand, or anyone else here. Thanks!
 
Tiktok is mostly a dead end, but the 'success' stories are interesting fodder.

There's no silver bullet to getting views, listens, likes, subs, or reviews (or recognition, or a genuine sense of worth, or money, or orgies). My best advice is to network with other musicians, maybe do some collaborations. I did quite a bit of work with musicians I met through a Rush bulletin board, all online. Very rewarding personally and did most of the mixing for the projects/albums. That could have gone somewhere. It didn't, but not because there was zero chance. See my prior post.
 
Never heard of "iMusic", when I search I see "iMusic.am' - some site in Armenia.

Stop thinking that you can find some magic place that for a few dollars will promote your music to others. Anyone who gives generic compliments is probably in the business of taking money from hopeful musicians. Anyone who offers critiques or playlist inclusions for money is trying to make money for themselves, they really don't care about promoting you.

Unless you are young, good looking AND talented, you have no way to compete against the thousands of other hopefuls out there that are also trying to make a name for themselves.

I make more money gigging (and I don't gig regularly) than I make from having my music streamed online. I finished recording and producing my first full album for someone else back in the spring, she released her album via CDBaby, and has had over 60,000 streams since mid-May - we both think that's fantastic, but in reality, that means she will get a payout of less than what a single 3 hour gig would pay! Think about that for a minute - even if she got a million streams in a year, playing 15 regular local gigs would earn more money. Now she did absolutely no promotion of the album, other than to send free CDs to people she knew. But her songs got on several Spotify playlists - and is now on over 100 of them. I, on the other hand, released my last album in December and submitted to a ton of playlists (using SumitHub's free service) and got included on half a dozen playlists and my stream totals are about 40,000. So working on 'spreading the word' only works so well. For "folk" artists - the single player/singer - there are many custom playlists and streaming radio stations that specialize in this type of music, but you need to get your music in front of them, no one will do that for you.

The point is: there's no money in streaming until you are getting millions of streams, it can at be a way to get your music in front of people so that you can say "stream me on Spotify and Apple Music..." when you are playing at gigs. But it's not a way to be 'discovered'.
 
I'm now VERY scared about any paid for promotion - remember (and a few distributors remind you every time) if they detect paid for promotion distorting the stats, then you get a catalogue wide takedown from EVERY platform. This means promotion you do yourself is safe. So is promotion done by people you trust, but paying some random organisation to promote and expand your streams and sales might be done by a bot, and if they even suspect this, you get canned, like happened to me a couple of years back. Instant taked down. Instant freeze of your funds and nothing at all you can do. You need to prove you did not do it, and proving you did not do something is impossible. The reason they warn you is that it's serious stuff - potentially criminal, as in fraud. getting paid for streams that were essentially computerised streaming to nobody.
 
rob aylestone said:
I'm now VERY scared about any paid for promotion - remember (and a few distributors remind you every time) if they detect paid for promotion distorting the stats, then you get a catalogue wide takedown from EVERY platform. This means promotion you do yourself is safe. So is promotion done by people you trust, but paying some random organisation to promote and expand your streams and sales might be done by a bot, and if they even suspect this, you get canned, like happened to me a couple of years back. Instant taked down. Instant freeze of your funds and nothing at all you can do. You need to prove you did not do it, and proving you did not do something is impossible. The reason they warn you is that it's serious stuff - potentially criminal, as in fraud. getting paid for streams that were essentially computerised streaming to nobody.
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Hi Rob! Just happened to be online and seeing such helpful responses here. Wow, wow and WOW!!! I never knew there was some kind of contract! I just thought you could do all the paid for promotions you wanted. I as usual wasn't thinking as then some of the venues like Spotify would be gettng your same song from several sources. It I suppose would cause a big cyber-traffic-jam etc. Really though I guess I might go it alone and send to the venues (if that's what they are called) like Spotify, Bandcamp, and forgot other names. The fraud part of it... does that mean if you pay like Gerard that the company has some copyright on your song? Thanks for all of your help and understand if you don't have time.
Carpe Diem!
 
mjbphotos said:
Never heard of "iMusic", when I search I see "iMusic.am' - some site in Armenia.

Stop thinking that you can find some magic place that for a few dollars will promote your music to others. Anyone who gives generic compliments is probably in the business of taking money from hopeful musicians. Anyone who offers critiques or playlist inclusions for money is trying to make money for themselves, they really don't care about promoting you.

Unless you are young, good looking AND talented, you have no way to compete against the thousands of other hopefuls out there that are also trying to make a name for themselves.

I make more money gigging (and I don't gig regularly) than I make from having my music streamed online. I finished recording and producing my first full album for someone else back in the spring, she released her album via CDBaby, and has had over 60,000 streams since mid-May - we both think that's fantastic, but in reality, that means she will get a payout of less than what a single 3 hour gig would pay! Think about that for a minute - even if she got a million streams in a year, playing 15 regular local gigs would earn more money. Now she did absolutely no promotion of the album, other than to send free CDs to people she knew. But her songs got on several Spotify playlists - and is now on over 100 of them. I, on the other hand, released my last album in December and submitted to a ton of playlists (using SumitHub's free service) and got included on half a dozen playlists and my stream totals are about 40,000. So working on 'spreading the word' only works so well. For "folk" artists - the single player/singer - there are many custom playlists and streaming radio stations that specialize in this type of music, but you need to get your music in front of them, no one will do that for you.

The point is: there's no money in streaming until you are getting millions of streams, it can at be a way to get your music in front of people so that you can say "stream me on Spotify and Apple Music..." when you are playing at gigs. But it's not a way to be 'discovered'.
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Hi MJB!

Thanks again for all of your generous help! I have to read several times over your response. I just purchased your Vortex album and look forward to listening. I'm not sure if they send it via an email and need to figure out how to listen... but I'm sure it's easy, it's just that I joined Bandcamp for the first time and need to look at how to navigate there. You and others here have saved me a lot of time, money, and burn out. Of course I say that and like a fool once again on 9-3-22 purchased a 100 level crowd review of my "Tambourine Rain" like I did last about March from Reverb Nation. I have a short 4:30 version of it on YouTube I'm having them review. I read they are the only crowd review service left presently. I just need a frank opinion and the "reviewers" don't know me. I just thought out of 100 reviews a few will be honest. It cost a lot and their price went from $82 the last time for 100, and now $109. I'll return here later and so great the info to absorb, but mainly a message not to waist money on these distributors... but a lot more to learn too as I'll take notes as I look again at the answers.
Top of the Day!
 
You actually keep all your copyright and your earnings - they're just acting as your agent, so some charge you up front and that's that, others take a small percentage - all slightly different. The biggest and probably the most effective are Distrokid - but they're also the people who dumped me and kept my money earned. If you write your own songs, they're all good, but if you do covers it gets complicated as you need licences - some do it for you, others make you do it yourself. For me in England, iTunes is a pain for cover songs because Apple Music let you buy the music - which in the US needs a licence, but as a Brit, getting licences with an out of USA address and banks is not impossible but just a real faff!
 
Winfred said:
Hi Rob! Just happened to be online and seeing such helpful responses here. Wow, wow and WOW!!! I never knew there was some kind of contract! I just thought you could do all the paid for promotions you wanted. I as usual wasn't thinking as then some of the venues like Spotify would be gettng your same song from several sources. It I suppose would cause a big cyber-traffic-jam etc. Really though I guess I might go it alone and send to the venues (if that's what they are called) like Spotify, Bandcamp, and forgot other names. The fraud part of it... does that mean if you pay like Gerard that the company has some copyright on your song? Thanks for all of your help and understand if you don't have time.
Carpe Diem!
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You can't submit music yourself to places like Spotify and AppleMusic - you must use a distribution service such as CDBaby (that's what I use) or Distrokid. Since you have to pay to do this, I don't know why you would try to use more than one place for the same songs. Again, these are 'distribution' services - they get your music to ALL the streaming services (there are literally hundreds of them), then collect the streaming revenue to give back to you (minus their fee, if they charge for it).
Bandcamp is something completely different - yet another place to HOST your music, but they do give you the option of selling downloads (and CDs and merch) and setting your own prices (free to whatever $$ you want).
Again, none of these places are 'marketing' your music, that's up to you.
 
Pinky said:
Tiktok is mostly a dead end, but the 'success' stories are interesting fodder.

There's no silver bullet to getting views, listens, likes, subs, or reviews (or recognition, or a genuine sense of worth, or money, or orgies). My best advice is to network with other musicians, maybe do some collaborations. I did quite a bit of work with musicians I met through a Rush bulletin board, all online. Very rewarding personally and did most of the mixing for the projects/albums. That could have gone somewhere. It didn't, but not because there was zero chance. See my prior post.
Click to expand...

Hi Pinky!
I just released an 8 minute version of my song "Tambourine Rain" on YouTube. I have to regroup and figure out where to best post it in other areas. A fan of my music gave me good advice. I tried hard with my first recording to cover the areas of my song in as concisely a way as possible and sacrifice as little as possible of the large lot of it that I was already giving up.

As usual and with my other two original songs on YouTube I had grim numbers for Views, Likes, Subscribes, and Comments. I now have only 52 subscribers. I know my songs have an impact as they did when I played them at open mics. I know no two songs are created equal and can take it if this effort all turns out to reflect back to me "I better not quit my day job" so to speak. I took my 4 1/2 minute version off YouTube I think it was back in July 2022. After 23 hours with my 8 minute version I only have 31 views, 3 Likes, and two very nice comments plus another emailed me that my song at the time she had written "mesmerized" her for the past 1/2 hr. I think she meant it but maybe she does feel sorry for me and was being nice.

I came back here to post my revision and forgot a lot of what transpired here. I didn't know more replies had come from last September so I just now saw the video you were so kind to send on. I'm thinking I want to post my 8 minute version, and also post what has been popular at open mics, my about 4 minute original, "Johanna", both here and on Tik Tok. I thought I'd try Tik Tok even though I'm nothing to look at and 68 yrs old. Is it where you have to be silly and like I gather that it must be a 15 second clip? In the video it sounds like you can post an entire song. My interpreting things isn't all that great but is that true?

If 15 seconds is the max then I won't go the Tik Tok route unless that 15 seconds is to attract listeners to the full version of your song. I'm not a prolific songwriter. I could work hard, record another 8 YouTube videos. I have enough songs for an album. Actually I have a 50 minute version of Tambourine Rain but I'm sure there's no market for that, and I'm the only one who has heard it ha! I'm not out to make a lot of money, but would be happy if I could buy an ebike with it and a top line 4 season tent and portable solar panel and a traveler's size cpap machine for my sleep apnea and a one-wheeled trailer. I would also have the neck re-set on my classical guitar. Despite that... I would be happy if I just get more to hear my music and like it. What do you advise? Thanks for your sharing this valuable video! I don't know if the management here allows me to post the link to my YouTube re-release or not, so I won't do so. My name on YouTube is Michael Jensen, my real name, and also the name of my channel... only if you have time.
Thanks!
 
mjbphotos said:
Stop thinking that you can find some magic place that for a few dollars will promote your music to others. Anyone who gives generic compliments is probably in the business of taking money from hopeful musicians. Anyone who offers critiques or playlist inclusions for money is trying to make money for themselves, they really don't care about promoting you.

Unless you are young, good looking AND talented, you have no way to compete against the thousands of other hopefuls out there that are also trying to make a name for themselves.

The point is: there's no money in streaming until you are getting millions of streams, it can at be a way to get your music in front of people so that you can say "stream me on Spotify and Apple Music..." when you are playing at gigs. But it's not a way to be 'discovered'.
Click to expand...
100% agree Think pay to play...just a screwed up self indulgent money making scheme. Parasites sucking the hard earned money from people trying to "break through" giving them false hope.

Post your stuff wherever you want that's free.

If you're hoping to break through , that's similar to hoping you win the lottery. It's a numbers game and also the luck of the draw. It is so easy today to record a song and put it out on the internet the numbers are staggering. Worse odds than the lottery.

If you can get your song on a TV show or in a movie that increases your odds greatly but still not a sure thing. A heavy duty influencer that mentions you can help. If you're in it to win it IMO you're wasting your time looking at these easy fixes... Hard work, passion and persistence beyond exception will bear a much sweeter fruit. That said working smarter not harder is always a good thing to strive for. Use that energy as efficiently as you can.

Good Luck!
 
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