SoundCloud artist subscription plans

Photo Credit: SoundCloud

SoundCloud announces a new Artist subscription tier to “bridge the gap” between Basic and Pro tiers for professional artists.

SoundCloud has announced its new “Artist” subscription tier to “bridge the gap” between its Basic and Next Pro — renamed to Artist Pro — subscription tiers for professional artists. The platform aims to “help emerging and aspiring musicians get their music out into the world easily and affordably.”

“We’re renaming Next Pro to Artist Pro to better reflect the evolution of our offerings and our commitment to supporting artists at every stage of their careers,” said SoundCloud.

The new artist tier costs $3.25 per month in the U.S., or $39 annually, offering many of the same services as the Pro tier, but at a considerably lower price than that tier’s $8.25 a month. It includes three hours of uploads per month, as opposed to unlimited uploads at the Pro level, with distribution of two tracks per month to platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and TikTok. It also includes monetization on SoundCloud and other platforms, as well as one credit per month towards AI mastering.

“Whether you’re recording your first track or starting to build a fanbase, this new plan offers the tools you need to succeed — without the heavy costs typically associated with professional music distribution,” SoundCloud says. “By lowering the cost of entry, we’re giving more artists the opportunity to break into the music industry, find their audience, and start monetizing their work.”

The company piloted the program in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, “with promising results. We’ve heard from thousands of artists — confirming our belief that emerging artists are eager for affordable access to professional tools and distribution.”

SoundCloud has been rebranding its artist services platform since 2022, having built it on the back of the Repost platform the company acquired in 2019. Since then, the company has been working on new monetization tools, merch stores, and lots of other features for artists.

Earlier this year, SoundCloud launched its “Ascending” feature, a new global artist development program aiming to identify and promote breakthrough artists worldwide. The program has been in a pilot stage since early last year, and has helped artists like Shaboozey, Barry Can’t Swim, Kenya Grace, and more.