Signing up to SoundCloud is free and easy. Visit us at SoundCloud. Never stop listening. Take your playlists and likes wherever you go. If you have uploaded to SoundCloud and want to manage your account from anywhere or reply to comments, we recommend downloading the SoundCloud Pulse app on iOS or Android , our app exclusively for creators. SoundCloud is an open platform for both listeners and creators.
Share and discover new music with SoundCloud
FAQ: SoundCloud’s free upload limit
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website based in Berlin , Germany , that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Started in by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud has grown to be one of the largest music streaming services reaching over million monthly users worldwide. SoundCloud has influenced the music industry through the success of many artists who have used the service to launch or advance their careers. SoundCloud was established in Berlin in August by Swedish sound designer Alexander Ljung and Swedish electronic musician Eric Wahlforss, and the website was launched in October A new APN was released in December which improved mobile device support and added features such as concurrent listening and site navigation, and the ability to create personal collections. In March , Twitter announced it would partner with SoundCloud in developing its first integrated music app. However, the project never moved forward because SoundCloud was unable to accommodate licensed music due to a lack of necessary arrangements with music labels. SoundCloud announced in January that it had commenced licensing negotiations with major music companies to address the matter of unauthorised, copyrighted material regularly appearing on the platform. However, the prospect of acquisition was discounted by the media, with one report stating that "the numbers didn't add up", [19] and Bobby Owsinski hypothesizing on the Forbes website in July that SoundCloud's ongoing inability to secure deals with the major music labels was the foremost culprit. On 28 September , Spotify announced that it was in talks to buy SoundCloud, [21] but on 8 December , Spotify was reported to have abandoned its acquisition plans.
How does SoundCloud work?
SoundCloud is free for anyone who wants to listen to and share music. There is also a free option for those who want to upload and promote their own music. However, it has limits on the amount of music that can be uploaded, the statistics kept for each song, and certain advanced controls and tools. It has also made money by partnering with music distribution companies who wish to make music that they hold the copyright to available on SoundCloud for the purpose of collecting both song royalties and advertising revenue. It is suspected that SoundCloud may make even more money by having itself purchased by a major Internet company such as Twitter , or perhaps even offering an advertisement-free listening subscription service, sometime in the future. Aside from that, SoundCloud makes money by offering two paid subscription plans for SoundCloud members, specifically those looking to upload and promote their music.
As a free user on a Basic plan you can upload up to 3 hours of audio. The maximum file size is 4GB. If your file exceeds these criteria, please split it into separate uploads.
