Even though putting music on SoundCloud seems quite easy:  you create a profile, optimize it, and you're set to go. There are just too many mistakes that prevent artistes from reaching the peak of their career.

On most blog posts, they will tell you that the secret to making it on Soundcloud lies in the numbers of plays you get and how well people actually react to your music. Release good songs, and you're good to go.

Most SoundCloud artists will tell you that despite following every guideline in the book, they still haven't made their breakthrough. Ultimately, it doesn't depend on how well you play the guitar but how you position yourself.  Whether it is keeping your account active or failing to post regularly, it's essential to avoid these mistakes to improve your chances of getting your big breakthrough.

Failing To Organize Your Tracks

Yes, making it big of SoundCloud goes beyond your musical talent. There's probably a hundred and thousands of artiste who can sing better than you, but only a few know how to organize their track. The standard naming order recommended by SoundCloud for naming track is Artiste Name followed by song title.

This will help people differentiate the artiste from the song. Most people are used to this standard of naming the track, and using the recommended standard will help users listening to your music for the first time.

Using a different standard than this will leave listeners guessing between the song title and the Artiste Name which in most cases reduces the level of enthusiasm actually to play the song.

Not Replying To Comments

SoundCloud comes with a feature that allows listeners actually to comment on your song. They can comment right at the moment they're listening to the song. This comment could be a question about the track, how well they enjoyed the song or in some cases, what needs to be added to make the song great. You should know that people who comment aren't just everyday listeners but artiste like you. Hence, every comment should be taken seriously.

The more you interact with fans whenever they drop a comment, the more your popularity increases. Take your time to reply to meaningful comments, and it isn't necessary to respond to all of them if your fan page is enormous. If you get comments like “Nice Track” or “I couldn't stop listening to your track, Good job!”, You might be tempted to reply with “thanks simply.” However, mentioning the name of the user in your reply builds more rapport with your fans. Rather than merely “thanks,” you can say “Thank you (user name)” to make it less formal.

Secondly, most upcoming Artiste on Soundcloud uses whatever medium possible to get noticed. This extends to dropping a link to their song in any Artiste comment section. Just as your fans are coming to your comment field to say what they feel about your track, you should do the same to another Artiste. Only then will you be recognized.

Don't use a song comment section as an opportunity to gain more visibility. Instead, think of constructive comments that can really get users' attention. Your comment should go beyond “Your song Rocks” as this is perceived as something from an everyday listener who knows little about music. As an Artiste use the song comment field to encourage another Artiste and to show the world that you really know what you're doing. Only then will they check you out.

Leaving Your Bio-Field Empty

This is the most common mistake made by thousands of SoundCloud users. They assume that listeners will probably never get to this session, but that's completely absurd. As an upcoming Artiste, the best thing to do is to provide listeners with information about yourself and your music career. This doesn't mean you should narrate your life history.

Imagine people coming to your page to listen to your music, but once they pause to find out more about you, they discover that the bio session is empty. An Artiste like yourself may point it out to you that you need to write something there, but this could be embarrassing. But the question is: How many of these Artistes actually have something written under their bio?

The Biofield should be treated like every other session under your profile. Take advantage of this space to tell your users what they need to know about you. Don't misuse this field. The information contained here should be original and not made-up facts as users will be quick to fish you out.

No Description and a Crappy Visual

You've put in a lot of energy to actually create a song you're sure your fans will love only to forget to add a description when uploading on SoundCloud. Basically, a song with no description looks boring and unprofessional.

Organizing your track goes beyond using the standard naming order. You have to provide more information about the track, and this includes song meaning, lyrics,  social media links, and a short story that covers all the recording process.

In terms of visuals, a sound with a bad cover art can actually look uninspiring to listeners. When uploading a song, add an image that captures the listeners or add more spark to your song. You should look to invest in quality images; it ensures your image comes out well in any device, whether Smartphone or on a personal computer.

Different URL

Your brand should carry on the same URL on all social media platforms. If your brand name is “Rock and Roll,” All URLs should contain this phrase, so it's easily identified. You can't use “Rock and Roll” on Facebook and then “Six Strings” on SoundCloud. Your profile on SoundCloud should match with that of Facebook and other platforms.

Finally, if you're fond of not adding a URL, stop doing that. You should build a network on any social network as this is the fastest means of gaining more popularity.

Conclusion

Making a breakthrough on SoundCloud goes beyond these mistakes. However, doing the right things, 80% of the time will improve your chances.

Date: October 5, 2019 / Categories: SoundCloud Plays, / Author: Kam R