Despite rumors of the company going under, SoundCloud founder Alex Ljung made the brave announcement that SoundCloud is here to stay – for good.

The sound-sharing platform may not be getting a lot of good press lately but the people behind it are hard at work to keep the community alive.

It’s been reported that SoundCloud is silently working on integrating their system into devices such as Google Home and the Xbox One, along with other new features aimed at bringing more users to the platform. If the rumors are true, the SoundCloud community is in the process of a revival and you’ll have an even better chance of getting your music heard.

Find out how you can further strengthen your SoundCloud profile in this week’s helpful guide.

Brand Yourself

Branding is important for any artist, both online and offline. If you’ve been neglecting your SoundCloud profile, now is the time to revive it. Your profile is how listeners will remember you, and that’s why it’s important that you spruce it up.

Image credit: Claptone SoundCloud

Claptone is a Berlin-based DJ who’s known for his notorious golden mask. This artist uses his symbol to strengthen his brand by using it in various images in his SoundCloud profile.

It’s also clear that he knows how to maximize his SoundCloud real estate. Upon visiting his SoundCloud profile, the first thing you’ll see are his tour dates and details in the banner image.

Pay close attention to how you brand yourself. You only have one opportunity to make a first impression on SoundCloud users so you have to make it count.

Protect Your Content

Publishing your tracks online means giving everyone access to your music – even those who have the capability to steal it and use it, or share it.

While sound sharing platforms help musicians get their music out there, they also pose copyright threats that can compromise your career. If you want to make a solid career out of your music online, you have to protect it.

Copyrighting your tracks may sound like just another unnecessary added thing on your to-do list, but having legal documents to prove you’re the rightful owner of your tracks will come in handy if (or when) someone tries to steal your work.

You can read SoundCloud’s copyright policy right here. Note that SoundCloud’s policies are not the same as legal protection for your music.

You need to check in with your local government and find out what needs to be done to copyright your tracks. This way, nobody can steal your hard work without legal implications.

It’s also important to know that SoundCloud allows music makers like yourself to submit a complaint ticket if you feel someone used your track without permission.

Ask Permission

Just as you expect people of the internet to respect your tracks, you should also be more conscious about respecting theirs.

Mashups and DJ mixes are popular on SoundCloud, which means it’s not unusual for music makers to use other people’s tracks for their own.

While SoundCloud is a platform that encourages collaboration, it must be done in good faith. If you’re planning on using other people’s tracks, you need to get their permission first.

You don’t want to wind up like Mr. Brainz here, who ended up getting his SoundCloud account canceled for repeated copyright violations.

Image credit: DJ Brainz

Artists are eager to collaborate with other talented musicians so don’t hesitate to send them a message and pitch them your idea. In this world where it’s so much easier to just steal someone else's hard work, we’re certain they will appreciate your attention and your effort to get their permission.

Be Part of the Community

These days, actively publishing your work online is not enough to get your career off the ground. If you want to stand out from all the other up-and-coming musicians out there, you have to take an active part in a community related to your genre.

Spending just a few hours per week on message boards and forums should help you connect with highly-targeted listeners and potential collaborators. Message boards and forums are your gateways to the listener’s pulse, they give you access to the insight of dedicated fans about trends within your industry.

You also have the opportunity to strengthen your credibility as an artist online by answering some of the questions posted by other forum members. Connecting with fans and fellow artists can help you establish meaningful connections in the industry.

Add Buy Links

While posting can help you leverage your career as an artist online, the plays your tracks get on SoundCloud won’t usually directly translate into money.

Adding buy links to your profile can help you make real money out of your music. If you produce really good tracks, people won’t think twice about purchasing them online.

Image credit: SoundCloud Help Center

You can use the Buy Link section to link back to your website or to your tracks on iTunes, Juno Download or any other platform

The Buy Link section is like your own little marketplace where you can sell track downloads, concert tickets, merchandise, and a whole lot more. This is too good of a money-making opportunity for you to pass up on.

Become More Credible

If you’ve been on SoundCloud long enough, you know exactly how hard it is to build a respectable reputation on the platform.

Gaining credibility as an artist on a saturated platform like SoundCloud can be tough, tedious, and uncertain. A smart way to build a more credible reputation on SoundCloud is by purchasing high-quality Plays and Followers from a reputable provider.

Buying SoundCloud Plays and Followers can help you achieve a seemingly buzz-worthy reputation as a music maker. By having a respectable amount of Followers and Plays, you’ll achieve a much stronger social proof and attract even more authentic listeners.

When it comes to building your reputation online, you can’t solely rely on organic growth alone. You need to have an effective strategy in place that can help you broaden your reach as soon as possible.

Explore SoundCloud

If you really want to maximize SoundCloud as a platform, you need to explore every inch of it. Learning how to use all of SoundCloud’s features will help you strengthen your profile as an artist on the platform.

Exploring SoundCloud on a regular basis also helps you identify the trends in your chosen genre. You’ll see what type of music is hitting the top of the charts, which artists are killing it, and more.

If you own a pro account on SoundCloud, you should learn how you can make the most out of the in-depth analytics you have access to. Use the data from the analytics to come up with a stronger marketing and branding strategy for yourself as an artist.

Image credit: SoundCloud

SoundCloud isn’t just a place on the internet where you can share and publish tracks, it’s an ecosystem for musicians and listeners alike – so you should start treating it as such. Maximize your account and all that the platform has to offer by exploring it on a regular basis, and that includes any new features they roll out.

Private Links

You should think of your SoundCloud profile as your virtual business card. You can send a link to your SoundCloud profile in place of a demo tape to record label execs so they can get acquainted with your entire body of work all in one page.

Image credit: SoundCloud

If you have a Pro Unlimited account on SoundCloud, you can share private links to chosen listeners. The private link feature can be especially helpful if you’re pitching your tracks to a select group of people.

You can upload tracks that are works-in-progress onto your SoundCloud profile, send them to collaborators, music bloggers, and a few of your most loyal listeners. Ask them to review them on their sites, spreading your music to their audiences.

This is a nifty feature that can make collaborations forged on the internet a lot easier to manage.

Do More With SoundCloud

SoundCloud may be on shaky grounds as of late but that doesn’t mean you should abandon ship just yet. Knowing how to maximize the platform now can help you leverage your career once the expected surge of new users arrives.

Take this time to perfect your profile, better your tracks, and explore SoundCloud. Now is the time to play around with different marketing strategies that could help keep you relevant as an artist.

Showing your support by continuously uploading tracks on SoundCloud will definitely help boost the community’s morale, and contribute to the revival of this valuable social network for musicians.

If you’ve been having a hard time building a more credible reputation on the platform, consider purchasing a respectable amount of SoundCloud Plays and Followers from a provider you can trust.

Increase your chances of getting the attention your music deserves by abiding by the SoundCloud best practices we’ve mentioned today – just in time for SoundCloud’s next golden age.

Date: August 14, 2017 / Categories: Getting Discovered, Marketing, / Author: Mariko