SoundCloud is the go-to platform for music discovery. Other platforms like Spotify and YouTube have music from mainstream music artists. But only on SoundCloud can you find individuals who just launched their music careers.

When a person likes an independent artist's music so much, they can't help but root for them. It's in human nature. So, they want to support the artists as much as they can.

One of the best things a fan of an independent artist on SoundCloud can do is share their tracks so that more people find them. Big news: SoundCloud increasing real plays has released a new feature that makes it easier. This new feature allows people to easily share music on other social media platforms, namely Snapchat and Facebook Stories. 

It is not an entirely new feature. SoundCloud already allows users to share tracks on Instagram Stories before this update.

That's also great news for artists on the platform. The ability to share tracks is not exclusive to listeners. They, too, can share their music on other platforms.

With that, an artist on SoundCloud can easily increase their online presence. Facebook is the biggest social platform in the world, and Snapchat's user base is not negligible. And more people discovering an artist's tracks increases the chances of that artist becoming popular.

It's not just single tracks you can share too. You can create playlists and share that on your Snapchat or Facebook Stories. That way, you can support many of your favorite indie artists in a few taps.

How To Share Music From SoundCloud On Other Platforms 

First, make sure the SoundCloud app on your phone is in the latest version. If it is not, update it from the App Store or Google Play first.

Then, look for the track, playlist, album, or artist profile you want to share. Tap the share icon, then tap the logo of Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. Some devices may have the options listed as “Share to Facebook Stories,” “Share to Instagram Stories,” or “Share to Snapchat” instead.

Before making the post visible to others, you can add personal touches like captions and Giphy stickers. Finish uploading the Story as you normally would.

Why Bother Spreading Out Your Plays?

First and foremost, distributing your music to other platforms allows for greater visibility and reach. Much like a tree in a forest, your music may get lost in the vast expanse of SoundCloud, but by branching out to other platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, your music can be discovered by a wider audience. The more platforms your music is available on, the more opportunities you have to connect with new listeners and grow your fanbase.

Additionally, distributing your music to other platforms also allows for more monetization opportunities. Soundcloud does not have a built-in mechanism for direct monetary compensation for artists. By distributing your music to platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, you open yourself up to potential royalties and streaming revenue.

Furthermore, distributing your music to other platforms allows you to understand better and engage with your audience. By looking at these platforms' data and analytics, you can gain valuable insights into which tracks resonate with listeners, where your audience is located, and what type of content they respond to best. This knowledge can be used to inform your future creative decisions and optimize your marketing strategy, allowing you to make more targeted, effective decisions, much like a chef adapting his recipe to suit the tastes of his diners.

Finally, distributing your music to other platforms is a great way to establish yourself as a professional and credible artist. Having your music on multiple platforms demonstrates your commitment to your craft and your willingness to invest in your career. This can help you gain the attention of industry professionals and increase your chances of being signed to a record label or landing gigs, much like a store window display on a busy street could help a business attract more customers.

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Distributing Tracks to Stores

Sharing your music tracks on other social media platforms will help you gain more fans. But your end goal is still to distribute on stores like Spotify and Apple Music. These will make you more known in the music world. So, you must also learn the best practices when distributing music on these platforms.

Admittedly, that's an intimidating task, especially for first-timers. Stores are more strict than platforms like YouTube or SoundCloud. They have specific metadata, audio, and artwork guidelines. Not following these guidelines will delay you from sharing your music on these platforms. 

It is best to study the dos and don'ts to avoid that inconvenience. SoundCloud revealed the common errors its artists make that delay approval of delivering tracks to stores.

Artwork

One of the most common mistakes is using artwork that is not original. It causes a problem with intellectual property rights. Thus, ensure that you control all the rights in the artwork that you use. If an image is copyrighted, but you have permission to use it, send the documentation to Repost's support.

Inappropriate artwork is not allowed. It should not contain nudity, excessive violence, overly blurry content, etc.

Generic artwork can also delay approval for your release's delivery or make the stores outright reject it. So avoid using direct pictures or single colors. It's best to put effort into it and personalize it.

Also, make sure your artwork is not misleading. It should not mimic famous album covers, movie posters, or other popular reference points. Furthermore, the text on the artwork should match your metadata. The artist, title, label, etc., should be the same.

Metadata

Here are some things to remember when filling out the metadata for your release.

First and most importantly, do not misspell – proper casing included – your Artist Name. Ensure you write it exactly the same way it is written on Stores such as Apple Music or Spotify. Otherwise, your release may appear on another artist's page rather than on your page.

Please also remember not to add the Artist Name on the Release and Track titles. Contributors should also go only to the Contributors field. Speaking of that, please remember to add contributors individually. If you put them all in one contributor field, your release may go to a different artist's page.

In the Composer Names field, use only the legal names of composers. That means only full names are accepted.

What not to add? You should not add misleading metadata. That includes adding names of popular artists, song names, or generic SEO terms. Also, do not put your social handles in the field for Artist Name. 

If your release has explicit content, don't forget to flag them. Some stores will hide incorrectly labeled releases. So, instead of not telling them your tracks contain profanity, drug references, etc., it is better to admit it.

Audio

SoundCloud tells users to refrain from attempting to distribute content where they don't control all aspects of the release. Unofficial remixes and content containing uncleared samples are some examples. Again, if you have the right to distribute, you can send the documentation to support@repostnetwork.com.

How Important Is It To Share Your Music To Other Platforms?

SoundCloud allows you to upload your tracks so your fans can listen to them. It is where you can start and grow your music career. But you should not limit yourself to this platform. Your music should be on stores like Spotify for you to be successful in the music industry. And sharing your music on platforms like Facebook and Instagram helps make more people aware of your existence as an artist.

That said, sharing your music on other platforms is extremely important. It is how you can take your music career to the next level. 

Date: January 10, 2023 / Categories: Getting Discovered, / Author: Rich Drees