SoundCloud Introduces $3.25 Monthly Artist Tier for “New and Emerging” Musicians

New Artist Subscription Tier

SoundCloud has unveiled a new Artist subscription tier “to help new and emerging musicians easily and affordably share their music with the world.”

The music streaming platform describes this tier as “bridging the gap” between the Basic tier and the Next Pro tier—now renamed Artist Pro.

“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,” SoundCloud stated in a announcement on Tuesday (December 17).

Affordable Pricing and Features

At US$3.25 per month in the USA or US$39 per year, the new Artist tier provides many of the same services as the Next Pro tier but at a significantly lower cost than the Artist Pro, which is US$8.25.

It offers three hours of uploads per month (in contrast to Artist Pro’s unlimited uploads) and allows the distribution of two tracks each month on SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TikTok, and more than 60 additional platforms; monetization on SoundCloud and other channels; and one credit per month for AI development.

The new Artist tier also enables users to promote and add up to two tracks to playlists each month, compared to the unlimited tracks available in the Artist Pro plan.

“Whether you're recording your first track or starting to build a fan base, this new plan provides the tools you need to succeed—without the high costs typically associated with professional music distribution,” SoundCloud noted.

“By lowering the cost of entry, we're giving more artists the chance to break into the music industry, find their audience, and begin monetizing their work.”

Program Trials and Success Stories

SoundCloud mentioned that it has trialed the program in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand “with promising results.” They’ve received feedback from thousands of artists, reinforcing the need for affordable access to professional tools and exposure.

“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.”

SoundCloud

In 2022, SoundCloud rebranded its artist services platform as SoundCloud for Artists, enhancing the Repost platform acquired in 2019.

Since then, the company has focused on offering new monetization tools, merchandise stores, and additional features. Earlier this year, SoundCloud launched “Ascending,” a global artist development program aimed at identifying and promoting exceptional artists worldwide.

SoundCloud stated that this program has been in pilot mode since early 2023 and has successfully assisted artists like Kenya Grace, Shaboozey, Barry Can’t Swim, TiaCorine, Teezo Touchdown, and Odetari.

Earlier this year, SoundCloud introduced Buzzing Playlists, a series of playlists based on fan engagement with music from Next Pro (now Artist Pro) artists. First Fans analyzed 3.5 million Next Pro tracks to provide recommendations to potential fans. The platform reported an average 400% increase in plays for Next Pro customers.

The initiative is designed to tackle the “zero play problem” faced by many new artists today, where a significant percentage of music gets minimal or no plays amidst the overwhelming volume of approximately 120,000 tracks downloaded daily.