10 Best Ways to Promote SoundCloud Music Effectively

There is no doubt that SoundCloud is one of the most influential music platforms out there that helped numerous music artists to create a successful music career. Its reputation has grown even more with many renowned artists these days have emerged from SoundCloud only, whether the pop stars or the rappers. There are more than 20 million music creators on the platform and it can get quite daunting to stand out among all. Cutting through the noise and putting talent in front of the world can be a massive challenge for emerging music artists.

Only making good music is not enough as you would require some promotional approaches that help to reach a larger audience for your music. It includes making an effective strategy along with analytical, distribution in media, and marketing tools. If you are an emerging music artist yourself and looking for more exposure, read the following to know more about the promotional tactics that can be used for music promotion on SoundCloud. But, first, you need to understand why this platform is important for your career.

Is SoundCloud important?

Yes! Certainly, it is. SoundCloud is one of the biggest music streaming and distribution platforms that is globally revered. With free access to music along with a direct upload system, this platform is the hub for DIY artists even though all the mainstream acts and elements are present as well. As mentioned before, a lot of talented artists were found from SoundCloud only especially for the music genres like electronic music and hip-hop. Lil Uzi Vert, XXXTENTATION, Lil Pump, and many other Billboard chart-topper artists went viral from SoundCloud. You would be amazed to know that there is a genre in new-age hip-hop known as SoundCloud Rap.

Quick Insights on SoundCloud

• There are more than 175 million users on the platform and 76 million monthly users are paid subscribers which is more than Pandora.

• With 12 hours of music uploaded daily every minute, there are around 180 million tracks uploaded on SoundCloud

• There are more than 20 million music creators including both, the emerging and the established ones.

• SoundCloud playlists are widely used for promotion and around 1.2 million creators are featured in the playlists.

Quite evidently, SoundCloud has a huge network, audience base, and community which makes it an integral part of every music artist’s marketing strategies.

10 Effective Tips on SoundCloud Music Promotion

1. Sync the Social Media Platforms

The influence and importance of the social media platforms in the modern era is undeniable. That is why every other promotional and marketing strategy is comprised of social media marketing that allows reaching out to a larger number of audiences. The better and more cohesive your social media strategy is, the better your music will perform on SoundCloud. There are multiple social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many others and you should utilize each of them as there is a spillover effect. For example, if you upload music on SoundCloud, music videos on YouTube, create a visual brand on Instagram, and offer more updates on Facebook and Twitter; fans from different platforms will follow you on other platforms as well. Let’s have a better view.

• YouTube – Uploading your music on YouTube is a great idea to expose your music to a new base of audience. You know what? It does not even require an official music video but even a simple image or thumbnail is enough. Even lyrical videos also work well. It is better than not uploading at all. There are many music artists who received more than 45 million views with just a simple loop animation. The most important part is maintaining your presence on the platform which improves your marketing efforts. 

• Instagram – Online users including music lovers and fans spend a lot of time o Instagram and if you are able to utilize this platform to establish your brand; you can reach a larger audience. Instagram Live and Stories are the best places to share your music as it gets viewed and shared the most. It can also bring more web traffic and online engagement to your SoundCloud profile. 

• Twitter – Twitter is one of the most active platforms for fans and it allows you to keep a two-way communication with them. Make sure to engaging, approachable, and unique which makes your followers retweet your posts and the buzz keeps going on. In order to establish a connection with SoundCloud, add 30-second embeds with the latest tracks you uploaded. 

2. Check the Demographics of Target Audiences

Major Digital Service Providers or DSPs offer detailed first-party analytics about the performance. With the help of this data, you can gain critical insights to improve your marketing approaches. With the help of SoundCloud analytics, you get to know how your music is performing on the platform along with the demographics of the listenership. The data will allow you to have a better understanding of your target audiences. By implementing the knowledge gained from the data, you can easily optimize advertising and general marketing campaigns.

3. Collaborate with other Artists

Collaboration is one of the coolest acts that thrive in the music industry as well as global listeners. When two are three music artists or groups join forces; listeners already know something unique is going to happen and that is what piques their interest the most. Collaboration is the oldest trick in the book that is still relevant and works for all kinds of music artists. It allows you to exchange audiences with the collaborating artist. In case you are a music producer, you can also create music for other artists to support their singing and rapping. In case you are a rapper or a singer; you will still find plenty of opportunities to collaborate with other others based on your work and adaptability.

4. Remix the Existing Artist’s Works

Just like collaboration, remixing is also a great idea to form interaction with fellow artists as well as their fanbase. There are a few ways you can do remixes on SoundCloud that offer more exposure. Firstly, the common way is to put your individuality and creative flair into a song that is already famous or popular among the listeners. This helps to connect with a new audience base who would like your version and look for more. But make sure, the artist behind the original track has already approved of your remixing act.

Similarly, you can borrow a tune from another artist you love and create engaging content that people would like to explore. Listeners are more likely to click on musical content when they know there is a familiar tune or something they already know but have become a newer version. However, this will not offer you massive monetary benefits but will optimize your promotional approaches.

5. Interact with the Listeners

Other than collaboration and remixes, there are many simple ways that can help you create a better network in the music industry without trying too hard. Interacting with your fans and fellow artists is a great way to establish your presence in the music scene while exposing your work to a larger number of new listeners. You can strengthen your bonding with others through reposting, following, commenting, messaging, and groups. However, it is important to be selective and engage with an audience who actually likes your music and has a similar taste to your musical style. There is no point in making unnecessary content just for the sake of it, rather be natural and subtle without making it look like you are interacting for promotion.

6. Tweak Your SoundCloud Settings

With the help of some simple settings, you can simply upgrade your SoundCloud profile which helps to boost the listenership. It can also help to draw traffic from other musical platforms like Spotify. Firstly, set your musical content to stream only which can limit its virality. However, by blocking listeners from downloading your track, you can actually boost the stream count as you are potentially blocking them from re-uploading your music to other websites.

The second step is to putting some content behind the paywall which is common practice to engage and retain listeners. You can have your singles and b-sides freely available on the platform but make sure to put your long-form releases in preview mode. This helps to push the listeners on other music platforms as well.

7. Fix Your Strategy for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a common and integral part of all kinds of promotional approaches as it helps to enhance your online presence on the web. One of the most difficult parts of music promotion is to ensure that listeners can quickly find and recognize your brand as a music artist. And that is not for just SoundCloud but all the other platforms and search engines like Google. How can you expect online users to find your music if you do not offer any information on it, right?

Therefore, it is mandatory to make it clear in the title what your music is all about. Do not just type the names but construct the title in a way where everything is separately mentioned clearly and works like a keyword. Make it look good and easy to read which makes it quickly recognizable. This way, you can improve your music’s ranking on Google’s search engine result pages (SERP). Make sure your artist's name is something professional and easy to find.

8. Why not SoundCloud Pro?

Well, you might already know that SoundCloud Pro offers a handful of features. So, why not utilize it? There are tons of tools that can help you generate more revenue and improve your marketing strategy. While it helps in your music distribution, it can also improve your analytics for better visibility. The Pro Subscription allows monetizing your content and helps to get your music from SoundCloud to other major music platforms, distribution labels, and other deals. This can be a game changer to pave a successful music career ahead.

9. Focus on the Visual and Other Elements of the Profile

Your SoundCloud profile is not just a page but a representation of you, your music, and your brand as a music artist. It needs to be compelling, attractive, and informative enough to represent your persona and the craft. While you might oversee these small elements; they play a vital role in your promotional activities.

• The Profile Picture – If you think visuals are not important for an audio file then you are wrong. Your profile picture is what helps to create an identity and helps listeners quickly recognize you. Make sure to put a clear, catchy, and high-quality picture that enhances your brand. The album art or single art should have a resolution of at least 800 x 800 pixels in JPEG or PNG format. Visual elements put a lasting impression in listeners' minds. So, make sure to keep an eye on the color scheme and aesthetics as well. 

• A Compelling Bio – Your bio is what allows listeners to know about your more. So make sure to use it to tell your story as an artist to the world. You can share your musical journey, inspirations, hobbies, or achievements till now. It also offers a chance for the listeners to know more about the artist, or the creator behind the musical collections they like. Don’t hesitate to share your story with honesty. You also need to keep it updated with each latest venture, tour, performance, and release. 

• Organize Your Tracks Strategically – Think from the perspective of a listener and see how you want to experience your music. For example, you might want to listen to recent releases first and then check the old works later. You can organize your music in that way. Also, make sure to put them under proper playlists and arrange your discography based on different albums, EPs, and singles. A well-oriented SoundCloud is definitely more attractive than one that is complicated to navigate. 

• Utilize the Spotlight - This is particularly for the SoundCloud Pro Unlimited account holders who can use the Spotlight feature. The feature allows you to pin up to 5 tracks at the top of your profile and musical arsenal. It is an excellent way to draw the attention of the listeners with the most famous tracks or the ones that you are really proud to showcase. 

• Update Regularly and Maintain the Motion – Keeping a fresh profile that is updated regularly leaves no room for error. It makes people keep coming back for more. The profile works like a powerful tool in the SoundCloud tool kit and it should maintain to churn out maximum potentiality. It helps to keep the visitors and listeners engaged while boosting your musical presence. 

10. Be Active on SoundCloud Community

SoundCloud is not just a music platform but a community of music lovers who love to discover new music and artists and also help to support them by turning their fans. As you are trying to create a successful music career through this platform, being a part of this community is very important. As the platform offers different communities for different artists and listeners, creating your own community is important.

While you can create a community with your fans, it is also important to communicate with other communities that allow growing cohesively with going beyond the guidelines. Utilize the comment section and timestamps to interact with the fans and be honest with them about your work. It does not only offer you room for improvement but also strengthens the bond with your community. Genuine and sincere interactions are always welcomed by everyone but make sure to not spam it because nobody likes that. These simple efforts can help to create a big fan base that will support you throughout your musical career.

How would you know if it is working or not?

SoundCloud analytics will surely offer you more insights but that is not enough to yield strategies for your overall music career there are many other aspects. In order to have a complete overview of the promotional campaigns, you need a professional agency like Music Promotion Club that can help you stay ahead in the game with easy and affordable promotional packages for SoundCloud Music. The agency thrives to offer a 360-degree view of the artist's career.

Concluding Thoughts

As you can see, some of the steps are very easy and some of them require consistency and hard work. However, that makes the difference in a highly competitive music industry. You need to keep a balance in your efforts whether it is making the song or promoting it because one can overwhelm the other. In case you find it quite difficult to handle alone, take help from the experts and hire a reliable promotional agency for the task.