Learn How to Get Paid on SoundCloud in 2025

SoundCloud has always been that influential audio distribution platform that caters to the unique needs of rising and independent music artists. Back in October 2022, the platform introduced SoundCloud for Artists which came with two new subscription plans namely, SoundCloud Next (free) and SoundCloud Next Pro (paid). With this latest feature, monetization of music on the platform became even easier and music artists are now able to secure a good amount of royalty from music streaming only. It offered a handful of new opportunities for the singer, rappers, and all kinds of music artists around the world.

The royalty system on SoundCloud is quite convenient as the balance is shown on the SoundCloud for Artists dashboard and the end of every month. The royalty payments are sent to the artists once they exceed the limit of $25 US. The company operates on a net 60 basis which takes around 60 days or two months to get the money generated by music streaming. ‘SoundCloud for Artists’ features a dashboard for ‘Earnings’ where they can monitor their royalties. Artists are also able to opt for their preferable payout method from the tab ‘payouts’.

Step-by-step Process to Get Paid on SoundCloud

Once you have monetized your music content directly on SoundCloud or have distributed audio through SoundCloud for Artists, you will be able to generate earnings based on the streams you receive. Once it reaches the limit of $25, you will be able to collect your payout.

    • Go to the section called ‘Earnings’ from your SoundCloud for Artists account.

    • Find the ‘payout’ option and click on it.

    • Add a payout method that you find preferable such as Bank Transfer or Paypal.

    • Enter valid information as an individual or a music brand. You need to put additional information if you file taxes. Usually, independent artists who have just emerged have not reached that earning slab yet.

    • After adding the payout method details, you are required to click to submit a tax form.

    • Make sure to fill out the form with the right information and proceed through the prompts in order to complete your tax form.

    • You can also choose whether you want to get the end-of-year tax form through E-Delivery or Postal Mail.

    • You can always return to this if necessary changes are required.

How to Monetize Your SoundCloud Music in an Effective Way?

Make sure to avail of the SoundCloud Next Pro plan which starts from $8.25/month only. It is essential to ensure good earnings with diversified revenues through alternative platforms as well. The money generated from SoundCloud is not always sufficient especially for the emerging artists who have lesser stream count. Many independent artists avail of music promotion services to promote their songs and gather additional income with an improved listener base. If you want to earn more from SoundCloud, you must know how to sell your music first.

    • Add Links to SoundCloud Profile

Adding links to your song description is the most common and effective way to boost traffic and engagement on SoundCloud. Interested listeners who will come to your profile to listen to your music can easily click on the links which will redirect them to the purchase link or even your official website. You can simply add it to the song or album description or even the Artist Bio which also works like channel description. In case you have already uploaded many tracks before and did not add any links; you can always edit the description and add it later. Just open the track and click on edit.

Make sure to add a buy link for your music through a button placed right under the catalog. Whenever uploading a new track, make sure to hit the ”Metadata” and then add the buy link for your product or music. You can also edit the metadata for the tracks that you have already uploaded before. Adding a link to your artist bio can pique interest among listeners who are more likely to explore a talented and independent music persona like you. Adding links can help to achieve the highest conversion rate where the potential listeners can also become loyal fans.

    • Utilize Other Platforms to Share Your Music

You can always share your music with other platforms to gain extra traction from credible sources. In this modern era, online users are mostly active on social media platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, etc to name some. If you can create your professional artist presence on social media, it can help to gain attention from a larger number of audiences. When you promote your music on other channels; you are practically inviting more people on SoundCloud even if they are not active users. According to a recent report, 62% of the total SoundCloud listeners are more likely to buy music from independent and emerging artists which is hardly visible on other platforms like Amazon Music, Apple Music, etc. The online communities on the platform are highly active and show their immense support for the artists. This way, you can drive more traffic, invite more engagement, and improve earnings as well.

    • Sell Merchandise to Improve Revenue

Selling merchandise is the oldest trick in the book which always offers some extra money like a side hustle than your musical career. Most artists sell clothing apparel, posters, key rings, mugs, and many other merchandise products which help to earn more money and also improve the marketing approaches by spreading more popularity. You can add the buying link for your merchandise products on SoundCloud and interested fans will click on the link to make a purchase.

In case you are having an upcoming event or participating in some gig, you can also share the link for ticket sales through your SoundCloud profile which paves the way for better income.

    • Hire a Professional Music Promotion Agency 

Other than the organic DIY approach of promotion, you can also hire a professional music promotion agency that specializes in SoundCloud promotion. The professional agencies are equipped with the tools and a dedicated workforce who have sufficient knowledge and experience to offer fruitful results. They utilize various marketing techniques for promotion such as content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and many others. Professional agencies can offer highly fruitful results within a short span of time. Although hiring professional agencies will require you some money, but always comes with better returns on investment (ROI) which makes it absolutely worth it. The promotional packages can help to gain more organic streams which will improve the amount of your royalties.

What happens in the case of Collaborative Music Projects?

There is a tool called Split Pay which helps artists to add the list of collaborators they have made the songs with and a percentage of the Royalty will be sent to them. You can enter the splits and SoundCloud will take care of the rest. Spits can be easily added during the audio distribution process or before the song release has been approved. You and other collaborators will also receive approval from the Split Pay tab first before everybody receives their respective earnings.

The process has become even easier now as you can easily add the collaborators whom you want to share or split the earnings with. You just have to add their SoundCloud profile URL or the profile permalink which ensures a secure process for payout. It makes sure that the royalties are funneled to the right place where collaborators do not need to worry.

Bottom Line

If you do not want to ruin the monetization benefits, try not buy any bot-generated stream which significant damages your reputation and if is flagged on the platform, you can event get blocked by SoundCloud for exploiting with artificial streams. Always keep an organic approach and make sure to make good music which is the main ingredient for earning money.