SoundCloud and Mixcloud are the two most influential music platforms that are similar yet distinctively different than each other. The platforms allow users or music artists to upload their songs and share them with music lovers all around the world. While SoundCloud has gained much attention from music enthusiasts from all around the globe; Mixcloud’s potential region is mainly based in the UK.
In modern times, many other music streaming platforms have emerged such as Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Apple Music, etc to name some. With so many options available, a lot of people are still confused and unable to distinguish the fact that SoundCloud and Mixcloud are two different platforms. For a better understanding of both platforms, let’s get through a comparative analysis.
What is SoundCloud?
SoundCloud is an audio distribution platform which was founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss. This German-based company made a significant progress within a short time and currently, it is accessible for the music lovers from 190 countries. The platform boasts more than 200 million audio tracks and a whooping 76 million active monthly users. It is a potential hub for all kinds of music artists and helps them to pave successful music careers ahead.
What is Mixcloud?
Right after the rise of SoundCloud, Mixcloud was founded back in 2008 which was the next year of SoundCloud’s establishment. This British-based music streaming service was founded by Nico Perez, Mat Clayton, Nikhil Shah, and Sam Cooke. Mixcloud came up with a different purpose than SoundCloud as it focused on DJs, podcasters, as well as announcers, radio stations, and festival organizers.
SoundCloud vs. Mixcloud: What are the differences?
While SoundCloud and Mixcloud both are music platforms and provide the opportunity to upload single tracks there are some distinctive differences on each aspect of a music streaming platform.
• Copyright Compliance
SoundCloud is equipped with a copyright detection system that can easily identify, flag and takedown copied tracks or mixes which can create a cause of copyright infringement. The copyrighted material with duplicity does not receive much attention on this platform. However, Mixcloud can offer licensing agreements with the big labels and publishers which removes all the risks of takedown. Mixcloud allows users to upload any kind of long-form content and artists can also live stream through the platform which users can record and listen to later at their convenience.
• Visual Elements
SoundCloud is all about audio distribution and there is not much room for visual elements other than the profile image, cover image, album covers, and single covers. Mixcloud on the other hand is the only music streaming platform that is equipped with visual live-streaming functionality. Therefore video clips can also find some room like Spotify’s canvas feature, a unique integration for an audio streaming platform. However, visual elements often seem to be more attractive to the audience.
• Free Offerings for Creators
SoundCloud and Mixcloud, both platforms thrive to promote independent artists and creators who are in dire need of exposure. As a result, both music platforms offer a fair share of benefits through their free options that can help to empower an artist. SoundCloud offers a free “Next” tier for creators which allows making three hours of total upload including basic tracks, albums, and EPs. However, there are no limitations on the number of uploads. Mixcloud free tier helps creators to upload ten tracks but there is no limitation of time. It is more beneficial for DJs as they can make long mixes and it will be still considered as a single upload. Therefore you can upload a total of 30 hours of mixes or more if the number of mixes is 10 only.
• What does the Paid Subscription provide?
Any platform tends to provide more benefits when the creators opt for a premium and paid subscription. There is a “Next Pro” subscription in SoundCloud which is a premium subscription and offers the following benefits such as,
Unlimited Uploads – With SoundCloud Next Pro, you can upload an unlimited number of tracks and mixes as there is no limit of three hours.
Greater Reach – Based on the musical style and genre, it helps to map out target audiences and helps to reach them more effectively. These users can also become fans which higher conversion rate.
Enhanced Distribution – Enjoy the benefits of unlimited distribution through other music and social platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok.
Insights and Customization – SoundCloud Pro offers detailed reports about stream, engagement and traffic based on different demographics. It helps to find your target audiences more accurately.
Better ROI – The Pro subscription helps to reach and find more potential listeners which denotes greater streamcount and royalty for it. As a result, overall earnings from music have fruitfully increased.
Mixcloud also provides advanced packages for the artists on the platform. There are “Creator Subscriptions” which offer access to exception tools for your promotional needs. Such as,
Everything is Unlimited – At Mixcloud, you can also upload unlimited number of tracks with your premium subscription. It also allows streaming audio and video content without any limits.
Access to Analytical Tools – It provides access to analytical tools and advanced statistics which helps to have a better idea of the competitive market. There are tools to upload your music with the custom schedule. Therefore, you will never miss out on dropping a new package.
Promote Content – The premium subscription helps to promote your musical content on Facebook and Twitch. You can also launch private streams and monetize your content to earn greater ROI from your premium subscription.
• Not Only Creators but Listeners Too
The music streaming platforms and the careers of the music artists would not have grown if the listeners and music lovers around the world did not show their support and appreciation for it. That is why, the music streaming platforms caters to the attention of their listener base and make sure that they can enjoy premium options too.
Mixcloud provides a “Premium” site-wide subscription package that offers subscribers offline access through their mobile phones. The users can enjoy ad-free listening for unlimited hours along with unlimited replays and access to complete tracklists. When it comes to SoundCloud, there are three different options for a paid subscription, such as,
SoundCloud GO – This allows users to listen to music with an ad-free experience along with offline music access.
SoundCloud GO+ - This premium package comes with added features where you check the whole music catalog of an artist instead of a single track. Listeners can enjoy a better quality of music and it can be also integrated with modern DJ Tools.
SoundCloud DJ – This includes all the benefits of a premium package along with one unique option where you can save unlimited tracks and launch them offline by utilizing the selected DJ tools.
• Community Engagement and Discoverability
Being a music artist is not only about recording music and promoting it but also about creating a fan base and being a part of online communities that will show support for the growth of your musical career. You can start with a small group of people who like your music and then turn it into an active community that helps to pave a successful music career ahead.
SoundCloud is one of the most influential platforms with a larger user base. On this platform, there are over 76 million registered users and number of creators is somewhere around 25 million creators. There are more than 200 million tracks and it offers artists a golden opportunity to create an active online community filled with fans and music lovers. Mixcloud focuses on a more radio-style programming which might offer a sense of unity among the music lovers but its low user base makes it difficult to find active communities who will support artists from other countries.
So, which platform is the better one?
It is fairly impossible to say which music streaming platform is better SoundCloud and Mixcloud as both of them have their own appealing features. It is evident that SoundCloud offers more features along with a user-friendly platform that is perfect for beginners. However, Mixcloud offers more convenient and affordable subscription plans when it comes to premium options. The perception of an artist and a listener also plays a vital role here.
If you are a music artists and looking forward to gain more success in the coming days, then it is recommended to try out both of the platforms and figure out which suits you the best. Since, SoundCloud is globally revered, it offers a better chance of getting popularity and that is how Billie Eilish, Travis Scott and many others rose up to fame. But if you are from the UK, Mixcloud might help you gain more audiences and regional exposure.
