The ever-evolving space of music consumption is not something new. Music has a special way of connecting people and has always found its way into people's homes. Previously when LPs and CDs were the hot-selling items, no one could think the internet would exist, on top of that, people could listen to music on their cellphones. With time, just like everything else, the music streaming industry developed and presented us with two of the most popular online streaming services, Spotify and SoundCloud. Each of these two platforms offers unique listening experiences tailored to distinct music choices.
Spotify and SoundCloud both are loved by millions of music lovers from all over the world, yet they navigate different paths for their operations. These differences are prominently seen in both these platforms' content, user engagements, and business models. But in reality, how different are they from each other? Let's get into the conversation which is an in-depth comparison of Spotify and SoundCloud, to figure out which of these are winning the game.
Spotify -
Spotify is known for its wide variety of musical tracks. Its library is filled with song collections from an extensive range of musical styles and genres. On top of that, the music streaming platform also has licensing agreements with some of the biggest record labels which makes sure the collection of both mainstream and independent music is intact.
SoundCloud -
Where Spotify is mainly for the users, SoundCloud takes a different approach when it comes to its music library and what kind of content it features. This platform mainly focuses on user-generated content, which means artists can upload their music on SoundCloud. So while mainstream music can still be found on the streaming platform, it is especially popular for its collection of independent, underground, and indie music.
Spotify -
Spotify offers both free and premium or paid tiers for its users. The free tier includes advertisements and very limited skip options. On the other hand, the paid and premium tiers remove advertisements while listening to music on the platform, offline streaming, and offer unlimited skips, however, the music library remains the same for both the tiers.
SoundCloud -
Similar to Spotify, SoundCloud also offers both paid and free tiers for its users. SoundCloud's free users can listen to music with occasional advertisements in between streaming. Its premium version, known as SoundCloud Go and Go+ offers its users an advertisement free streaming, the option to listen to offline music, and a larger music library.
Spotify -
As mentioned before, Spotify has agreements with most of the record labels so it primarily relies on licensed music from record labels or independent artists. It pays royalties to the streaming artists based on their performance on the platform. User-generated content on Spotify is limited to only podcasts and playlists.
SoundCloud -
SoundCloud is a fan-favorite for artists and is known for its support of emerging and independent artists. The platform allows artists to upload their own music, mixtapes and even demos directly to the platform. So SoundCloud is more focused on user-generated content than Spotify is.
Spotify -
Spotify offers a ton of social features like the ability to follow friends on the platform, share playlists among friends, and even collaborate on the playlists. It is also connected to the world's biggest social media platform, Facebook for social sharing and posting.
SoundCloud -
When it comes to SoundCloud, also has a strong emphasis on social interactions within the platform itself. SoundCloud users can comment on tracks, revealing their thoughts and appreciation for the artists, but that is not it, they can also comment on certain parts of the track. Users can also repost tracks for their followers to listen, and engage directly with the artists as they can comment or start a conversation through private messaging.
Spotify -
Discovering artists on Spotify is pretty easy. The platform uses user data and platform algorithms to curate playlists like Release Radar, and Discover Weekly. These playlists offer personalized music recommendations to platform users based on what kind of music they like and listen to the most. At the same time, the platform also has a wide collection of podcasts and curated playlists.
SoundCloud -
While Spotify uses user data, SoundCloud's discovery is more dependent on the community. The platform users can easily explore emerging and up-and-coming artists and discover music through comments, likes, and reposts. Such a process is where niche and grassroots music scenes and artists thrive.
Spotify -
Spotify is the biggest music streaming platform online which has over 574 million users in every corner of the world. This includes 226 million subscribers in more than 180 markets all over the world. This platform claims around 30.5% of the music streaming market share (MIDiA).
SoundCloud -
Even though it is not as big as Spotify, SoundCloud has 130 million registered users on the platform. It is mainly popular among music creators and around 30 million music creators have a SoundCloud account. The platform also has a 61.55% share of the audio player market.
Spotify -
Due to its huge market share, Spotify is available in most countries of the world. At the same time, it also has a broader international reach, when it is compared to SoundCloud.
SoundCloud -
On the other hand, SoundCloud is also available in many countries. However, the platform's presence is nearly not as widespread as that of Spotify.
Spotify -
In addition to music streaming, the platform is also a big player in the podcast industry. Apart from its vast music library, Spotify also has a vast collection of podcasts and exclusive content.
SoundCloud -
SoundCloud is also a streaming platform for podcasts. However, it is nearly not as popular or dominant in the podcasting sphere as Spotify.
Spotify -
Spotify has a monetization policy for artists whose music is streamed on the platform. The policy is based on the number of streams these artists get on Spotify. The rates vary depending on different factors.
SoundCloud -
Although it does not pay artists through streams and royalties, SoundCloud also has a monetization policy for its users. It offers a SoundCloud Premium program that allows artists to monetize their tracks through paid subscriptions, and advertising. In comparison to Spotify, SoundCloud is designed to help independent and rising artists.
As the comparison is concluded, it is evident that both streaming platforms have their unique features and services. On one hand, Spotify stands out with its vast selection of music, popularity among music lovers, and impressive algorithmic recommendations. On the other hand, SoundCloud gained attention for being an exclusive community-driven platform, championing independent artists and promoting a culture of collaboration and creativity.
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