How to Get Heard on SoundCloud: Working Music Marketing Strategies
Regardless of the genre, SoundCloud is the best platform to get started on your musical career. Whether it is a demo, your first release, or your third album, the platform has proven to carry substantial music marketing weight. It’s easy to use, free listening, and great social tools make the streaming platform one of the best out there. SoundCloud is vital for producers, singers, and songwriters because it serves as a social network, unlike other digital streaming platforms.
Like on every other network, it’s challenging to get heard as markets become saturated with music. However, there are ways to push through and be heard, and paid followers for SoundCloud are here to help you.
Quality & consistency trumps everything
Your product (productions, vocals, and overall sound) must have a high quality. We are not saying that you need to be at the same level as XXXTentacion or Avicii (both started through SoundCloud). Still, if you can meet a certain threshold in which your music is just as good, you have high chances of gaining followers. Even if you try to meet, as an example, a 70% goal of your music is as good as the professionals, you will have audience retention. It would help if you had “that” factor that stands you out from the thousands of other artists on the platform.
Now, consistency is also an essential factor. This is a constant talking point in the quality versus quantity debate. If you can consistently release an overall good song every three to four weeks, you are golden. With this formula, you will continuously be on people’s radars. Take into mind this scenario: you release a good song, and people start following you on SoundCloud because of it. If you continually release high-quality music, you’ll become a favorite to those followers. In turn, they will spread the word about you.
Your goal is to find a balance of quality and consistency, and even though it may take some time to see it, it’ll pay off.
The good old technique: download gates
One of the first techniques you should be doing as an artist, label, or network is to start using download gates. Through download gates, you exchange a download for social currency. In this instance, it would be either a SoundCloud comment, follow, repost, or all three. If you combine this method with the previously mentioned quality + consistency balance, you will quickly rack up followers.
Even though not many people download .mp3’s nowadays, there is still a niche circle. DJs and people who like old-school and don’t care for monthly payments to streaming platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music are the prime examples of those who you want to target.
Repost circles and trades
One of the best things that SoundCloud has to offer is the repost feature. You can trade with other artists reposts of each other’s music for more exposure to people through this. This will vary depending on the number of followers you have. Nevertheless, this is a significant opportunity to have your music heard by a broader audience.
There are groups on Facebook and on the internet where people exchange these repost trades. You can even start a little circle with other artists on SoundCloud and build up each other’s followers – it is a network.
Use your other social media accounts to boost your SoundCloud
There is no rule against sharing your SoundCloud based music on other social media accounts such as Facebook. Use your real-life friends to start spreading the word. If you have the right circle of supportive friends, you can get the word spread about your music through their Instagram stories or retweets pretty quickly. If you have a download gate, through this method, you will gain followers too. Do not be afraid to use your community as a tool that leads to your music.
Submit your music to YouTube music networks
One of the best ways to get your music heard and get followers on SoundCloud is to submit your music to YouTube channels. You can find e-mails or forms in the about sections in which you can submit your song for consideration. There are hundreds of channels that do this for every genre. If you can get, conservatively, 5,000 views on a video, and 100 of them want the song, they will use your download gate, and you will gain 100 followers off that.
Most YouTube music channels can average between 5,000 to 100,000 views. If you have quality music, you most likely will get a couple of videos up from varying channels. Quality music + download gates + YouTube videos will get hundreds of followers even if you are starting with SoundCloud.
Join the SoundCloud community
As stated before, SoundCloud is a social network. Reach out to other artists in your tier and give them real constructive criticism. Do not reach out and say, “Hi, I like your song! Follow me!” instead, say, “Hey, I found your music, and it is similar to mine. I like the bassline you used; how did you do it?” This will get the other artist to check out your music naturally, and it isn’t forced down their throats.
By doing this, you are networking, and they may help you in some way or another. Moreover, through this, you can build a repost circle. Build genuine connections, and it will pay off.
