● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
SoundCloud Launches Direct Music Sales for Artists, No Commission Taken
Key points
- Artists can now sell music directly from SoundCloud profiles.
- SoundCloud will not take a commission from sales.
- Beta launched with 200 US-based Artist Pro creators.
- Expansion to more creators is planned for this fall.
- Artists can track sales via Artist Studio and Fan Support dashboards.
Direct Sales Feature Introduced
SoundCloud has launched a new beta feature that enables artists to sell their music directly from their profiles. This change eliminates the need for artists to direct fans to external platforms like Bandcamp or Beatport for purchases.
The platform will not take any commission from these direct sales, meaning artists will receive 100% of the revenue, excluding processing fees and local taxes. This contrasts with platforms like Bandcamp, which takes a 10-15% cut, and Beatport, where artists receive 50-65% of their sale price.
Beta Program and Expansion
The direct sales feature is currently in a beta phase, accessible to 200 Artist Pro SoundCloud creators located in the United States. SoundCloud plans to expand availability to more creators sometime this fall.
Artists participating in the beta can track their sales through SoundCloud's Artist Studio and Fan Support dashboards. They also have the ability to decide which digital formats to offer for their music.
Impact on Artists and Fans
This initiative provides a new revenue stream for musicians on SoundCloud and offers fans a direct method to support their favorite artists. SoundCloud previously sent over half a million users to external platforms annually for music purchases, with more than 250,000 artists linking over 2.4 million tracks to these services.
The company stated that starting with a smaller creator group allows for direct feedback to refine the feature based on artist experiences and preferences.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
SoundCloud introduced a new beta feature enabling artists to sell music directly from their profiles, eliminating the need for third-party platforms. This change allows artists to retain 100% of sales revenue, as SoundCloud will not take a commission.
SoundCloud will introduce a feature allowing artists to sell music directly to fans through their profiles, with a beta test starting with 200 US-based Artist Pro subscribers. This change provides a new revenue stream for musicians on the platform and offers fans a direct way to support artists, potentially filling a gap left by recent issues at Bandcamp.