How to Use SoundCloud as a Marketing Tool
Express your Creative Freedom
Especially for hip-hop and electronic/dance genres, SoundCloud is the perfect tool to keep fans engaged outside of and in-between official releases. Because these genres traditionally rely heavily on compilations, mixtapes, and collaborations, (which are SoundCloud’s bread and butter) this gives artists the ability to be somewhat experimental in regard to what they release.
If you’ve got a mix that doesn’t necessarily fit within the scope of your official release schedule (ex: B-sides, older tracks, etc.), SoundCloud is a great place to let it out. Plus, your fans will swoon over getting something uniquely exclusive from you.
Keep the momentum going
It can be difficult to see long-term consistency without an extremely dedicated fanbase. It can be even more difficult to see tangible growth without a consistent release plan/schedule. Using SoundCloud to incorporate unused content into free releases on the platform can help avoid any long stretches of perceived “downtime” where an artist is recording, touring, etc.
Spread the love across multiple platforms
If you’ve got an impressive Instagram following with a lot of engagement, releasing a “secret” or bonus track via SoundCloud and announcing it over Instagram will help funnel your existing fanbase to that single release and potentially grow your following there. Doing this over the course of multiple release cycles can result in massive upticks in engagement on SC, which in turn can be used to direct people to the “official” releases on the DSPs.
Monetize Your Profile
Monetizing your SoundCloud profile can help you maximize the potential revenue you can make on the platform. Monetization lets users hear ads while playing your music on mobile, gets you publishing royalties, and so much more.