SoundCloud helped Post Malone get discovered. Wow! It should be common knowledge that SoundCloud is an exceptional platform for sharing music and increasing your chances of discovery. Sometimes, artists fail to see its appeal because they think it is not much popular and will not affect their reach a lot. 

They are wrong. We are looking at almost two hundred million monthly active users here so if SoundCloud is not on your social media strategy, you are doing it wrong.

Gleam.io describes the platform as “the LinkedIn” of the music world. And I agree. Since its inception in 2008, it has evolved into a powerful, versatile, and specialized social network of professionals, fans, and creators. You must gain SoundCloud plays for maximum engagement. As a social network, the platform allows you to connect and team up with all sorts of professionals from the music industry. Add that to its ability to reach out to fans as well, and you get a website that is unique and fresh in every way.

More SoundCloud followers lead to increased chances of landing a career-making deal. Thus, let us dive into this ultimate guide to growing your SoundCloud fan base.

Set up your profile right

Duh! Even before you start creating exceptional music, your profile must be discoverable and pleasant to look at. (That’s right, I am going to judge you on appearance!)

As a brand, your profile and more importantly, your profile name represents you. If someone wants to find you on SoundCloud, your name is the fastest link between them and your channel. Thus, if you deliberately choose a name that is boring, difficult to type, not directly connected to your name, or just straight-up stupid, you will never gain traction.

Further, your profile name and profile URL are two completely different concepts. And you must optimize both for their rankings on a search engine. Connect them to your stage name, so that fans who hear you on other platforms or in concerts can easily discover you with a quick internet search.

Next, you must optimize your bio. Make it something along the lines of an elevator pitch so that it immediately invites attention and generates interest in your profile.

Link it all

Rule number one while using SoundCloud: it is not your primary social platform. It is one of the best music streaming apps. It exists just to hold your music and team up with professionals. But what about the rest of the world, you ask? That is where your Facebook page, Twitter profile, your blog (yes you must have one), and other social media channels come in. 

In the “Edit Profile” section, select the “Add Links” option and link as many channels as you have. This will direct people to your pages and increase your network. Allowing you to reach a wider fanbase.

Further, link back those social media channels to your SoundCloud as well, and post about your tracks on these websites. This interconnection between various parts of the internet is what makes it such a powerful tool for creative professionals.

Quality is essential

Here is an exercise for you. Find a video in 4k resolution, but with the worst possible sound quality ever. Next, find one in a 480p resolution but with high-definition sound. Now compare the experience you had watching those. I can guarantee that you will suffer a headache within the first three seconds of watching the first one. On the other hand, you will be able to pull through to the end of the second one.

Ears are sensitive. Any sort of recorded noise is multiplied, especially in headphones and thus, if you post tracks with low-quality sound, no one will listen to it. Ensure that you always post complete tracks with high-definition audio and proper mixing/mastering.

Note that while streaming, SoundCloud limits quality to 128 kbps. For allowing your fans to hear it without quality loss, you will need to enable the download option.

Further, your album artwork is the first thing users will see. The brain processes images faster than text and thus, spend even more time polishing the album art than polishing your track title. Incidentally, the title must also be engaging and refined for maximum search engine ranking. 

Do not give a boring or confusing name to your tracks and remember to add metadata correctly. Select one single genre and add the remaining information through tags. Otherwise, the “search and discover” algorithm on SoundCloud will get confused and your tracks will lose visibility.

Create what matters, and what resonates with you.

Show your music no love, and it shall receive no love. It will take time for you to find your place in the world of music. That is completely okay. What is not right is creating tracks that neither you nor your fans will enjoy. 

With time, you will be able to find common ground between your fans’ likes and your own preference. Let your tracks resonate with that common love and you will soon be on your way to popularity.

Conclusion

SoundCloud marketing is a huge campaign and cannot be quickly summarized. We have tried to list four highly relevant and essential steps in this guide to growing your SoundCloud fanbase. 

If you have more tricks you know, we would love to hear them in the comments below.