SoundCloud is joining Spotify as the latest streaming giant to offer distribution services.
A good CEO can change everything. With the right person in power, a company can go from the brink of failure to being widely considered an essential component of its industry in a relatively small amount of time. They can also change public perception, raise awareness, and discover new revenue streams that do not alienate users or further complicate a product.
SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainor cannot is unstoppable. Two years after reports of the platform’s demise began to circulate throughout the industry, Trainor’s guidance has helped the company bring in over $100 million in revenue annually, as well as many significant updates that have raised the profile and utility of Soundcloud to new heights.
Trainor’s next move may change everything. This week, SoundCloud announced the beta launch of SoundCloud Premier, a distribution service that will allow artists to upload their music to numerous streaming platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. The company hopes the service, which is the first to be built directly into a streaming platform, will make SoundCloud a kind of ‘mission control’ for artists on the rise. Musicians can now choose from their uploaded tracks and albums and distribute to all major music services while keeping 100% of their rights and payouts (SoundCloud takes nothing) and getting streamlined payments directly from SoundCloud.
SoundCloud Premier is available at no additional cost to all eligible Pro and Pro Unlimited subscribers who are 18 years of age or older, creators of original music, have zero copyright strikes, and at least 1,000 monetizable track plays. Eligible creators can expect eligibility notifications via email and in-product notifications over the next few weeks.
In the meantime, you can learn more here. If you think you’d be eligible but haven’t gone Pro, you can upgrade now, and the company will contact you if/when you qualify. In addition to one revenue stream that reigns supreme, you’ll get the pro tools to level up your career, so that you can grow your audience and make even more music to distribute.
