Music streaming platform SoundCloud made a significant announcement on Tuesday. It is introducing a new, more affordable paid plan specifically designed for artists, simply named Artist. Simultaneously, the Next Pro plan has been rebranded to Artist Pro. This move aims to offer artists more options and better value.

Empowering Artists with Affordable Streaming Tools

New Basic Tier for Artists

The new basic tier comes with an annual cost of $39. It imposes certain limitations on features such as track amplification, distribution, monetization, and AI mastering. Artists subscribing to this plan can upload up to 3 hours of content across as many tracks as they desire. Interestingly, this limit is the same as that in the free plan. With the new plan, artists gain the opportunity to amplify their new tracks, aiming to reach more than 100 listeners. SoundCloud serves as a means to distribute and monetize tracks on other platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and TikTok. Artists earn 100% royalties from their SoundCloud plays and also retain earnings from other platforms. Both these features are enabled for two tracks per month under the basic plan. Additionally, users can replace three tracks per month without sacrificing stats, plays, likes, or comments. Artists also receive a credit to master one track per month using SoundCloud's tools.

Artist Pro Plan for Higher Limits

If artists seek higher limits such as unlimited track uploads, amplification, monetization, and track replacements, they can choose the $99 per year Artist Pro plan. This pro plan comes with three AI mastering credits per month and community management tools. It provides artists with enhanced capabilities to manage their music and engage with their audience.

Earlier Merch Store Launch

Earlier this year, SoundCloud launched its own merch store, enabling artists to create their own designs. This initiative further expands the opportunities for artists to monetize their creativity and connect with their fans on multiple fronts.SoundCloud's focus on providing affordable tools and distribution channels for artists reflects its commitment to supporting emerging musicians. As SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton stated in a statement, "At SoundCloud, we believe great music can come from anywhere, and it shouldn't be held back by cost or complexity. That's why we created the Artist plan — to provide emerging musicians with pro-level tools and distribution at an affordable price." With these new plans, SoundCloud is continuing to play a crucial role in the music industry, empowering artists to share their music with a wider audience.