Placing an emphasis on tight, professional mixing can help your tracks stand out from the millions of others out there. Remember, quality trumps quantity. It’s not a race to see who can stack up the most tracks in the shortest amount of time.
An intriguing bio might say something like “A good song is like a conversation. For thirteen years, my guitar has been taking to me, and I’ve listened closely. The result is a white-hot slug of low-country rhythm and blues that strums like David Allan Coe, croons like Roy Orbison, and burns like a swig of bootleg shine straight out of granddaddy’s fruit cellar. " Try not to ramble on at length. There’s no need to cover every detail of your life. Keeping it short and sweet will often make more of an impression.
Show a little character by putting up an action shot of your playing, or use an original logo to create clear branding for your bands or conceptual project. For the cleanest-looking display, SoundCloud recommends that users choose an image that’s a square 1000x1000 pixels. [2] X Research source
Scour the internet for eye-catching images that you can slap your logo on, or design your own original artwork using traditional art tools or a computer illustrator program. Reposition or zoom in on your album art while uploading to highlight the most eye-catching parts. [4] X Research source
Your song descriptions can also be a good place to acknowledge other musicians you’ve collaborated with, or who have helped inspire and shape your sound. Round out your descriptions with bonus content like lyrics or instrument tabs to get your listeners singing along.
Don’t blindly give out follows in hopes of being followed back. Not only is it lazy and impersonal, it can make you look desperate for attention. Being complimentary of other artists has the added benefit of making you seem friendly, which can help you win fans.
Include a link to your partner’s profile when you publish your collaborations to make sure you both get your due credit and exposure.
You can also use your tags to describe the mood of the song, or even the instruments or equipment used to record it. A targeted tag list might look something like this: “#HibachiBeats #TwistOfFate #EDM #Electronic #ProgressiveHouse #DeadMau5 #MinistryOfSound #BigBeatRecords. ”
Put a clickable hyperlink to your profile or a particular track somewhere in plain sight to make it easy for users to copy and paste elsewhere. Don’t forget to thank your longtime subscribers and new listeners alike for their continued interest and support. Common courtesy goes a long way in building a following.
Standard users are entitled 100 free downloads per track. Those with Pro accounts get 1,000, and Pro Unlimited users enjoy unlimited downloads on their entire library.
If you’re really interested in having more control, consider going one step further with a Pro Unlimited account. The advanced stats options makes it possible to see where your listeners are located geographically, as well as where is your songs are being reposted around the web. A SoundCloud Pro account will only run you $7 a month, while choosing the more powerful Pro Unlimited plan nudges the price up to $15. [10] X Research source
Invite your friends to share your posts on their own profiles. The more ears your music reaches, the larger your network or potential followers will grow. Be sure to link your social media accounts to your SoundCloud profile, as well.
Focus on blogs that feature music from your preferred genre. Small niche blogs, while they don’t command as wide an audience, are often more willing to post material from lesser known artists. [12] X Research source Include a short message along with your submission explaining who you are and why you’re writing: “A friend recently told me about your blog and mentioned that you feature experimental metal music. I just put the finishing touches on a post-metal/drone track that I think would fit in perfectly with the rest of your content. I’ve included a link at the bottom of this email. Let me know what you think!”
Vinyl Collective, Okayplayer, and Drowned in Sound are among the busiest music forums on the web. Many of these boards feature subforums set up specifically for up-and-coming artists to share and discuss their music. [13] X Research source
Most social media platforms offer adjustable pricing plans that allow users to decide how much they want to spend on an ad, as well as where and how their content will be displayed. [15] X Research source One of the biggest advantages of web-based advertising is that it ensures that your ads are being seen the kind of people who are likely to be interested in them.
Sites like TuneBoost or SoundCloudfollowers. org make it easy to add a follow-to-download gateway to your profile. Employing a follow-to-download gateway can be a useful trick for racking up followers if you’re already somewhat established, but if your visitors have never heard of you, they may decide that it’s not worth the extra effort.
Hiring one of these services may not be the most honest approach, but it can be effective if you haven’t had much luck with other options. Keep in mind that a suspiciously high number of followers or plays with few likes or comments may look fishy to more discerning listeners.
