SoundCloud is a popular music-sharing platform where independent artists can share their works. If you want to know how to make money on SoundCloud, you are not alone. Many artists and music enthusiasts also want to share their music and make money. You may have come across many ways to make money online and wondered if you can earn from your work as an independent artist. The simple answer is, YES, YOU CAN.
There is nothing better than making money doing something you love, right?
Thankfully, SoundCloud, the platform utilized by millions of independent artists, unveiled its direct monetization model dubbed SoundCloud Premier back in 2018.
The program isn’t new, but it has been an invitation-only beta until now. However, it’s now available to everyone who meets the qualifications.
Aside from its obvious benefits, the Premier program also has several significant drawbacks.
First and foremost, it’s only open to a select group of artists.
To be eligible, you have a SoundCloud Pro or Pro Unlimited subscription. Your music must be entirely original and have had at least 500 plays in the previous month from countries that have access to SoundCloud subscriptions and advertising.
You can’t qualify and earn money from selling your music if your listeners originate from countries that aren’t on the list, no matter how many times it’s played.
Secondly, SoundCloud’s revenue will determine your monthly take-home pay.
SoundCloud’s revenue from advertising and paid subscriptions is the basis for the SoundCloud Premier payment scheme. You’ll make more money if SoundCloud does well financially. You’ll see a drop in your earnings if their revenue also decreases.
Artists with well-established fan bases may earn more money by selling their music elsewhere. In contrast, SoundCloud Premier may not be worth the bother for up-and-and-coming artists.
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How To Make Money On SoundCloud
To make money on SoundCloud, first, you have to monetize your tracks.
It’s possible to request payment for your SoundCloud songs after signing a SoundCloud Premier agreement. A blue symbol will display next to your content once accepted.
The following are the steps to monetize numerous SoundCloud songs after your account has been approved:
1. Select all the songs you wish to monetize from your tracks page.
2. Select the “Edit tracks” button and click “Monetisation.”
3. Once you’ve double-checked that your information is accurate, click “Enable Monetization.”
4. Save, and you’ll hear back in 24 hours whether your request for Monetization has been accepted.
To get paid on SoundCloud, you must be a member of SoundCloud Premier. To become a SoundCloud Premier member, you must have at least 5000 plays in the countries mentioned below.
Streaming your music in a country where SoundCloud charges money is a prerequisite for signing up for the SoundCloud Premier program. These countries presently include the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, France, Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia.
Your song can be streamed in all countries after monetizing it on SoundCloud. If you want your SoundCloud songs to be played worldwide, make sure you haven’t engaged geo-blocking in your track settings.
Making money on SoundCloud requires an initial investment of your cash. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to access their Monetization for free unless you pay for a Pro membership.
Furthermore, selling your music on SoundCloud comes with a catch, as it does with many other music-streaming services.
SoundCloud keeps a percentage of the money you make from your sales. Musicians and singers that use SoundCloud Premier to monetize earn a net profit of 55%. To put it another way, for every song you upload or hold the rights to, you’ll get a 55% share of the revenue, while SoundCloud retains a 45% stake.
When your song earns $1000, SoundCloud will take 45 percent, and you’ll get the balance, of $550.
Is the new scheme any more lucrative now that SoundCloud retains such a large portion of the revenue?
SoundCloud’s revenue is also a factor in your earnings. The SoundCloud Premier program is funded by advertising and subscriptions. Therefore the amount of money you earn will be tied to how much SoundCloud makes. This means that if SoundCloud’s revenue falls, yours will as well.
How Soundcloud Makes Money
It’s important to know how SoundCloud earns money since your income will be directly affected by the platform’s success and revenue. Freemium is the business model used by SoundCloud, which means that the service’s core streaming is accessible to all users at no additional cost.
You may question how you’ll make any money from your songs if people can download and listen to them for free. For SoundCloud to profit and pay you money for your music, the site relies on premium features and advertising. This is why your listeners may access your music for free.
SoundCloud Go and SoundCloud Pro Unlimited need a membership fee to use the more advanced features. Profits from this and partnerships with large corporations and brands enable SoundCloud to reward artists contributing tracks to the platform.
How To Sell Your Music On Soundcloud
Selling your music on SoundCloud gives you a better chance to profit from your music. However, you need to have an e-commerce store to sell your music.
Sellfy is a wonderful e-commerce platform to use if you don’t already have an online store. Many artists use this platform to link their online store to their SoundCloud profile and increase their revenue from their music.
You can create a SoundCloud-friendly Sellfy online shop by following these steps:
1. Go to Sellfy.com and set up your online store. You don’t need anything more than an email address and a password to get started.
2. Stock your Sellfy shop with things to sell. Click “Add New” on the dashboard and choose “Digital Product” from the drop-down menu.
3. Finally, you have the option of adding your song, as well as a description, a thumbnail photo, and its pricing. When you’re finished, click “Publish.”
4. Confirm that your Sellfy shop can take credit card payments before completing it. On the dashboard, choose “Payment Options” and enter the email address associated with your PayPal account to activate PayPal payments.
5. Once you’ve completed your online store setup, you can link it to your SoundCloud account and start making money from your music.
When you link your SoundCloud account to your online store, you’ll be able to make more money from your music. You may link your SoundCloud profile to your shop in three ways:
1. Include the online store link in your track description.
In the “Description” box that appears when you submit a new SoundCloud track, provide a link to the product page on your online store.
2. Add a link to your bio.
Your bio is also an excellent location to link to your online store. Go to “Profile Settings” in your SoundCloud account and choose “Edit” to add a link to your bio. Make sure to hit “Save Changes” after inserting the URL to your online store in the bio box.
3. Add a buy link to your tracks.
Buy-links are buttons that show under SoundCloud music. To get one, click the “Metadata” header that appears when you publish SoundCloud music. Afterward, you’ll be allowed to add a buy link to your songs and pick the wording that shows on the buy icon.
However, before you can add a buy link to your songs, you need to have a SoundCloud Pro or a Pro Unlimited account.
