SoundCloud was founded in Germany by Alexander Ljung; Eric Wahlforss in 2007, but I discovered it in 2014. As a huge music fanatic, I found it to be one of the most amazing discoveries I have ever encountered.
1. SoundCloud gives everyone a voice.
Before SoundCloud, it would have been very difficult for an artist in Germany to get their music to reach a fan's eardrums in Florida (unless they were super popular). Fortunately, SoundCloud makes it extremely easy for artists to upload music and reach a large audience without needing a lot of experience. For example, Lil Pump started posting music two years ago and he now has over a million followers on SoundCloud and a platinum hit. Thanks to SoundCloud and its accessibility, new artists don't need to have a record label or a huge budget to get their content heard. They can literally record their music at home and share it on their phones. Why do you think all of the new rappers these days are called "SoundCloud rappers?" SoundCloud is where they started their fan base. It's the window of opportunity for every creator to have their chance to shine and appeal to whatever audience is in their niche without having to be clean cut or mainstream.
2. It's the plug for exclusive music.
Because SoundCloud is overflowing with independent artists, there's a lot of music on there that you won't find anywhere else. So many of my favorite artists such as Chance the Rapper, Bryson Tiller, Daniel Caesar, SZA and Kehlani have built their fan base off of SoundCloud. It's not likely that you're going to hear some of the mix-tapes and songs you find on SoundCloud, on Pandora or Spotify because they aren't popular and are catered specifically to the dedicated fans. That kind of intimacy draws fans like me closer. A perfect example is Frank Ocean's first album, Nostalgia Ultra. You can't just stream it anywhere. Spotify only has only two of the songs from the album available to listeners. However, you can play the entire album on SoundCloud. There are some amazing songs that I've found solely on SoundCloud because it just wouldn't get as much shine on other streaming platforms. Artists know what they're doing when they exclusively post on that specific platform because they know SoundCloud users are loyal fans.
3. SoundCloud is a community.
As a content creator and avid listener of SoundCloud I receive love on both ends. There's nothing more exciting than to look at your audience and see that someone across the world is not only listening to you, but also relates to you. I have listened to so many songs and podcasts and instantly related to the person behind it and that's what it's all about. I've made some good relationships from messaging people on SoundCloud and we actively support each other's content, not only just on SoundCloud,but on our other platforms as well.
SoundCloud isn't just another app or website where you click on a song and go. You listen to one great artist and then SoundCloud suggests you similar artists and before you know it, you've spent hours listening to new artists. SoundCloud is a community where other creatives can easily find and support other creatives.
And that's the beauty of SoundCloud.
