SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a German online audio distribution platform and community for musicians, podcasters, and other creators. Founded in 2008 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, it is headquartered in Berlin. The service allows users to upload, host, promote, and share audio content and enables listeners to stream tracks from other users. Content can be discovered through search, tags, playlists, and curated channels, while social features such as comments, likes, reposts, and following facilitate interaction.

For creators, SoundCloud provides hosting, distribution tools, analytics, and a range of account options. Free accounts offer basic uploading limits and statistics, while paid plans unlock higher hosting capacity, advanced analytics, and additional distribution features. The platform also supports a monetization program that enables eligible creators to earn revenue from their streams under the service’s terms.

Listeners access tracks via web and mobile apps. A free tier is supported by advertising, with paid subscriptions that offer ad-free listening, offline playback, and higher audio quality. SoundCloud hosts a diverse mix of music across genres, podcasts, remixes, and other user-generated audio.

SoundCloud operates globally and serves as a distribution platform for independent artists seeking direct-to-audience engagement. The company maintains licensing arrangements governing how uploaded content is streamed and shared, and it continues to develop tools for creator revenue, audience analytics, and content discovery.