SOUNDCLOUD BANKS
ON FAN DEVOTION

SoundCloud has introduced a fan-driven model of payouts that will benefit nearly 100k of the independent artists on its platform.

With fan-powered royalties, the DSP says, subscription or advertising revenue generated by each listener will be distributed among the artists being listened to rather than being pooled. More than a new revenue stream, it's intended to reorganize how money moves from listener to artist.

“Many in the industry have wanted this for years,” said SoundCloud CEO Michael Weissman. “SoundCloud is uniquely positioned to offer this transformative new model due to the powerful connection between artists and fans that takes place on our platform."

The artists monetizing directly on SoundCloud through SoundCloud Premier, Repost by SoundCloud or Repost Select will be able to benefit from the new model beginning 4/1. The rollout is backed by an extensive artist-education campaign and direct, ongoing outreach to the independent-artist community and industry partners.

"As the only direct-to-consumer music-streaming platform and artist-services company," Weissman said, "we view the launch of fan-powered royalties as a significant move in our strategic direction to elevate, grow, and create new opportunities directly with, independent artists.”