Ah, the internet. When it’s not busy being a mass dumping ground for political commentary, selfies, and TikTok time-wasting, it can be an independent artist’s best friend and most powerful ally.
While mainstream social networks allow you to shape your voice and personal brand, music streaming networks are where the real heavy lifting comes into play — especially SoundCloud.
While you might be tempted to hop right on Spotify all of us here at Cyber PR Music respectfully request that you slow your roll.
Before ANYTHING, you need to be on SoundCloud. Not only is it the industry standard when posting music to blogs and for SubmitHub, but your SoundCloud presence can be a key deciding factor in having your music posted.
“I know what I like, but I also know mine isn’t the ultimate word on taste. If I hear a pitch that I like but don’t fully get or isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse, seeing that an artist has followers or tracks with a ton of plays let’s me know that I’m on to something.
That can absolutely push me off the fence if I’m teetering and onto the side that gives an artist or song a chance.”
– Ben Kaye // News Editor, Consequence of Sound
We are posting this as part one of a three-part series. This will help build your foundations on SoundCloud so there’s no possibility of ruining your chances to get through to legitimate music bloggers.
Creating Your SoundCloud Account:
Creating an account is simple. Enter an email and password, or sign in through Google or your Facebook Page. Either way is fine.
Plugging Social Media Links & Bio:
Make sure your SoundCloud page has links to all of your other social networks, along with a short bio. Do this by clicking “edit” on the right-hand side of the page, directly above where your followers, following, and tracks are listed.
After clicking “edit,” a pop-up window should appear that says “Edit your Profile.” Plug in all necessary links, along with your bio, profile photo and location.
After clicking “save,” be sure to upload a header photo as well by clicking “Upload header image” in the top right-hand corner. We suggest matching this to your Facebook and Twitter cover photo.
Uploading Your Music:
On the top right of the page, click “UPLOAD.”
While waiting for your track to upload:
- Click “Update Image” and insert your cover art – we will be talking about visuals in part 2 as the cover art is important!
- Title your track (do not include your artist name)
- Choose your genre (if multiple genres choose the primary one)
- Enter other genres in the “Additional Tags” section. Also include noteworthy producers or collaborators.
- Write out a short description of your track. This could (but is not limited to) include:
- Release info on other streaming services
- Physical release or accompanying merchandise links
- A sentence or two about the inspiration for the track
IMPORTANT: Before clicking “save,” be sure you know if the track should be private or public. If you are premiering your song, it should be set to private until the official release date. For releases that aren’t premiering anywhere, press public and get to promoting!
SoundCloud Pro:
SoundCloud now offers a “Pro” tier. It costs $8.40/month if you bill yearly (that’s about $100/year). With it, you get some extra features, like:
- Unlimited Upload Time (Basic only gets 3 hours)
- Scheduled Releases
- Full Stats
- Full Embed Controls
- Spotlight
- Replace tracks
- Quiet mode
- SoundCloud Premier (if eligible)
- A discounted rate for SoundCloud Go+
Wondering what your page should look like when it’s all been put together properly? Check out some of these artists that have it figured out:
Ready to do a deep dive into SoundCloud more? Come Read Part 2
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