SoundCloud is a new tool that musicians and independent music producers can use to earn money online and get some free promotion. Below is how SoundCloud works for beginners that are not familiar with their service:
1.) It lets you upload your originally created sound (any sound, this includes your 40 seconds laughter or a 5 minutes well arranged/produced music).
SoundCloud takes copyright issues seriously, so make sure you really own what you are uploading to their site. I recommend you register your work with your government copyright office. You can read the following tutorials as a useful reference:
How to submit sound recording copyright application
Copyright mistakes to avoid in music production
You cannot upload music if you are not a SoundCloud member. By the way the membership is free of charge and very easy. There is also a premium feature but I recommend upgrading only when you start earning some money for better investment returns.
2.) Once uploaded, you can then embed the SoundCloud player widget on any place in the Internet whether on your blog or some places. For example, I have used SoundCloud as the player for my audio files that is used for some tutorials in this blog.
For a free account, you have an upload limit allowance of around 2 hours (as of September 2011). This is the total uploading time for which they are limiting for free account. In my account I have around 19 uploaded tracks that average. And currently my used time is around 1 hour so I have one more hour left. This limit may change in the future. This is how you can see your limit:
how to view your upload limit in soundcloud
As you have noticed in the above screenshot, you can also directly hit the record button and that directly record your sound to SoundCloud.
3.) SoundCloud will provide some basic statistics about your music such as how many plays etc.
4.) SoundCloud works like a combination of Facebook and Youtube, only that it accepts audio files. So this means SoundCloud is essentially a social networking website. You can post some updates, make friends and contacts as well as comment on somebody else work. One good thing is that comments for your uploaded music file can appear in specific timeline of the audio waveform such as shown below (this is called “timed” comment)
Timed comment in SoundCloud
If you mouse over the profile picture of the commenter (enclosed in red box) the actual comment text will be shown. So in this way, users can easily interact with your uploaded work.
Tips to using SoundCloud for your Marketing and Promotions
Now for the interesting part, how you can use SoundCloud effectively? What are the ways in which you can effectively promote your music using SoundCloud and possibly earn some money?
For a beginner, it might appear elusive how to use these free services so below are some strategies how you can use SoundCloud (I have not tried all of them but I think it would work):
Tip#1.) If you want to be serious with your music business. Take advantage of the following SoundCloud Track features. These features are accessible by editing your track (after uploading it) and then under “License” click “Show more options”. This is how it looks like:
SoundCloud options
Since you are the one that created the sound recording; you also acts as the record label. For example, since I am the one that wrote and produced the music; I register the work under my music publishing business name.
Take note that this is a registered business name (refer to your country procedures for registering business names). Release date and ISRC are also required. If you do not have an ISRC code, you can read this post on ISRC registration and application or read this frequently asked questions regarding ISRC.
Why this is very important? It is because if you are distributing your work via SoundCloud; it could be possible that these could track by royalty paying agencies such as SoundExchanges.
These agencies will help you earn sound recording royalties that will be tracked via the ISRC code OR the name of your label.
However, SoundExchange requires you to become a member before you can get paid with royalties. If you allow your work to be shared by anyone, chances are with some luck and promotion your work could be embedded in big music websites that are monitored by SoundExchange.
2.) Always use the “Buy Link”, enter the URL where interested listeners or fans can buy your music. Make sure that this URL should be direct and does not anymore redirect users to different page. You should test that the buy now button of your music are working.
A good example of a buy link URL is this:
https://www.audiorecording.me/license-music
If you have that, chances are when people click on the buy link from SoundExchange- that will take them to your music licensing page and probably buy or license your music.
3.) Make sure that under “Settings”, it is set to “Public” so that it can be embedded where you would like it to be shown and played.
4.) You also have the option to disable free downloads.(as you have seen the “Downloads Disable” is marked as red).
5.) Set Widgets enabled (this is an important feature) so that anyone can embed it on their site (a good promotional tool for sharing music).
6.) I recommend that once you are earning fairly decent sales out of your music, you can then upgrade your SoundCloud account to premium status. In this way, you can get a more detailed statistics about your music that you can use to further increase your sales.
Actually as a summary you do not need to start a website (which can be very expensive) just to promote your music as an artist and indie producer; all you need:
1.) Sign up with a distribution company that would be selling to sell and distribute your music; for example iTunes, CD Baby; etc.
2.) Sign up for SoundCloud and upload your music. Then follow the above marketing and promotional strategy.
3.) Embed your SoundCloud widget anywhere where your fans and music listeners would hang out. Today there are lots of places to start. For example you can use Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. Or in your business card, you can include the SoundCloud URL where listeners can check out a lot of your tracks. And make sure it includes the “Buy Link”.
Content last updated on June 20, 2012