One of the most prominent and popular online music communities, SoundCloud is a very handy platform for independent artists to mark their name in the music industry. The platform has led to the emergence of several independent artists, making the competition quite intense. However, with the right tips and tricks, it’s not rocket science to get SoundCloud plays and followers. Here’s the ultimate guide to SoundCloud promotion to gain SoundCloud plays and get your music popular.
POST-QUALITY TRACKS
Although trashy music can be promoted well, great music promotes itself! So before you invest in PR or SoundCloud management tools, create music that can vibe with. To make sure that your tracks are well received and can help you gain SoundCloud plays, optimize them for high sound quality. Upload tracks that are properly recorded, cautiously mixed, and creatively mastered. Instead of posting your favorite track, publish music tracks as per your audience’s tastes. Once you’re able to gain some recognition and popularity, you can mix up your playlist with some personal favorites.
CREATE OUTSTANDING ALBUM ART
Your track artwork is a shadow to your song that represents your music and adds more relevance to it. Whenever your songs get embedded in a blog or shared on Facebook, the album art goes along with it. So if you want people to hit the Play button and gain recognition for your music, make sure that your album art is authentic and creative. It may be interesting graphics, sketches, or simply a photograph; but make it memorable and catchy. Investing in your music covers and artwork can help catch people’s attention which can help to get SoundCloud plays and followers, so consider investing in a photographer or graphic designer.
INSERT MANY TAGS
SoundCloud promotions begin with visibility and discoverability, and one definite way to gain wider reach is by tagging your music. For your music to reach the right audience and gain SoundCloud plays, it is essential to use the right and relevant tags. You must stick to one genre and use it in your tags, instead of a bunch of tags consisting of all genres. Using concise tags is the way to make your music reach ears that want to hear similar music. Other than genre, you can also insert mood tags and location tags to get SoundCloud plays and followers.
ENGAGE MORE AND LEVERAGE WAVEFORM
Engagement and communication with fans is a two-way street. Interacting with your audience is of utmost essence to stay relevant in the music industry, so don’t limit your waveform to be a platform for your fans to leave their comments. You can use your waveform to know your audience better and deliver a favorable narrative. Interact with your audience, ask for honest feedback, respond to all comments, gracefully accept constructive criticism, and tell your fans about your process and the inspiration behind the song. You can also publish drafts and ask for audience opinion to further improve your final track to gain Soundcloud plays.
COVERS, MASHUPS, DJ MIX, AND REMIX
If you want to get SoundCloud plays and followers, piggybacking on hot tracks by trending artists is a great way to do so. You can stamp your own style into popular tracks that people are searching for, and reinvent something cool. Mash-ups of different popular tracks are another way to get going and gain popularity through the broadened audience and wider reach. Remix, DJ mix, and mashups of hip songs are also more likely to be added to popular playlists, which can enhance your visibility. A faster-paced production of songs can help you get featured in party or club playlists. Norwegian artist Finnebassen is an example of someone who found success by adding a spin to ‘Retrograde’ by James Blake. You can also host remix competitions or encourage your fans to create a remix of your music.
JOIN GROUPS
SoundCloud is loaded with several genre-based and location-based groups consisting of people having a shared interest in certain music. Joining such groups is a great way to expand your network and bond with like-minded people. You can share your best music in these groups to gain exposure, and get SoundCloud plays and followers. SoundCloud groups also provide different musicians the opportunity to collaborate, share audience, and boost popularity. Having long-term relationships with people of music interest can also drive sales and help you land gigs.
SHARE YOUR MUSIC ON SOCIALS
If you want to attract a large audience and gain SoundCloud plays, branch out your promotion platforms for more visibility and reach. Utilize your existing audience by sharing your music on socials like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, and more. Use social media to post teasers, show behind the scenes, introduce your team, share your story, connect with your audience, interact with fans, and hold live concerts. Getting your music featured in an Instagram influencer’s reels or TikTok influencer’s dance challenge is a great way to skyrocket your popularity and get SoundCloud plays and followers.
CONCLUSION
SoundCloud has gained a lot of merits and using these tips, your music can earn it too! We hope this article helps you in getting the most out of SoundCloud and gaining popularity. So continue to create music, design catchy cover art and when it comes to marketing, play it smart!
