By KELLY MORAN
In 2018, us “Millenials” have unlimited accessibility to the entire universe of technology thanks to smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. Our access to listening and discovering new music is no different. The two arguably most popular services, Soundcloud and Spotify, are a hot topic of discussion right now. More specifically: which should be our preferred streaming service?
Because I have personally found it difficult to choose a superior service, along with the many others who have attempted to decide upon a winner and loser, here are the quick facts you should know before purchasing your selected premium account subscription followed by some important PROS and CONS to consider for each:
SOUNDCLOUD
Founded in 2007, Soundcloud is “a music publishing platform whose goal is to help up-and-coming artists release their tracks and introduce their music to massive numbers of highly dedicated fans and fellow artists.” Its tagline reading: an audio platform that lets you listen to what you love and share the sounds you create. Sounds pretty optimal for any working artist looking to deliver their music to fans far and wide, especially when considering its large population of over 175 million active users worldwide. Artists can post their songs to Soundcloud and thanks to their incredibly easy to work platform and ranking system based solely on “likes” and “reposts,” are able to collaborate with other artists. This is most definitely the preferred platform for any undiscovered artists looking to grow their brand.
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Pros |
Cons |
| Cheaper premium cost than Spotify → $7 to $15 a month based on type of subscription | Without subscription there are pesky advertisements |
| Artists can communicate via message option → more collaborative | Does not have functional/universal desktop app |
| Following each song is a collection of songs selected that are similar (radio) | Nothing offered outside of # of streams for artists to generate income |
| Ranking system is favorable for up-and-coming artists | Limited access to all music |
| Offers analytics to artists in order to better understand their listeners |
Spotify
Founded in 2006, Spotify is “a music streaming platform and it’s designed to give fans access to an unlimited catalog of music.” Unlike Soundcloud, Spotify is meant to act as more of a mega-database for fans to access rather than a means of which to discover hot new remixes. Spotify has a system in place, utilizing 50 unknown parameters, that organize and assign songs to each users “Discover Weekly” playlist: a personally curated playlist for your interests based on tracks listened. This unique feature is incredibly popular among its users. Spotify also offers playlists based on moods, genres, and more, which are all easily accessible and downloadable through the app.
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Pros |
Cons |
| Easily accessible playlists | More expensive premium cost than Soundcloud → $9.99 a month |
| Functional/universal apps across all technological platforms | Does not offer analytics to artists but has something in Beta that will be released 2018 similar to the Snapchat “Snapcode” feature |
| 72% of mobile users consider Spotify the music streaming app of choice | Has limited remixes available |
| Allows artists to connect their profiles with SongKick and Merchbar → generates more income |
Both streaming services are great and serve a unique purpose. Soundcloud is better suited for a working artists looking to put their music out there for fans to discover while also offering them a place to meet and connect with other artists. Spotify is better suited for those who want to easily and immediately access the largest music database available while the artists featured are those who are more or less established.