SoundCloud Per Stream Payment in 2024 Explained

Artists’ earnings on SoundCloud are one of the most discussable topics in forums and public chats. Since the number of individuals who want to share their content on the platform grows, people want to know what income they can get on the platform. Since October 2018, when the monetization program was officially opened on SoundCloud, millions of musicians have made careers here, and part of them started working with other music platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. 

The question of earnings on the platform is crucial for people who are passionate about music creation.

Still, SoundCloud is called the best place for beginners for a reason. It’s easy to use and offers a wide range of tools for customization and improvement, including promotion mechanisms and advanced analytics. So, we think it’s important to let people know about their potential SoundCloud earnings and possible options to maximize income.

The Payment Depends on the Location

The amount of payment you receive per stream on SoundCloud depends on where you live. If you live somewhere in Europe (in Spain or Portugal), your SoundCloud payment will differ from what you’ll have if living in the USA or UK. The numbers may differ, but the average per-stream payment stands between $0.0025 and $0.004. So, when you ask how much does SoundCloud pay per 1000 streams, it’s from $2,50 to $4. With these numbers, you can build your expectations about approximate earnings. 

How to Increase Your Earnings on Soundcloud?

To earn more, you first have to understand what works for you. Your payment per stream won’t change, but you can increase your total income by getting more streams and increasing engagement. To do that, consider subscribing to SoundCloud Next Pro. It grants access to advanced tools and data, which helps musicians maintain their profiles, use new promotion strategies, and more.

SoundCloud Next Pro costs around $90 per year and significantly increases your capabilities. For example, you receive unlimited track uploads and the ability to share your content on multiple platforms.

SoundCloud Nex Pro (or SoundCloud for Artists) also impacts monetization because it allows you to share royalties with your collaborators. Also, you get first priority for help and support on the platform.

Customize Your Profile

Advanced profile control removes all limitations on profile customization. Use all available mechanisms of the platform to create an engaging SoundCloud profile. Select the proper image for the background and get a trademark picture as your main page. Also, consider selecting images for your tracks.

You have to enhance your tracks’ visibility, so consider using hashtags on all tracks you publish. Generally, creators use one main hashtag related to the genre, but you can use more at the beginning of your career. These hashtags will help you get more listeners and, as a result – more streams.

How Eminem uses hashtags for his songs on SoundCloud

Another feature you can use is the Spotlight feature. Select five songs you consider the best. They will be put on top of your profile, so people will see them when opening the page. It’s a good option as listeners won’t spend time selecting the best tracks. They will have it in this mini-compilation, deciding whether they like your style or not.

Create More to Earn More

Simple truth. Since your rate remains the same, you have to increase the track count on your SoundCloud profile. This is extremely important at the beginning of your career. You should create a large number of songs to become recognizable and find a targeted audience. People who enjoy the same genre and find your style attractive will stay to listen to all of your songs. Still, remember about the quality. Spend as much time as needed to ensure you compose and edit your tracks well. Pay attention to the music quality because people would probably skip the music that sounds bad. 

In this video, the author provides detailed guidelines about how to achieve maximum engagement on SoundCloud. He pays special attention to the music creation and says that the more music you make, the better you get. Read our article how to get more views on SoudCloud.

Effective Distribution – Key to Success

To make money on SoundCloud, you have to share your music from SoundCloud. Effective distribution and promotion are the bread and butter for musicians because they need their music to be heard. How to achieve that? Let’s outline core points.

• Music sharing with third-party distributors. Some individuals may consider this option ineffective because a part of all royalties goes to distributors. Still, if you are focused on getting a huge amount of streams, it’s a good idea. Later, when your audience and stream count increase, the investment will pay off. 
• Affiliation with Performing Rights Organization (PRO). If you are connected with Performing Rights Organization, you will receive additional royalties worldwide. 

You have to stay active to ensure the selected options will work. It means not only updating your content but communicating with your audience. How to do it? Use social media.

Communicate With Your Audience via Social Media

Unlike Spotify, where you can engage with your audience using Spotify Artists, SoundCloud doesn’t have such options. Still, it doesn’t mean you have to minimize your audience engagement. Be active on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms to showcase your music and promote your content. It won’t be complicated because these platforms offer various mechanisms for music promotion.

On Instagram, create Reels and record stories with your songs. Select the most jaw-dropping moment in the track and use it as a background for the video. You can even add an image—just ensure your music is present in the post. You can also do the same for TikTok and YouTube shorts. Take time and create high-quality videos with catchy previews and transitions.

Use social media to announce future tracks and create more hype. Since your listeners know that a new track is coming, they will be ready for it. When the release will actually happen, you will convert SoundCloud streams to money and significantly increase your income.

Rammstein announcing their Europe stadium Tour 2024 on Instagram

Use Paid Promotion to Get More Streams

Paid promotion packages are those that help you maximize your engagement and maximize SoundCloud earnings. Since you increase the number of songs, make sure they will get an appropriate number of plays, likes, and comments. Choose wisely and get packages that match your current goals and budget. For a rapid start, get basic package with likes, followers, and shares. Still, if you want to focus only on plays, purchase the default package with SoundCloud plays. Delivered by experienced specialists, such services allow you to attract real listeners and increase your income by having the same SoundCloud pay per stream rate.

If you work consistently, increase SoundCloud engagement and listener count, and promote your music via social media, you don’t need to ask how much SoundCloud pays and count every 1000 streams to get an additional 5 dollars. The rate per stream remains the same, but the overall earnings will surely be higher than average.