SoundCloud courts artists as Spotify cancels direct uploads

Repost Network was acquired by SoundCloud in May and offers monetisation, content protection and upgraded profile features to musicians and podcasters. The invitation was also extended to thousands of former users of Stem, which cancelled its open distribution platform in June.

“Today, we’re calling all independent creators who have been impacted by recent changes on Spotify and Stem to come to SoundCloud to learn more about what the world’s largest audio platform can do for them,” Repost Network vice-president Jeff Ponchick wrote on the SoundCloud blog.

“With the acquisition of Repost, an invite-only distribution service offering distribution, content protection and marketing to its thousands of clients, creators have the opportunity to build their careers on their own terms with maximum flexibility based on where they are in their career.

“It all boils down to putting the power in the hands of the creator. At SoundCloud, our commitment is to not only be the place where creators start but a platform and toolset for creators to drive sustainable income and get discovered. SoundCloud is committed to giving creators of all levels the tools to share their work instantly, monetise directly and distribute to all the major streaming platforms like Spotify, Amazon, Apple and more to reach as many fans as possible. We look forward to the future of distribution for all tiers of music – and other investments to come – to allow all creators to grow their career.”

He added: “A few weeks ago music distribution platform Stem announced it would be dropping the majority of the tens of thousands of artists who distributed through its system due to a change of services and yesterday, Spotify shared it will be discontinuing its direct upload beta at the end of this month.

“The past five years have been some of the most disruptive in the history of the music industry. As digital downloads were phased out in the mid-aughts, streaming revenues exploded – highlighted by high profile celebrity endorsements, massive VC investments and cross-platform distribution. Tech leaders have responded with moves of their own. Apple Music launched, Spotify expanded and Facebook/Instagram brokered a deal with the music industry to get creators paid. And SoundCloud launched SoundCloud Premier, allowing creators to earn a share of revenue by monetising and distributing original content."