Tuesday, April 16th, 2024.
Hey, it’s TJ Miller, “You want some game?” Let's #tipundathehat!
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Unda The Hat is now doing affiliate marketing for Amazon. “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” We feature musical equipment, OG music band Tees & merch, games, and books. This week's feature is Zack.Taylor
Is SoundCloud still a thing? - Let’s Geaux -
Did you know that Soundcloud has been around since before Spotify? In streaming years that’s like 30 years. Lol🤣 not really, but it seems like it.
SoundCloud started in 2007 and became popular with independent artists and musicians who used it to share their music with more people. It has become a valuable tool for musicians and music lovers alike, providing a platform for independent artists to gain exposure and build a following. But what genre of music uses SoundCloud the most?
According to a recent study by the music analytics company Chartmetric, the genre that uses SoundCloud the most is electronic dance music (EDM). EDM artists account for over 30% of all uploads to the platform, and they are also the most popular genre among SoundCloud listeners. As you know some genres of music seem more “indie” than others. What I mean is some genres like EDM, want to sound indie, be indie, and stay indie. Other genres, though they may be indie, they want to look sound, and act like major artists.
EDM is a genre that is often characterized by its experimental and innovative sound, which makes it well-suited for the platform's open and collaborative environment. Hip Hop comes in next with 20% of the genre share with R&B and Indie Rock following. SoundCloud's features, such as its ability to allow users to remix and share tracks, make it an ideal platform for EDM and Hip-Hop artists to connect with their fans and collaborate with other musicians.
But lately, SoundCloud has been having a tough time competing with other music apps like Spotify and Apple Music. Some people are wondering if SoundCloud is still relevant in the music industry. But SoundCloud still has some things going for it that make it a good platform for musicians and listeners.
- A lot of people use SoundCloud: Over 200 million people use SoundCloud, so musicians have a big audience for their music.
- SoundCloud supports independent artists: SoundCloud is a great platform for independent artists to get their music heard because there's less competition.
- SoundCloud has a lot of features: SoundCloud makes it easy for musicians to share and promote their music with features like uploading tracks, creating playlists, and sharing music on social media.
But SoundCloud also has some problems:
- Other music apps are competing with SoundCloud: SoundCloud has to compete with other music apps like Spotify and Apple Music, which have more users and money.
- SoundCloud is having financial problems: SoundCloud has been struggling financially and has had to lay off employees and close offices to save money. But hasn’t everyone? In 2024, more than a dozen music companies have laid off thousands of jobs, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Atlantic Music Group, SiriusXM, Amazon Music, TikTok Music, CAA, Discord, BMG, TIDAL, and Spotify. So I guess that’s just part of the game.
- SoundCloud has copyright issues: SoundCloud has had problems with copyright in recent years because people have been uploading copyrighted music without permission. Y’all know how we do sometimes.
But with all that said, SoundCloud still has a valuable place for musicians. It’s a great place to “leak” music before it hits the Spotify and Apple music platforms of the world. A testing ground if you will. It has a large user base, supports independent artists like you, and has a lot of features. So don’t give up on SoundCloud just yet.
This week's #IAOTW - Independent Artists Of The Week is - Zack.Taylor
Formally known as Rizzo Blaze, Zack.Taylor, hailing from the well-known Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, is carving his path in the hip-hop scene.
Click on the name link, scroll down to the picture, and then click, and support. For more information on this or to hire Unda The Hat as your brand or label consultant send a message via undathehat.com. If you are an Indie artist and want to be featured, hit me up. See you next week!!