SoundCloud is an online platform that facilitates audio file sharing for various purposes. Many musicians have benefited from this entertainment website in terms of follower-ship (building a fan base) and the availability of many money-making opportunities. There have been breakthrough stories, where some upcoming acts have been discovered via the site. You can also make it work for you, if you understand how it works and its many interesting features.
Generally, platforms like SoundCloud enable users to upload, download, promote, and share audio files, while also offering other features which include comment sections, re-post buttons, and so on. Music sharing sites facilitate the dissemination of songs and music videos online, which can be downloaded from anywhere in the world with internet connection. Read more about that here.
File sharing can be done through various means. It involves the use of networks, networking, removable media, documents, servers, hyperlinks, and so on. There are many web-based applications that have been created to enable sharing online. One of them is cloud-based technology, which is very important in the industry because of its storage and accessibility features.
When files are uploaded and stored, there are many processes that take place based on the features that have been provided. In terms of functionality, some platforms are more complex than others. You can visit the website or download its mobile application in order to use its features; though some mobile apps may have less functionality.
Mobile apps have made the use of audio sharing sites more convenient. Apart from mobile apps, many sites distribute audio files with the aid of widgets.
Features of Online Audio Sharing Sites
The key features that you will find in sites used to promote music and other audio works include the ability to access uploaded files through uniform resources locators (URLs). URLs are also known as web addresses (colloquial term). The use of URLs facilitates the embedding of sound files in shared posts and URLs contain information like the location of the server, resource, and so on. Read more about that here.
SoundCloud is a good example of platforms that make use of waveform motion graphics. The motion graphics helps you keep track of the progress of the song as it plays and can also be of help when you want to pause, rewind, and perform other related actions when streaming music.
Some sites enable their visitors to have unlimited access to the files uploaded. For the artistes, access may be granted to upload music freely (depending on the platform). Some may actually require subscription fees for the use of all their features. This is where visitors are given the options to use the free or premium packages and the like. Many websites offer more than two packages.
Subscriptions: Paying for Promotion
As a musician, you will have to think about this carefully by taking your budget into consideration. It is important to utilise the best strategies to your advantage. Share your work online and spend some money to promote it effectively.
You need to ensure that your music is heard by as many people as possible. Paid promotion and marketing should be among your success strategies. A good promotion and marketing plan will not leave you staring at how low your fan base is for a ridiculously long time.
Lazy marketing is when you share the link to your music to each person that follows you on social media. This approach does not yield tangible results because if you do enough research, you will find out that this strategy has not really been of significant help to any upcoming artistes. You need to invest in promoting or marketing your songs, especially when you want to make serious money from your passion.
If you are an upcoming artiste, you have to work more to get discovered and grow your fan base. This is because people are getting very choosy in a world where millions of musicians are seeking global recognition for their craft. It is not just about how good you sound, but how your uniqueness appeals to the senses of the listener. If you are looking for some inspiration, you can check out what other musicians are doing and even buy beats.
As an up and coming artiste, you should not focus on just one strategy in your quest for gaining popularity. Online courses have a lot to offer and bloggers can also be of great help; although you should also keep in mind that money is involved.
Whatever strategy that has worked for others and has given them success stories to tell should be employed. Avoid procrastinating when you have made a decision about which strategy to adopt.
If you are not getting enough following and plays, you should think about having a good music business model. Your model should feature options like what you can find on SoundCloud plays so that you can have a real chance at getting a breakthrough. Continue your research on the world of online audio file sharing with emphasis on how you can compete favorably.
File sharing is a good way to get heard. Just make sure you do not put all your music out there for free. You can upload a few good tracks for users of the sites to “sample” them. If they really like your music, they will surely want to pay for the ones that have been put up for sale. Snippets are also good ideas for promotion, instead of having to post the complete song for free.
