A recap of our SoundCloud-related music tips from artists who appeared in our weekly Sound Advice column this year.
Last week, we served you up five a recap of Sound Advice artist tips, on everything from using the pre-save feature to optimizing private links and gaining insights on your fanbase. This week we’ve got five more of the top knowledge darts of 2023 for you, from Cautious Clay, Savanna Leigh and more. Get inspired to create community, find new music, and finally release your music – whether your unfinished demos or your carefully crafted masterpiece – to the masses.
See all of our Sound Advice columns here
Create Community
“There’s such a strong individual mindset with how artists work today and I don’t think it’s a very sustainable thing. You can get quick success through viral moments, but I think the most important thing is to create community. Don’t be closed off to opportunities and ideas. You don’t always have to take whatever opportunity is given to you, but at least be open to it.” - Blue Note singer/songwriter/producer Cautious Clay
Learn how to enable monetization on SoundCloud For Artists
Don’t be afraid to interact & use DMs
“It’s very important to me to respond to DMs and comments. I always try to respond just to let people know that I see them and I care. When it comes to meeting people, I think people respond to DMs a lot more than people think. Sometimes you don’t get an answer, but I think it’s always worth a try. The worst they can do is not answer you. When I didn’t have a team of any kind and I was putting out my first project, I was cold DMing different press outlets and Instagram accounts and curators on SoundCloud, anything I could do. It helps put you on the map even if you don’t get that first bite.” - Florida singer/songwriter Savanna Leigh
How to get the most out of the DM feature on SoundCloud
Try different paths to discover new music
“I try to discover at least four new songs a week that I’m really into. There’s so many things that I’ve found on SoundCloud that I’m not totally sure I would have found anywhere else. First, I go off what [music] comes on after my songs play. Then I start clicking through the “Fans Also Like” category… and I’ll keep going until I really don’t know where I’ve gone. I’Il also go to certain people’s SoundCloud accounts and go through the songs they’ve “liked.” Sometimes I’ve dug so deep into the rabbit hole that it’s kind of impossible to get back, and that’s where the hidden gems are.” - Multifaceted Atlanta-based singer/producer MiLES.
Finding hidden gems on SoundCloud with the new Feed
Lose control
“You really can’t control music. You can’t control outcomes – and when you try to, the quality of what you make suffers, always. That’s not your job. Your job as an artist is to honestly create and really try to understand what it is that you have to say, and do that in the best way possible. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen.’” - Kelly Zutrau of Brooklyn indie trio Wet
Learn more about getting started with SoundCloud For Artists
Get it out there
“Whatever it is, just drop it. If you have the song, just put it out. Don’t spend a million dollars on the artwork. Don’t go crazy with the mix and master, just get it out there – and don’t give a disclaimer like “This isn’t all the way there” either. So many people just like… micromanage their perfectionism and don’t release anything. Take advantage of that unlimited upload thing. Upload a bunch of stuff, share the link, and that’s pretty much it. If you build it, they will come. Just make music and put it out – that is the magic of SoundCloud at the end of the day.” - Alt-country crooner Skrizzly Adams
Learn more about replacing a track’s audio file
For a regular dose of ideas on how to build a fanbase, curating your aesthetic, and different ways to release your music on SoundCloud, make sure you subscribe to Sound Advice, our weekly artist-driven interview series.
