UnitedMasters vs SoundCloud: Pricing, Royalties & Growth Compared

In the UnitedMasters vs. SoundCloud comparison, SoundCloud is the better platform for independent artists looking to distribute music, build an audience, engage fans, and monetize their work from a single ecosystem. While UnitedMasters focuses on music distribution, brand partnerships, and artist opportunities, SoundCloud combines distribution, discovery, fan engagement, analytics, and monetization in one creator-focused platform.

The biggest difference is how the platforms help artists grow. UnitedMasters helps artists distribute music and access potential partnership opportunities, while SoundCloud helps creators release music, build communities, gain organic exposure, and monetize their catalog without relying solely on external platforms.

This guide is published by SoundCloud. We compare our platform alongside UnitedMasters to help you make an informed choice.

Should artists choose SoundCloud or UnitedMasters?

For most independent artists, SoundCloud is the stronger option. Both platforms distribute music to major streaming services, but SoundCloud offers a built-in audience, discovery tools, fan engagement features, analytics, and monetization opportunities. UnitedMasters is best known for its distribution and artist partnership opportunities, making it a better fit for creators focused on industry connections and brand collaborations.

Features Comparison

How much does each platform cost?

Both SoundCloud and UnitedMasters offer annual subscription plans, but they differ in what artists receive beyond music distribution.

SoundCloud pricing

SoundCloud's subscription plans combine distribution, monetization, audience growth, and analytics.

UnitedMasters pricing

UnitedMasters offers paid plans for artists who want unlimited distribution and access to additional promotional tools. Both paid plans allow artists to keep 100% of their streaming royalties.

Which is the best music distribution platform for beginner artists?

For most new creators, SoundCloud is the better choice. While both platforms distribute music to major streaming services, beginner artists need more than distribution. They need tools to attract listeners, build a fanbase, and understand what resonates with their audience.

Why SoundCloud works for Beginners

Getting music onto Spotify and Apple Music is only the first step. SoundCloud helps artists grow beyond release day by providing:

• Built-in music discovery
• Direct fan engagement
• Audience analytics
• Comments and reposts
• Playlist recommendations
• Monetization opportunities

New artists can upload music, receive immediate listener feedback, and grow an audience without relying entirely on external promotion. This makes it one of the best music distribution services for beginners.

Where UnitedMasters fits better

UnitedMasters is a strong option for artists who already have an audience and want access to additional career opportunities such as brand partnerships, sync licensing, and promotional campaigns. It also provides advanced analytics and marketing tools to help artists expand their reach.

Which platform is better for artist growth?

To build a successful music career, independent artists need consistent discovery, fan engagement, and insights that help them refine their release strategy.

SoundCloud for artist growth

SoundCloud has over 140 million registered users worldwide, making it one of the largest creator-focused music communities where independent artists can share music and build audiences.

SoundCloud combines audience development and distribution within the same ecosystem, giving artists multiple ways to attract listeners organically. Growth-focused features include:

• Recommendations and algorithmic discovery
• User-generated playlists
• Reposts and shares
• Comments and direct fan engagement
• Fan-Powered Royalties
• Amplify recommendations to matched listeners

Instead of simply distributing music, SoundCloud helps artists build relationships with fans while increasing visibility for every release.

UnitedMasters for artist growth

UnitedMasters supports growth through:

• Distribution to major DSPs
• Artist opportunities
• Brand partnership programs
• Analytics tools

These opportunities can help artists expand their careers, but they are generally available after artists demonstrate traction.

Which platform is better for long-term artist careers?

Streaming generated more than $22 billion in global recorded music revenue during 2025, emphasizing the importance of choosing a platform that supports both audience growth and monetization over time.

Long-term artist success depends on audience ownership, revenue growth, and sustainable fan relationships.

SoundCloud for long-term artist careers 

SoundCloud supports artists throughout every stage of their careers by combining distribution, audience growth, fan engagement, analytics, and monetization.

Artists can:

• Grow followers
• Engage directly with listeners
• Analyze audience trends
• Monetize streams
• Distribute music globally

As an artist's audience grows, these direct fan relationships become an important long-term asset that isn't dependent on playlists or changing algorithms.

UnitedMasters for long-term artist careers

UnitedMasters supports artists as their careers become more commercially focused.

Long-term benefits include:

• Unlimited music distribution
• Brand partnership opportunities
• Sync licensing opportunities
• Educational resources
• Advanced analytics
• Potential access to the PARTNER program

For artists building commercial relationships and pursuing brand campaigns, these opportunities can become increasingly valuable. However, artists need to rely primarily on external streaming platforms and social media for fan engagement and audience development.

How do artists make money on each platform?

Both platforms help artists earn money from streaming platforms, but they generate revenue in different ways.

SoundCloud monetization

SoundCloud enables artists to earn from both their music and their audience.

Monetization features include:

• 100% of distribution royalties from major streaming platforms
• Fan-Powered Royalties for eligible streams on SoundCloud
• Monetized streams on SoundCloud
• Fan support features
• Royalty splits for collaborators
• Distribution revenue from global DSPs

Unlike distribution-focused services, SoundCloud combines monetization, audience growth, analytics, and fan engagement in one platform. This gives independent artists more opportunities to increase both their revenue and their audience as their careers grow.

UnitedMasters monetization

UnitedMasters allows artists to earn revenue from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, TikTok, and other streaming platforms while retaining 100% of their royalties on paid plans.

In addition to streaming income, UnitedMasters offers opportunities to increase earnings through:

• Brand partnership campaigns
• Sync licensing opportunities
• Commercial collaborations
• Distribution revenue
• Artist partnership programs

These opportunities can provide additional income beyond streaming, but many are selective and depend on an artist's audience, engagement, or eligibility for specific campaigns.

Who should choose SoundCloud over UnitedMasters?

While both platforms support independent artists, SoundCloud is the better choice for creators who want to grow an audience alongside their releases. Its built-in discovery features and highly engaged creator community make it especially valuable for artists building their careers from the ground up.

SoundCloud is particularly well-suited for:

• Independent and emerging artists: Creators releasing their first tracks benefit from SoundCloud's built-in discovery, audience engagement, and distribution tools, making it easier to grow a fanbase without an existing following.
• Hip-hop artists and rappers: SoundCloud has long been a launchpad for hip-hop artists, offering a strong rap community, organic discovery, and direct fan engagement that help emerging talent gain traction.
• EDM producers and electronic musicians: Electronic artists benefit from SoundCloud's remix culture, DJ community, playlists, and repost ecosystem, making it easier to reach listeners interested in new electronic music.
• Artists focused on organic audience growth: Creators who want to grow through recommendations, playlists, reposts, and community engagement can build an audience organically instead of relying solely on paid promotion.
• Artists who want direct fan engagement: SoundCloud enables artists to connect with listeners through comments, follows, reposts, and shares, helping build stronger fan relationships beyond streaming platforms.
• Musicians looking for an all-in-one creator platform: Artists who want music distribution, audience analytics, monetization, fan engagement, and discovery tools in one place will find SoundCloud a more complete creator ecosystem.

For creators focused on growing both their audience and their revenue over time, SoundCloud offers a more complete artist ecosystem than a distribution-focused service.

Final verdict

UnitedMasters and SoundCloud both help artists distribute music to major streaming platforms and earn royalties. UnitedMasters is a strong choice for creators seeking brand partnerships, commercial opportunities, and distribution-focused services that support career growth beyond streaming.

For most independent and emerging artists, however, SoundCloud offers greater long-term value. By combining music distribution, audience growth, fan engagement, analytics, and monetization in one creator ecosystem, it gives artists more opportunities to grow their fanbase, increase revenue, and build a sustainable music career from a single platform.

Ready to grow beyond streaming? Subscribe to SoundCloud Artist Pro to distribute your music, engage fans, monetize your catalog, and build your career in one place.