10 Biggest Mistakes Artists Make on SoundCloud

Every artist who wants to make their music known to the world has a SoundCloud profile. If you don’t, well, you’re missing out on the opportunity to be heard. SoundCloud is a platform that lets its users upload, publish, and share their creations online. With most of its features free to the public, it is a powerful tool to build a community between people who have the same taste in music. However, most users do not utilize its functions to the fullest. Here are the top 10 mistakes artists make on this media:

Not having the same URL extension on all platforms
It’s easier to find a band you like if their website, social media accounts, and SoundCloud account all have the same extension. Being consistent is key to ensuring that your followers identify you from the thousands of other artists out there. You can modify your URL on your account settings under the category “Basic Profile.”

2. Social media accounts aren’t linked

SoundCloud’s demographic is made up primarily of young individuals, and what do millennials all have in common? Their love for social media networking sites, that’s what! If your Facebook page, YouTube channel, and Instagram account links are missing from your profile, how will they ever know that you have a new hit coming? Or that you will be performing in their city next week? Or that you have an extended version of that awesome trance music uploaded on YouTube? These minute details could make a significant impact on the number of your followers. Use this feature wisely!

3. Not finding the time to write your bio

This may seem like an unnecessary detail, but this allows your audience to get to know you better. State something about the type of music you do, where you’re from, your identity as a group or individual, and some accomplishments. Bios look more professional when they’re written in third person.

4. Not taking advantage of the Spotlight function

Tracks are arranged in a way that the latest uploaded file is found above all your older tracks. This means that your most played track or the one with the most likes will not show up top when someone visits your profile. It will be buried somewhere with your other content when you uploaded it five months ago. Also, if there’s one thing we know about people on the internet, it’s that they have a short attention span. They are not going to scroll through months’ worth of music to find the best one. Luckily, SoundCloud has a new feature that lets users pin their best track on top in all its highlighted glory. Of course, this is only available to artists who have Pro accounts, which brings us to…

5. Not going Pro or Pro Unlimited

If you’re serious about making it big online, you have to invest in upgrading your account to Pro, or better yet, Pro Unlimited. These types of accounts get the most out of SoundCloud premium features. These include added analytics to learn which countries and cities your tracks are being played the most so that you can improve your marketing efforts. Also, you get 6 hours worth of content upload for Pro and unlimited content time for Pro Unlimited as compared to the 3 hours you get for free using a basic account. You can turn comments and public statistics on and off, give your fans more downloads and upload source tracks without losing plays.

6. Failing to identify your genre

Tracks are searchable by genre. By not indicating it with tags, you lose the opportunity of showing up in the search results of your potential fans. Keywords are your best bet to be discovered by people who share the same passion as you for your type of music. Additionally, you can gain more searches by including your genre in the track title itself and on the description.

7. Spamming other accounts

The comment section was made so that fans can admire their favorite tracks, impart feedback and constructive criticism, and overall add value to the artist’s page. Putting comments on other artists’ tracks promoting your own content reeks of desperation. Think of it as Kanye West cutting off Taylor Swift’s speech. Not cool, right?

8. Ignoring comments

Fans are more likely to come back to play your tracks when you respond to their comments. This is the best way you can interact with your audience and get the pulse on what’s hot and what’s not. Now, replying to comments should not end with just a “thank you”, especially when that’s your go-to response to everyone. Doing that makes it seem like a bot is corresponding with the audience, and it will come off as insincerity. Find the time to answer comments with more thought put into them. Build a rapport with your fan base. They will certainly love you for it.

9. Uploading everything you make

Treat your SoundCloud profile like your mom’s favorite China. You may have an astonishing portfolio of tracks but not everything should be displayed all at once. Save the best ones for uploading. Once you’ve reached your set amount of plays and amassed quite a following, your other tracks can show up and serve as welcome additions to your already impressive collection.

10. Not promoting your tracks through social media

Advertising your own content is not a crime. The biggest artists out there shamelessly do it on every platform they have. Why shouldn’t you? Getting your name across all possible avenues is a surefire way to get attention. Attention equals interest, and interest translates to more plays and more recognition for you.

SoundCloud is a great place to showcase your talent and connect with people. It offers a functional, easy, and convenient way to send your message through music. However, your success still depends on how you utilize the features available to you. Learning the do’s and don’ts of this media gets you ahead of all the other artists who are trying to break through the industry. Use it correctly and avoid making these mistakes and who knows, you might be the new generation’s next superstar.