Soundcloud, a platform that has been described with a myriad of adjectives – underrated, obscure, inaccessible, cult, goldmine – has been a driving force in the music market since its inception in 2007. Its instantly recognizable orange logo symbolizes its unique status in the digital music landscape. Today, Soundcloud is poised for a significant leap forward, armed with new features and ambitious goals. Soundcloud: new functionalities, big ambitions. Is this the year of a decisive transformation for Soundcloud?
Soundcloud: new functionalities, big ambitions – a bit of history
Soundcloud quickly established itself as a platform unlike any other, used as much by artists as by their listeners. The connection between these two categories of users was strengthened, and meaningful exchanges were created. And artists tested their new songs with their fans, directly on Soundcloud. And it didn’t matter if these tracks sounded like rough drafts or sketches. Soundcloud offered a horizon of freedom that allowed independent artists seeking an audience to build a community. And consolidate their base!
For a long time, until 2013, Soundcloud was perceived as a service for musicians, and little else. Six years after its launch, the platform began to think bigger, adding features and adopting a more mainstream approach. Some artists were annoyed, but Soundcloud continued to expand. Millions of users use the platform – around 80 millions as of 2025 -, massive investments are being made, and fruitful partnerships are being formed, particularly with radio stations. For a few months, there were even rumors that Spotify was considering acquiring the platform. It didn’t happen, and by 2025, Soundcloud established itself as a serious alternative to the industry leaders.
Artists are even becoming labeled “Soundcloud artists,” as their success were so closely tied to the platform. Some generate millions of streams on Soundcloud, uploading mixtapes and albums directly after completing them. Everything is instinctive and sometimes radically original. So much so that genres affiliated with Soundcloud are being created. This is particularly the case in the worlds of rap and R&B, where artists have become mainstream stars after making a sensation on Soundcloud.
Image deficit?
But Soundcloud also suffers from its reputation as a ‘less than’ platform. As if it weren’t a serious alternative to the industry’s big – big – players. This perception, often referred to as an ‘image deficit’, stems from the fact that Soundcloud doesn’t have the same goals of exhaustivity or growth as other platforms. Soundcloud remains true to its DNA: an Eldorada for independent artists, a haven for obscure, sometimes poorly mixed music, where discoveries follow one after another. It thrives among a niche audience, and among music enthusiasts with eclectic tastes.
Soundcloud’s longevity is a testament to its ability to reinvent itself and adapt to new consumption patterns. Despite the controversies, Soundcloud has never deviated from its core values. Its continued existence since 2007, now in 2025, is a strong indicator of its resilience and potential for the future.
This is why, in 2025, when a media outlet suspected Soundcloud of having acted behind the backs of the artists it is supposed to protect, the internet went wild.
Soundcloud: new functionalities, big ambitions – the AI trouble
We told you about it a few months ago in this article: Soundcloud recently came under fire after the revelation of questionable practices regarding Artificial Intelligence. Soundcloud reportedly added lines of text to its terms of use without clearly stating it. These lines were believed to state that any artist uploading their music to Soundcloud agrees to have it used to train software to improve the company’s Artificial Intelligence models. This revelation sparked an outcry among artists, who were quick to make it known that they opposed these practices. The controversy centered around the lack of transparency and consent in Soundcloud’s use of artists’ music for AI training.
Soundcloud responded quickly to die down the controversy. A spokesperson stated that these few lines of text didn’t mean they intended to use the music of artists on Soundcloud to train models. But rather explain the connections between the tools Soundcloud has been developing for years and Artificial Intelligence tools. They defended themselves by reiterating that Soundcloud is a platform designed solely for artists, and that only tools, whether they include AI or not, which support artistic creation and encourage discovery, are welcome on Soundcloud.
Since then, no further controversy has tarnished Soundcloud’s reputation. In fact, quite the opposite: last week, the platform announced new features, which quickly sparked a reaction from the music streaming world.
Soundcloud: new functionalities, big ambitions – What’s new?
Soundcloud knows it, especially since it’s so deeply rooted in their identity: musical discovery is a core concern for listeners. But it’s also a priority for artists in a cultural environment where new artistic offerings emerge every half-second. How can you stand out and bring your music to a new audience? For listeners, how can you break away from the constant stream of new releases and focus on what you really enjoy?
By adding social features to its services, SoundCloud puts recommendations from your friends and family at the heart of everything. Soundcloud not only encourages exchanges between users, as Spotify recently did by adding private messaging. But it also highlights, directly on the Home Page, what your friends who use Soundcloud are listening to.
A land of infinite discoveries
Other features, such as the “Trending TrackWall” or the “Hot For You” feature, feed Soundcloud with new releases and identify trending tracks on the platform, allowing everyone to listen to what others have discovered and are playing on repeat.
The goal is to make Soundcloud a discovery hub. The ‘Like by your crew’ feature is the perfect example. It’s a playlist updated daily with songs that your friends on Soundcloud have identified as ones they have listened to and enjoyed. This feature promotes user interaction. It allows users to see what their friends are listening to and discover new music based on their friends’ preferences. It’s a different approach than the algorithmic playlists offered by Spotify, Deezer, TIDAL, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and others.
At Soundcloud, it’s not the platforms that push artists and songs, but the users themselves. Playlists based on your friends’ favorites are highlighted, making each user an influencer for others. To ensure your recommendations align as closely as possible with your tastes, Soundcloud, always with a community approach, suggests profiles to follow.
A revolutionary approach? It’s too early to say, but there’s no doubt that this community aspect is unprecedented for a streaming platform of this size. By giving users back their power and making them active participants in what others listen to, Soundcloud is putting people back at the center of its concerns.
An approach that could prove visionary. And a lifesaver for artistic creation?
Soundcloud: new functionalities, big ambitions – Can Soundcloud be used with Soundiiz?
If you’ve been reading us for a while — and we hope you have — you already know the answer: Soundiiz is compatible with all streaming platforms, and Soundcloud is no exception. It’s impossible for our services not to support such a popular platform with nearly 80 million users worldwide!
You can connect your Soundiiz account to your Soundiiz account in just a few seconds. You’ll then be able to manage all of your Soundcloud data. Delete tracks, save them to a safe place, reorganize them, and share them with all your friends and family. Soundcloud is all about discovery, and even more so since the addition of the features we’re talking about in this article.
Transfer!
Thanks to Soundiiz, your Soundcloud data can now be shared with your friends and family. Please note, however, that if you wish to transfer from Soundcloud to any other platform using Soundiiz and our Transfer feature, this is possible, but the results may vary.
By transferring your playlists, followed artists, albums, and liked tracks to Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or Qobuz, Soundiiz will perform a search using identification codes on the platform of your choice. This will allow us to create a mirror of your data. However, you may be aware that some songs are only available on Soundcloud and not on other streaming platforms. This is sometimes due to copyright reasons. But also due to the choice of the artists who uploaded their music to Soundcloud. Since Soundiiz is a 100% legal service that respects copyright and its constraints. It will be impossible for us to display data that does not exist on a streaming service other than Soundcloud!
For all the rest of your data, you can use Soundiiz right here!
