How to Get More Plays on SoundCloud with Proven Strategies

SoundCloud has emerged as one of the key and most disruptive digital platforms for independent musicians, DJs, and audio creators looking to share their work with a global audience. 

With the number of tracks uploaded every day in the millions, gaining exposure and more plays can feel like an uphill task. But, it’s not only about luck—there are proven tactics that can help you get more exposure, engage your audience, and turn casual listeners into devoted fans!

Increasing your SoundCloud plays isn’t simply increasing stats; it’s about broadening your exposure and making it possible for your music to come in contact with the best crowd. As you optimize your profile, utilize the platform’s features, and  engage with the SoundCloud community, you can very easily build up plays and momentum in your career!

Whether you’re a greenhorn hoping to get your shit together or a seasoned player looking to move up to the next tier, these tips will help you get as far as you can in the SoundCloud realm!

To help you, we’ve compiled some of the most effective strategies to increase plays, from optimizing your uploads to collaborating with other creators. If you stay consistent and find creative ways to promote your tracks, you can make them stand out and receive the recognition they deserve. Let’s learn more!

Build Your SoundCloud Profile for Top-Level Engagement

Your SoundCloud profile is the first thing listeners see, so having a well-optimized page means the difference between gaining more plays or not. Having a professional and clean profile indicates that you take your music seriously, which profoundly increases the chances of visitors listening to, following and sharing your tracks.

Ensure that you have a professional profile picture and header image to help people identify your work. For artists, DJs, and producers, a cohesive aesthetic makes your profile look sharp as well as recognizable. 

Keep it simple, and make sure your display name is readable and searchable so that people can find you. Your bio is important, too, so use it to describe yourself, your sound and musical influences, and include links to your social media and streaming platforms.

The other important part is to structure your tracks properly. Use playlists to group similar songs or projects together, so listeners have a way of discovering more of your work. Be sure to give each track an interesting title, as well as a description that gives context about the song—an explanation of the song’s story, for example, the inspiration for the beat or the collaborators who joined you on the project.

Regardless, the more professional and detailed your profile is, the better your chances of earning serious listeners who will keep returning.

Knowing What Makes a Good Track Title, Tag, or Description

A great song title does more than simply name your track, it can be the difference between someone hitting play or not!

Your titles should be interesting, memorable, and relevant to what you do musically. If you’re doing a remix on a song or working with another artist, make sure that the title of your music reflects that—as it will allow listeners looking for similar content to find it easily.

One of the most underrated tools you have access to on SoundCloud are tags, which can do wonders when it comes to getting your music discovered. Tags are adjectives that describe the genre and style of your track. 

Instead of using general tags like “music” or “beats”, use specific and relevant tags like “lofi hip hop,” “deep house,” “indie pop,” or “drum and bass”. The more accurate your description and tags, the better SoundCloud’s algorithm will be able to recommend your tracks to their target audience.

The track description is another major tool that way too many artists sleep on. Instead of filling it blank and putting in a few words, use it to tell a story. Mention what sparked you to create it. Have You used any software or instrument tools that listeners should know about? 

Encourage followers to follow you or your other songs. Including timestamps for certain points in the song or shoutouts to featured artists also makes the description more dynamic. The more information you share, the greater the chance that listeners feel they understand your music, and return time and time again.

Using the Power of Cover Art and Visual Branding

People say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but on SoundCloud, your cover art is the first thing listeners see before they even hit play. Eye-catching visuals are often what stands between a listener passing on your track, and pressing play!

Your cover art should be high-quality and visually interesting, and should hint at the mood or theme of your track. Your cover art is an extension of your music’s personality, so steer clear of empty stock photos or blurry designs. You can do this for free with something like Canva, or you can hire a designer if you don’t have graphic design skills—either option should create custom artwork that elevates your brand.

Consistency is also key. If the design style of all your tracks is consistent, it not only helps with brand recognition but also makes your profile more professional looking. Artists like Kaytranada and Flume have it on lock, with the type of steadfast visual identity that fans grasp at a glance. Adding good images as well as great music to your profile is the one thing that increases the possibility of sharing your tracks on social media and everyone’s playlists.

How to Build a Loyal Audience on SoundCloud

Like any other social media, Web2 is a place for discovering new content but SoundCloud is an artist first platform that facilitates new talent through people who love to build and share music!

Interacting with this community is one of the best ways to gain organic plays. Instead of simply uploading your tracks and crossing your fingers, take some time to engage with other users.

Listen to and comment on other artists’ work first. In turn, they will be able to find fresh new music that they enjoy as well as garnering traffic to your profile, and facilitating professional networking opportunities when you leave thoughtful and honest comments on the tracks you like. 

Follow artists whose music may align with your style, repost tracks that catch your ear, and visit your followers’ profiles and respond to the comments and messages you receive. You get to know people, which means there will be collaborations to promote each other.

SoundCloud groups and communities is another powerful engagement method. There are dedicated groups for many genres where artists can share music, get feedback and collaborate. 

Engaging with genres-specific playlists and the channels hosting them increases your chances of connecting with listeners who align with your sound and are, therefore, more likely to share your tracks with their own listeners.

Leveraging SoundCloud Reposts and Playlists for Maximum Exposure

One repost of your song by a larger account can introduce your music to thousands of new listeners who may not have otherwise found you!

Getting reposted by artists, curators, and influencers with a good followership can, without a doubt, boost your growth! There are even entire repost circles on SoundCloud catered specifically to pushing art on one another. Just make sure you take these opportunities authentically—go for building real connections with folks in your niche rather than spamming requests.

Your playlists are going to be another great way to drive up your plays. When listeners see your track next to other serene ambient music in well-built playlists, they get funneled that they might like you, so they listen to your music! 

The strategies behind independent artists who typically focus on a more organized and detailed approach with their playlists, helps to keep the fans around for longer, thus getting more plays in the long run.

How to Advertise Your SoundCloud Tracks on Social Media and More

Don’t depend on SoundCloud’s algorithm to get plays alone, you need to be active in promoting your music on as many platforms as you can. Promoting your tracks on social media allows you to reach demographics that may not necessarily be sifting through SoundCloud but would nonetheless be a fan of what you do.

Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook are ideal for capturing snippets of your tracks, behind-the-scenes content, and personal stories around your music. Short-form videos, most notably on TikTok and Instagram Reels, can generate excitement about your songs and send users to your SoundCloud page. 

As with any advertising, the more entertaining or clever your copy, the better chance you will be talked about!

Outside of social media, think about embedding your SoundCloud tracks on your website or blog, sending them out in email newsletters, or contacting music bloggers and playlist curators. Working with influencers or YouTubers in your genre can also bring a lot of exposure! The important thing is to consistently keep your tracks in the promotion loop at the same time as ensuring your content is engaging and authentic.

Collaborations and Featured Posts — How to Expand Your Reach

Collaboration is one of the quickest ways to boost your SoundCloud plays. By collaborating with another musician, DJ, or producer, you immediately have access to their audience—to potential fans you would not otherwise reach.

Collabs don’t just come in the form of features on songs as you can also remix each other’s tracks, create joint playlists, or cross-promote each other’s releases. This strategy works particularly well when collaborating with artists in the same genre, since those fans are more likely to have similar tastes to your music.

Connect with people in your genre’s SoundCloud community, contact artists you match taste with, and talk to them. Most artists are up for a collaboration, provided your work adds value to what they do. Establishing strong musical partnerships creates opportunities both for growth over time and exposure on a continuous basis.

Conclusion – Become a Hit on SoundCloud! 

For someone who’s looking to make it to mainstream music, getting the type of plays that increase your chances of getting signed is not a matter of hacks or doing something overnight, it’s about building an audience that engages with your music, long-term. 

Once you’ve optimized your profile, created enticing track titles and descriptions, and engaged with the SoundCloud community, you have the framework for organic growth. Reposts, playlists, and social media promotion are also used effectively to promote your tracks so that they can be placed in front of the right listeners.

Building a successful SoundCloud account takes time, effort and creativity, just like any music career. The more time you devote to honing your craft, publicizing your music, and connecting with other creatives, the more opportunities will open for you. Each play, comment, or repost is a building block for a loyal fan base that will stick with you for the long haul.

It’s now time to implement these strategies! Just go ahead and create more, share more, and connect more with your audience.