6 SoundCloud Alternatives for Listeners, Artists and Podcasters

Part 1. Why Look for SoundCloud Alternatives?

For both artists and listeners, SoundCloud still has a lot of things that disappoint them, and there is no progress seen in improving it for now, so this becomes the main reason why most users are looking for a SoundCloud alternative.

For Artists:

1. Strict Copyright Police:
Copyright detection on SoundCloud is stricter than on some music platforms. On the Internet, some users call it a "bullshit AI copyright detector" because it routinely removes music, especially remixes and sample-based music. There are also several unreasonable reasons for removal, including language, background audience noise, cover art, and even songs that don't start early enough.

2. Limited Free Uploads:
The free artist plan on SoundCloud only allows uploads of 3 hours of total audio or 15 total tracks. To upload more or even an unlimited amount of music, you'll need to upgrade to the SoundCloud Artist Pro plan, which costs around $8.25 per month.

3. Monetization Restrictions:
SoundCloud's monetization feature is only available in 31 countriesand, and even then, the payout is quite low. Based on what artists have shared, it is about $0.0025 to $0.004 per play that an artist can only get back.

4. Poor Discoverability:
SoundCloud does not have very smart personalization algorithms and song recommendations. The exposure of a song relies heavily on the user searches and reposts from other listeners.

For Listeners:

1. Too Many Ads:
The free version of SoundCloud comes with a large number of advertisements. You typically hear a 15-30 second ad every 2-3 songs, which can cause disruption to the listening experience. Although most free streaming services have ads, those on SoundCloud are more frequent and invasive in comparison.
✳️ FYI: 9 SoundCloud Ad Blockers That Work in 2025

2. Missing Mainstream Releases:
SoundCloud focuses more on independent and underground artists, so it is not the best place to find the latest mainstream popular songs. The music of major record companies and popular artists is relatively limited on this platform.

3. Low Audio Quality:
Although SoundCloud recommends that all artists upload high-fidelity music files, the maximum sound quality that users can access is limited to 256kbps AAC, which is of course a huge drawback for audiophiles.

Part 2. What Makes a Good SoundCloud Alternative?

What makes a good SoundCloud alternative depends on what you want to get out of the music platform. But for a generally good SoundCloud alternative, we may have some expectations from it:

• For artists, a better platform should provide fewer upload restrictions, stronger discoverability, basic tools for creation, collaboration, and publishing, and most importantly, a more supportive and economically rewarding environment, as well as an intelligent fan engagement and support system.
• For listener, a good alternative to SoundCloud should have less ads, higher audio quality, smarter algorithum, and user-friendly interface and maybe wider compatibility with device, and offline listening support.

A Bonus Tip For People Who Want to Keep Music from Any Platform

If you want to avoid the hassle of transferring your SoundCloud music collection or jumping between different music platforms after switching to other music platforms, you can use an all-in-one music downloader, like ViWizard Streaming Audio Recorder.

This software lets you download music from 9 streaming music services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, Pandora, SoundCloud, Qobuz, and Line Music. This way, you can manage your music collection on different music platforms in one place and unlock their offline mode on different devices.

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Part 3. Best SoundCloud Alternatives

In this part, we will recommend a total of 6 SoundCloud alternatives, 3 for artists and 3 for listeners. Each alternative is not a completely flawless platform, we can only say that it does a better job than SoundCloud in terms of a certain feature, so it mainly depends on what features you focus on the most.

Audiomack – For Indie Artists Seeking Exposure

Founded in 2012, Audiomack has become a favorite platform for emerging music creators, especially in genres like hip-hop, electronic, reggae, EDM, Latin, and more. Unlike SoundCloud, Audiomack doesn't offer a premium membership tier and that means artists can upload unlimited music for free and monetize their music directly on the platform.

We think Audiomack offers a higher level of exposure than SoundCloud. According to an article on Rolling Stone posted in 2019, Audiomack has 2.7 million daily active users (as of today, the number of daily active users could be roughly 10 million). Additionally, as seen on the trending page, most tracks can average up to 10,000 plays. So, it's fair to say that every creator can be heard on Audiomack, and if the music is good enough, it can end up getting more exposure and plays than SoundCloud.

Why Audiomack Is Better than SoundCloud for Indie Artists?

Mixcloud – For DJs and Podcasters

Mixcloud is a welcoming place for long-format audio, such as DJ mixes and hours-long podcasts or radio shows. Thanks to Mixcloud's agreements with various copyright organizations, creators can upload copyrighted music and mixes, remixes, tracks and shows to Mixcloud without fear of removal.

Compared to SoundCloud, Mixcloud offers a free tier that allows up to 10 tracks to be uploaded with no length limits and features like timestamping. As for paid subscriptions such as Mixcloud Premium and Mixcloud Pro, Mixcloud offers premium features such as unlimited uploads, live streaming, audience insights, and monetization options through the Mixcloud Select program. This program allows fans to subscribe to your channel and send tips, making it one of the most rewarding ways to earn directly from your content on Mixcloud.

Why Mixcloud Is Better for DJs and Podcasters?

Mixcloud is a better choice if you want to upload more audio, enjoy a creator-friendly monetization environment, and be part of a community that supports DJs or long-form content like podcasts. Additionally, if you have the budget for a subscription, Mixcloud's Pro option offers great value for content creators compared to SoundCloud.

Bandcamp – For Selling Music Directly

If your main goal is to sell music directly to fans, Bandcamp is your platform. Unlike SoundCloud, Bandcamp allows you to directly sell your tracks, albums, and physical goods such as merch or albums to your audience. This allows you to set your own prices, offer a 'pay what you want' option, and even offer discounts to loyal fans. During the transaction, Bandcamp only charges 15% for digital music sales and 10% for physical goods, which is much lower than SoundCloud's fees. The most exciting thing is that you don't need to pay any fees, and everyone can immediately upload their music works to start selling.

Meanwhile, the sound quality and approval efficiency on Bandcamp are also very attractive to music creators. You can publish lossless formats including WAV, FLAC, and AIFF. Once uploaded, you can immediately publish music without the need for lengthy approval processes.

Why Bandcamp Is Better than SoundCloud for Selling Music?

If you want to monetize your music, sell records and merchandise, and build fan relationships, Bandcamp offers artists control that SoundCloud can't match. But until you monetize, Bandcamp won't be able to get you a fan base fast enough; you still need to gain a fan base through high-quality music productions, multi-platform exposure, and time.

YouTube Music – For Music Video Lovers

If you are a fan of music and music videos, YouTube Music is an excellent alternative to SoundCloud. It has over 100 million songs and offers official tracks, remixes, live performances, playlists, and more. There are also behind the scenes interviews, documentaries, Q&A sessions, etc. that allow you to gain a deeper understanding of how music is made.

Another prominent feature of YouTube Music is its excellent recommendation system. With the support of Google AI, YouTube Music recommends new tracks, artists, official music videos, and even user generated content based on your listening habits. This means you don't have to constantly switch between music and video apps.

Why YouTube Music Is Better than SoundCloud for Music Lovers?

If you are a fan who enjoys listening and watching music, YouTube Music is the best music platform. If your budget is tight, the free version of YouTube Music allows you to access almost all music videos, but it will contain ads and cannot be played offline.

Deezer – For HiFi Music Lovers

For audiophiles and those who value high-quality sound, Deezer is one of the best alternatives to SoundCloud. Deezer has a vast music library with over 120 million tracks covering various genres and languages. Deezer offers high-quality and flexible sound quality options: Standard (128 kbps), High (320 kbps), and HiFi (16 bit/44.1kHz FLAC).

Deezer also stands out for its compatibility with high-end audio devices such as Sonos, Bluesound, desktop DAC, and mobile devices (Android/iOS), so you can enjoy music on higher end audio devices or smart homes, which SoundCloud cannot provide you with.

Another outstanding feature of Deezer is 'Flow', which you can imagine as your personal DJ. It learns your listening habits and recommends songs that suit your mood or situation based on the genre or emotion you choose. Another unique feature is 'SongCatcher', which allows you to recognize songs in real-time, even those you hear or hum around you. This is also something SoundCloud doesn't have.

Why Deezer Is Better than SoundCloud for HiFi Music Lovers?

For music lovers who treat listening to music as an experience rather than just background noise, Deezer's HiFi offers a richer, more lifelike sound. In addition to Deezer, other music services such as Qobuz and TIDAL also offer hi-fi audio and are also worth checking out.

Spotify – For Smarter Algorithmic Discovery

For those who enjoy discovering new artists, genres, and songs that truly suit their tastes, Spotify is the top alternative to SoundCloud. Spotify has a vast library of over 100 million tracks, as well as various podcasts, audiobooks, and videos, all integrated on a seamless platform, providing a complete listening experience.

What really sets Spotify apart is its AI-powered recommendation engine. Features like Discover Weekly, Daily Mixes, and Release Radar provide highly personalized suggestions based on your listening history, something SoundCloud struggles to do.

Best of all, Spotify Connect allows you to easily switch between devices, whether you're listening on your phone, desktop, smart speaker, or in your car. If you are looking for a smarter music platform that understands your taste better than SoundCloud, Spotify is definitely worth a try.

Why Spotify Is Better than SoundCloud for Music Discovery?

If your music journey is about expanding your taste rather than just sticking to what you know, then Spotify's intelligent algorithms make every listen a potential adventure. Even in the free plan, you can still enjoy algorithmic playlists with just ads and skips.

SoundCloud to Spotify: 3 Easy Ways to Transfer Songs

Want to add songs from SoundCloud to Spotify? This complete guide shows you 3 methods to get music from SoundCloud to Spotify with or without tools.

Final Thoughts

When looking for SoundCloud alternatives, it all depends on your needs. In this article, we share 6 great alternatives to SoundCloud for artists and listeners. Platforms like Audiomack and Bandcamp help artists reach more fans and make more money, while Mixcloud is great for podcasters and DJs.

For casual listeners, YouTube Music offers more visual content, Deezer provides better sound quality, and Spotify stands out with its intelligent music recommendations.

Each music platform has its own strengths, and we recommend that you focus on each one as you use it. If you want to keep all your music libraries from different music platforms, ViWizard Streaming Audio Recorder is the one to try!