Last updated
Explore and stream over 320 million music tracks. Join a global community of artists, bands, DJs, and audio creators. Discover new sounds and connect.
German music platform for independent artists and creators.
SoundCloud is a Berlin-based audio streaming and creator platform where 350 million tracks from independent artists, labels, and podcasters live alongside tools for uploading, distributing, and monetising audio content. Unlike curated streaming services, SoundCloud was built around creator discovery. Any artist can upload and reach listeners directly, without a record deal.
Listeners stream on web, iOS, and Android for free with ads, or subscribe to SoundCloud Go+ for ad-free listening, offline downloads, and access to the full catalogue. Artists access detailed per-track analytics, fan-powered royalties, and distribution to Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and 40+ other platforms from a single dashboard.
Key benefits:
- 350M+ tracks from independent creators, major labels, and everything in between
- Free streaming with no account required for public tracks
- SoundCloud Go+ for ad-free offline listening with full catalogue access
- Direct upload lets any creator publish audio in minutes with no gatekeeping
- Per-track analytics with plays, followers, reposts, and audience geography
- Fan-powered royalties that distribute revenue based on actual listening time
- Distribution to 40+ platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok
- SoundCloud Pulse mobile app for creators to manage tracks and respond on the go
Founded in Berlin, Germany in 2007 and headquartered there since, SoundCloud operates under GDPR and EU data protection law. As a German-originated platform, it brings European data governance to music streaming, independent of U.S. Big Tech infrastructure.
Founded by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud has grown into the world's largest open audio platform, home to emerging artists and established creators across 190 countries.
Categories
European alternative to
Head-to-head comparisons
See how SoundCloud stacks up side-by-side against the non-EU incumbent on jurisdiction, GDPR, pricing, and features.
Tags
Similar European alternatives
Magnific
AI creative suite with image, video, audio and 3D generation across 30+ frontier models, backed by a 250 million asset stock library.
Piwigo
Open source photo management with album hierarchies, granular permissions, 200+ plugins, and hosting that stays in Europe, self-hosted or managed cloud.
PhotoPrism
Self-hosted photo library with AI search, face recognition, RAW support, and world maps, keeping every picture on hardware you control.
Deezer
Stream millions of songs, podcasts & radio. Enjoy ad-free music, offline downloads & personalized playlists. Flexible plans for individuals, students & families.
Loudly
Generate original royalty-free music from a text prompt, then remix, split stems and distribute straight to streaming platforms.
Pimcore
Austrian open-source data and experience platform uniting PIM, DAM, MDM, CDP and DXP in one code base, used by 118,000+ companies.