SoundCloud launches their paid subscription serviceButton Soundcloud

SoundCloud launches their paid subscription service

SoundCloud has announced the debut of their paid subscription service. Dubbed SoundCloud Go, the service will cost $9.99 monthly and will give users access to numerous features unavailable to its general user base. This marks SoundClouds official entry into the streaming wars against the likes of Spotify and Apple Music — and to a lesser extent, Tidal.

SoundCloud Go will give its subscribers an ad-free experience, save their playlists and have them available without data charges, and give access to records from independent and major labels, courtesy of their numerous deals struck with various labels, starting with Warner Music Group in 2014.

While labels have granted SoundCloud access to their records, the rights holders have final say in allowing their music onto the streaming service.

This is part of an ongoing pivot to monetize the site, which faced heavy backlash after revealing significant losses in the 2014 fiscal year. Soundcloud pulls in 175 million monthly unique streamers but is non-committal on the percentage of them necessary to make SoundCloud Go a success, though the site is confident that combining the access to labels’ catalogs with the original, user-generated content that has been the site’s backbone from its launch will make it a unique and viable alternative to other streaming services. Current users of the site will be still be able to access the site for free, supported by ads and without the additional features offered by SoundCloud Go.

SoundCloud is offering a 30-day trial membership as it rolls out the service in the US, with SoundCloud Go becoming available in other countries later in the year.

H/T: THUMP

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