SoundCloud, a leading music streaming platform, has announced the launch of a new, more affordable paid plan specifically designed for artists. Dubbed the "Artist" plan, this new tier aims to provide emerging musicians with professional-level tools and distribution capabilities at a lower cost.

The Artist plan, priced at $39 per year, offers a range of features to help artists grow their audience and monetize their music. These include track amplification, distribution to other popular platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and TikTok, and monetization options. Additionally, artists subscribing to this plan will retain 100% of the royalties earned from their SoundCloud plays, as well as keep their earnings from other platforms.

One of the key benefits of the Artist plan is the ability to amplify new tracks to reach more than 100 listeners. Artists can also distribute and monetize their tracks to other platforms, with the option to replace up to three tracks per month without losing stats, plays, likes, or comments. Furthermore, the plan includes a credit to master one track per month using SoundCloud's AI-powered mastering tools.

The Artist plan is an extension of SoundCloud's existing free plan, which offers 3 hours of uploads across an unlimited number of tracks. The new plan builds upon this foundation, providing more advanced features and capabilities at an affordable price point.

For artists who require more advanced features and higher limits, SoundCloud is also offering an "Artist Pro" plan, priced at $99 per year. This plan includes unlimited track uploads, amplification, monetization, and track replacements, as well as three AI mastering credits per month and community management tools.

The launch of the Artist plan follows a successful pilot program in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and is part of SoundCloud's ongoing efforts to support emerging musicians and democratize music distribution. According to SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton, "At SoundCloud, we believe great music can come from anywhere, and it shouldn’t be held back by cost or complexity. That’s why we created the Artist plan — to provide emerging musicians with pro-level tools and distribution at an affordable price."

This move is also seen as a strategic response to the growing competition in the music streaming market, where platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok are increasingly catering to independent artists and creators. By offering a more affordable and feature-rich plan, SoundCloud aims to attract a larger share of the emerging artist community and establish itself as a go-to platform for music distribution and monetization.

With the launch of the Artist plan, SoundCloud is further solidifying its position as a champion of emerging musicians and a leader in the music technology space. As the platform continues to evolve and innovate, it will be interesting to see how this new plan impacts the music industry and the artists who use the platform.