How to Get More SoundCloud Plays (and Make Every Play Count)
TL;DR Quick Answer:
To get more SoundCloud plays, focus on making music people want to hear again, optimise your profile, release when your audience is active, and use playlists, collaborations, and SEO. Promote beyond SoundCloud, engage early to trigger the algorithm, and protect your rights so every play pays you.
Introduction
You drop your track on SoundCloud.
Refresh the page. Five plays. Two are yours.
That quiet frustration hits.
It’s not that your music’s bad. It’s that it’s buried.
This guide will show you how to pull it out of the pile. We’ll cover how to make songs people actually want to replay, the moves that get more ears on them, and how to make sure those plays turn into money you actually keep.
1. Make Music People Actually Want to Play
The best promo in the world can’t save a track that doesn’t connect. If you want to grow your SoundCloud audience, start here.
Make the hook happen fast. If you wait thirty seconds for the good part, you’ve already lost most listeners. That might mean opening with your chorus or a unique sound that makes people curious.
Check your mix. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but if it’s muddy or piercing, it’s not getting replayed. Pull up a reference track in your genre and see if yours has the same balance.
Sometimes a track is full of potential but buries the best part too deep. If the hook doesn’t hit until the 40-second mark, most casual listeners won’t make it that far. Leading with your strongest moment gives the track a better shot at repeat plays.
Play it for people who’ll tell you the truth. Watch them while they listen. If they’re nodding, good sign. If they’re scrolling, ask why.
And keep going. The more you finish, the sharper your ear gets. Quality follows quantity. For more on presenting yourself professionally, check out what goes into an electronic press kit.
A great example of persistence paying off is Russ, who built momentum by posting a song every week on SoundCloud for almost three years, releasing 11 albums and 87 singles until tracks like “What They Want” and “Losin Control” broke through.
As HotNewHipHop notes, “In October 2014, Russ Vitale logged on to SoundCloud for the first time. His strategy was simple yet deadly: post one new song every week.”
2. Optimize Your SoundCloud Profile for More Plays
Your profile is the first handshake. A strong first impression is one of the simplest SoundCloud growth tips you can apply today.
Get a clear, high-quality profile picture. It should say “this is me” without looking like a cropped party photo. Pair it with a banner that reflects your vibe, whether that’s artwork, a live shot, or something else that feels authentic.
Write a short bio that tells listeners what you make, where you’re from, and why they should care. Keep it alive. Update it when you drop something new or hit a milestone.
If you’re on Next Pro, pin your strongest track at the top so every new visitor hears your best work first.
Drop your links to Instagram, TikTok, your merch store, and your website. Make it easy for fans to follow the trail.
It’s common to see an artist’s profile with great music but no banner and a one-line bio from years ago. Even strong songs can feel forgettable if the profile looks abandoned.
3. Post at the Right Time
Timing matters more than most artists realise.
Weekday mid-days, usually between 11am and 1pm, often work because people are on lunch breaks or in scroll mode. Midweek tends to pull more plays than weekends, when people are busy living life.
But don’t just trust averages. Open your SoundCloud Insights. See where your listeners are in the world. Drop your tracks when they’re awake and online.
Releasing at 3 a.m. might feel exciting in the moment, but if your listeners are asleep, your track can disappear from feeds before they even see it.
Experiment for a month. Change your posting time. Keep the ones that get traction, ditch the ones that flop.
In a discussion on r/musicproduction, one artist captured the grind honestly: “Just keep putting your music online, even if no one listens … you gotta get used to not being heard but still believe … then one day … things have changed.”
You can track all of this inside SoundCloud’s official Insights dashboard. The more you understand who’s listening and when, the more you can time your releases for maximum traction.
4. Trigger the SoundCloud Algorithm
The algorithm is like a friend who only introduces you to people when you’re already buzzing.
You want action in the first 48 hours after a drop. Plays, likes, comments, reposts. The more you get early, the more SoundCloud pushes your track into other feeds.
Tag it correctly with the right genre, mood, and instruments. Don’t tag “hip hop” if it’s not hip hop. Accurate metadata is a small but powerful part of protecting your work, as we explain in how to protect your music.
A song uploaded without any interaction often sinks. Even a small wave of early plays and comments can push it into “related tracks” for listeners outside your circle.
And stay active. Upload often, comment on tracks you like, join groups in your lane. The platform rewards creators who actually show up.
5. Use Playlists to Get More Plays
Playlists are like free billboards. People follow them for the vibe, not necessarily for the artist, so if your track fits, you get in front of new ears instantly.
Submit to curators. You can find them on SoundCloud, on platforms like RepostExchange, or by digging through playlists you already follow. Aim for ones that get consistent engagement, not just big follower numbers.
In 2025, a SoundCloud statistics overview reveals that 69% of users say they use SoundCloud as their primary platform for discovering new music and artists, with the “Discover” tab and algorithmic recommendations driving over 1.2 billion discovery-based streams per month SQ Magazine.
Build your own playlists too. Blend your songs with others in your style. Give it a title people want to click, like “Late Night Drive” or “Lo-Fi Rainy Day Beats.”
Think of a playlist where your track sits between two songs a listener already loves. They’re more likely to let it play through and might even save it.
For more ways to get heard outside SoundCloud’s own features, check our guide to websites to upload music for free.
6. Work with the Right Influencers
Forget chasing someone with a million followers who doesn’t care about your genre. Go smaller. A DJ, YouTuber, or playlist curator with five to fifty thousand engaged fans in your style can move the needle more than a celebrity shoutout.
Interact before you pitch. Share their work, comment on their posts, show you’re paying attention. Then send a track that fits their audience.
Many artists waste weeks chasing big-name reposts while ignoring mid-tier curators who actually have time to listen. Those smaller connections are the ones who tend to share, reply, and build lasting support.
7. Use SEO to Get Found
Think of your track upload like a blog post. You want it searchable, discoverable, and worth clicking.
Titles need to be clear. “Chill Lo-Fi Beat – Midnight Walk” beats “track_004_mix3.”
Descriptions should tell a short story about the track and use keywords naturally. If it’s chillwave with saxophone, say that.
Tags? Use them all, but keep them accurate. Don’t tag “Drake” unless Drake is actually on the track.
An artist’s entire SoundCloud presence can stay hidden simply because their metadata is a mess. Clean, descriptive titles and tags instantly make you easier to find.
8. Promote Outside SoundCloud
SoundCloud is your home base, not your whole world.
Chop your track into 15-second hooks and post them on TikTok or Instagram Reels. Give people a reason to click through.
We walk you through every step in our guide on how to upload music to TikTok for free.
A MusicWatch study from early 2025 found that 68% of social media users discover new music through short‑form video content, like TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts
Many artists are finding plays in unexpected places.
One artist shared in r/soundcloud, “I got 200 followers … by liking, following, commenting, and reposting other artists. I literally spend all my downtime on the feed. It’s just consistent engagement.”
Platforms outside SoundCloud often work as springboards, driving listeners back to your page.
- Post behind-the-scenes clips – studio sessions, gear setups, even you working out lyrics in a notebook. Fans love the process.
- Join music threads on Reddit or forums like Future Producers. But don’t drop links until you’ve been part of the conversation.
An artist who only promotes inside SoundCloud is like a band playing in an empty room. You have to step outside to find an audience.
9. Know How Many Plays You Need to Get Paid
If you’re in SoundCloud’s monetization program, you need at least 500 eligible plays a month to start getting paid. Payouts average about $2.50 to $4 per thousand plays, depending on where your listeners are.
Want to understand every type of music royalty you can earn beyond SoundCloud? Learn how performance, mechanical, sync, and neighbouring rights work so you can capture 100% of what you’re owed.
Streaming is just one part of the picture. Most independent artists combine multiple income streams to make their careers financially sustainable.
Income streams? That’s not life-changing money, but it stacks when you add merch, direct downloads, fan subscriptions, or licensing deals. To understand where streams fit in your income, see our 4 types of music royalties explained.
10. Protect Your Rights
It’s easy to chase plays and forget the paperwork. That’s how money slips away.
Every play has value. But unless your royalties are tracked and claimed, you’re giving part of that value to someone else.
Melody Rights fixes that. For nine bucks a month, you can upload as much as you want and keep every cent. Your plays, downloads, and licensing income get tracked worldwide so nothing disappears. See how in our music protection guide and learn about sync licensing if you’re aiming for placements.
Music often gets used in ways you never see, such as in ads, YouTube videos, or TV spots. Without rights tracking, those uses slip by unnoticed. With it, you’re paid for every single one.
Conclusion: How to Get More SoundCloud Plays
Growing your SoundCloud plays in 2025 takes more than one quick trick. It’s about creating music that hooks listeners, building a profile that draws them in, timing your releases for maximum reach, and promoting beyond the platform.
By protecting your rights and stacking multiple income streams, every play can help grow both your audience and your music career.
FAQs
How do I get more plays on SoundCloud?
Make tracks people want to replay, optimise your profile, use playlists, and promote both inside and outside the platform. Engage with the community so SoundCloud’s algorithm has a reason to recommend you.
What’s the best time to post on SoundCloud?
Weekday mid-days (around 11am–1pm) tend to work well, but check your SoundCloud Insights to see when your specific audience is most active.
How do you trigger the SoundCloud algorithm?
Get early engagement in the first 48 hours, tag accurately, and stay active on the platform so the system sees you as a contributor.
How many plays do you need to get paid?
You need at least 500 eligible plays per month in SoundCloud’s monetization program. Payouts average $2.50–$4 per thousand plays.Why should I protect my rights?
Because plays, downloads, and sync uses all generate royalties, and without tracking, some of that money never reaches you.
