Sharing your songs on the right platforms helps you find your audience. But how do you upload to SoundCloud? Which file types are even eligible for the platform? In this post, we’ll show you the main steps and how to set up your songs for success.
How Do You Upload to SoundCloud on Desktop and Mobile?
If you compare SoundCloud to Spotify, you’ll see that it offers a relatively easy upload process. You won’t have to find a distributor to share your song. This makes the platform a great way to freely post your tracks. Here’s how to upload tracks on SoundCloud’s browser site:
- Click Upload on the site’s navigation bar at the top.
- Tap Choose Files.
- Navigate to the folder with your song and select it.
- SoundCloud will instantly start uploading the track.
- Fill in your track’s details and give it a description.
- Once you’re ready, click the green Upload button.
This process is very similar on mobile. Both Android and iOS phones follow the same steps. But how do you upload something to SoundCloud’s app? Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Click the arrow button in the top right corner.
- Use the device’s file picker to find your track.
- Select the song, and it will begin uploading.
- Fill in the track’s metadata and extra details.
- For iOS, tap Save once your track is ready (On Android, click on the orange tick instead).
After confirming the upload, visit your profile to check that the track is there.
Your SoundCloud Track Requirements
You can’t just upload anything on the platform. In fact, you’ll need to confirm your SoundCloud’s email address before posting a single song. The platform also only lets you upload certain types of audio files, including (but not limited to):
- WAV
- AIFF
- MP3
- MP4
- AAC
- FLAC
SoundCloud recommends you upload tracks in a lossless file format. This includes WAV, FLAC, AIFF, and ALAC. The platform does support lossy audio, but these files are often lower-quality.
You also can’t upload a track larger than 4GB. If a song somehow exceeds this file size, you must compress it. But how do you upload a song to SoundCloud if it’s still too big after this? Your only option here is to split it into several tracks.
SoundCloud will also transcode your audio file to optimize it for the platform’s streaming.
Your SoundCloud Track Options
When uploading your music, you have a lot of fields to fill out. How you approach this can even affect who SoundCloud shows your tracks to. The most important details to include on the track are:
- Your song’s custom URL
- The track’s genre
- Any collaborators
- Your track’s artwork
- Tags fitting the song’s mood
- A description of the track
- Whether the track should be public or private
The track’s Advanced Details are visible under these main fields. This lets you add an ISRC (the song’s International Standard Recording Code) and mark the track for explicit content. You can also enable offline listening, web embedding, and downloads of the original file versions.
You could even add a special audio clip preview. This lets you select 20 seconds from the song. If someone hovers over your track, this is what they’ll hear.
Some track features are only available for SoundCloud’s Next Pro users. For example, premium artists are able to hide (or even disable) track comments for added privacy. They can even pick which specific countries can listen to their song.
SoundCloud’s Genre Options
You can choose from a pre-determined list of genres while uploading or add a custom one. The former might not be as accurate (or as specific). However, it could help your music reach more people. Similarly, it’s worth adding accurate, optimized tags to help your SoundCloud SEO.
There are only 31 genre options on SoundCloud. These are incredibly broad. If you’re sharing a hyperpop track, for example, the most specific genre available is “pop.” You’ll be competing with pop punk, K-pop, and general pop music.
You can simply type in a more accurate genre while you’re uploading a track. However, don’t be too specific here. This could lock you out from listeners who are in similar sub-genres.
Adding Your Track’s Artwork
The art you choose to represent your track could help it get people’s attention. This should draw the eye and must not violate copyright. Stock images are okay, but it’s better to make your own. You might even commission an artist.
Uploading a track image is as simple as clicking Add New Artwork while uploading a song. You can then simply choose a photo from your device. SoundCloud only accepts images with a maximum file size of 2MB.
Your artwork should ideally be in a square format, or else it might crop poorly. The platform also recommends using a picture with a size of at least 800 x 800 pixels. As with audio, lossless HD files are the best ones.
How To Promote Your Track on SoundCloud
Learning how to upload music to SoundCloud is only half the process. You also have to share it far and wide so you can get the results you’re looking for. Here’s how to make sure your song is able to find its listeners:
- Share it online: Many artists use their other platforms to build up a following. Post about the song on Instagram, TikTok, and other sites you use.
- Embed your track: If you have a website, add your songs to it using their embed codes. You can even share your private songs via embedding.
- Add the right tags: SoundCloud wants your song to find an audience. Accurate tags will let the platform know exactly who to promote it to.
- Collaborate: Songs with multiple artists will be able to reach several audiences. Set up a collaboration, and you can boost your whole profile.
- Talk to people: Reply to comments and leave them on other people’s profiles. This helps you build a network that keeps up with your tracks.
- Ask for feedback: Similarly, ask users to give feedback in the comments. They can help you refine your sound and the raw output files.
- Use paid promotion: Next Pro users can access SC’s Promote feature. This lets people set up full ad campaigns entirely on the platform.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you upload your music to SoundCloud as a video?
Your music might only exist as a video. However, you can’t upload video files to SoundCloud. If you can’t edit it into an acceptable format, third-party converters could help.
Is it free to upload to SoundCloud?
Yes, anyone can upload a track to SoundCloud. However, free users can only post 180 minutes of audio content. You’ll need a Next Pro account to go over this limit.
Why can’t I upload to SoundCloud?
You might be over the 180-minute limit, or your file might be incompatible. SoundCloud accepts more than just standard files, such as MP3 and AAC. However, it still only allows certain file types.