SoundCloud Launches TikTok-Style Discovery Feed with Short Song Clips
SoundCloud has announced the roll out of a new discovery feed that features vertical scrolling and short clips from songs, similar to TikTok. The music streaming company had been testing this feature since March and it will now be available to all users on iOS and Android in the upcoming days.
Better Song Previews and Navigation
The updated app allows users to listen to a 30-second clip of a song before deciding whether to play the full track. By tapping the play button during the preview, users can seamlessly transition into the full version.
AI-Powered Recommendations: SoundCloud uses AI technology from Musiio (a startup it acquired in 2022) to automatically select the best 30 seconds of a song for previews, while artists can still manually choose their own highlights.
New User Interface and Shortcut Buttons
The new discovery feed UI includes convenient shortcut buttons that allow users to add a song directly to a playlist or library, as well as like tracks for later reference in their “Liked tracks” section.
Access to Following Feed Still Available
Users can still access the old-styled following feed by clicking the “Following” tab at the top of their screens. This feed displays tracks published by artists they follow.
Influenced by Spotify and TikTok Music
In addition to SoundCloud, other platforms like Spotify and TikTok Music have also introduced vertical feeds with short song and podcast previews for enhanced music discovery experiences.
About SoundCloud’s Offerings and Initiatives
SoundCloud hosts more than 320 million tracks from 40 million creators. The company has been actively developing initiatives for artists to promote their songs and engage with fans, such as offering engagement tools like analytics and direct messaging functionalities.
Additionally, SoundCloud launched the fan-powered royalty program in 2021, which currently includes over 500,000 artists. This program distributes revenue based on the artists users listen to, rather than simply counting overall streams.
Focus on Profitability
In an effort to achieve profitability by the end of this year, SoundCloud underwent staff cuts in May. Previously, the company had also reduced its workforce by 20% in August of the preceding year.