DJs Can Now Make Money Off Their SoundCloud Mixes in Revenue-Sharing Update

Exclusive: The music-streaming platform is expanding its revenue sharing program to include producers and remixers.

by Anna Codrea-Rado
Mar 13 2017, 3:00pm

Photo by David Savochka/Pexels

SoundCloud announced today that DJs and producers who upload mixes and remixes to the music-streaming service will now be able to monetize them for the first time, THUMP can exclusively reveal. As of today, SoundCloud is expanding its invite-only revenue-sharing program to include artists who create "recorded and live sets, remixes, and other user-generated content."

SoundCloud's Chief Content Officer Stephen Bryan told THUMP: "This will be the first time we've invited DJs and producers who create remixes and sets on SoundCloud to start to be able to monetize and participate in the revenue that we're generating through ads and subscriptions."


"Revenue that's generated through ads and subscription payments by consumers is divided up and paid out based on how content is consumed," Bryan said. Although he did not specify the exact metrics used to determine how much artists will get paid, he said that payments are based on "share of engagement" and "listening time."



Since the deals were made, the takedown rate—something that has long plagued the site—has dropped by 40 percent in the last 12 months, a historic low for the company, according to a spokesperson. SoundCloud's most recently available financial data revealed that the company is still loss-making, but that its revenue was up 20 percent from the previous year.

"This is the natural evolution of our mission, Bryan said. "The ability to make money on our platform from the creativity [the users] are contributing to the community."

