SoundCloud has started letting artists sell music directly to fans on its own platform, and says it won’t take a cut of those sales.
The company launched a beta of direct music purchases on Wednesday (August 26), opening it to a select group of Artist Pro creators who can now sell tracks from their profiles.
SoundCloud says it takes no commission on purchases, with artists receiving the proceeds from each sale, less applicable fees and taxes.
Fans can find, buy, and download tracks without leaving SoundCloud, according to the company.
“Artists should be able to build their audience in one place, on one platform,” said Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud. “SoundCloud has always been where artists find their first fans and build real communities.
“We’re continuing to bring more of what they need to grow their careers into that same experience, while letting fans directly support the music they love.”
“We’re continuing to bring more of what they need to grow their careers into that same experience, while letting fans directly support the music they love.”
Eliah Seton, SoundCloud
The beta is starting with approximately 200 US-based Artist Pro creators who have Fan Support enabled.
Those creators can set the price of eligible tracks, make streamed music available for purchase, and track sales through Artist Studio and the Fan Support Dashboard.
Fans buy and download in whichever format the artist supplies, such as MP3 or WAV.
“Starting with a smaller creator group gives us a direct feedback loop: what’s working, where there’s friction, and what artists want us to build next,” SoundCloud said in its announcement.
SoundCloud says access will widen through the beta before it reaches all eligible creators later this fall.
Purchases sit alongside Fan-Powered Royalties, Fan Support, on-demand vinyl, and ticketing as ways for artists to earn on the platform, the company says.
The company says the demand is already visible in the traffic leaving SoundCloud for other services.
More than 250,000 artists have linked over 2.4 million tracks to external music platforms, SoundCloud says.
It also says it sends more than half a million users a year to outside parties to buy music.
In its own research, 28% of surveyed artists either sell downloadable music already or want to, split evenly between the two groups at 14% each.
“The need is already there,” SoundCloud said. “We’re bringing it directly to SoundCloud.”
SoundCloud says its research also shows that superfans can spend up to five times more on music and artists than casual listeners.
The launch extends a run of monetization changes at SoundCloud.
In November 2025, SoundCloud scrapped the revenue share on its distribution service, letting subscribing artists keep 100% of their royalties from distribution to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok, and other platforms.
That overhaul also introduced zero-commission Fan Support, on-demand vinyl, merchandise, and artist storefronts, part of what Seton has called “the next major revenue format” in music.
In March 2026, SoundCloud launched Follower Exclusive Releases, which lets Artist Pro subscribers gate tracks behind a follow.
The company then acquired Nina Protocol in July 2026, taking on the editorial archive of a platform that had let artists sell music directly to listeners and keep 100% of their sales.
Paid downloads also sit at the center of Bandcamp‘s business.
That platform takes 15% of digital sales, dropping to 10% once an artist reaches $5,000 in sales, according to its published fee schedule.
Bandcamp‘s share on physical goods is 10%, with payment processor fees charged separately.
Downloads and other digital revenues fell 5.0% year-on-year in 2025 and now account for 2.5% of global recorded music revenues, according to IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026.
That marked a 13th consecutive year of decline for the format, in a year when streaming accounted for 69.6% of the global total.Music Business Worldwide
SoundCloud has initiated a significant shift in its platform by allowing artists to sell music directly to their fans, launching a beta version of this service on August 26, 2023. This new feature is available to a select group of approximately 200 Artist Pro creators in the U.S., who can now sell tracks directly from their profiles. Notably, SoundCloud has pledged not to take any commission from these sales, meaning artists will retain the full proceeds from their music sales, minus applicable fees and taxes. This development aligns with SoundCloud’s vision of enabling artists to build their audience and community on a single platform, allowing fans to support the music they love directly.
Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud, emphasized the importance of creating a space where artists can find their first fans and develop real communities. He stated, “We’re continuing to bring more of what they need to grow their careers into that same experience.” The beta version allows artists to set prices for their eligible tracks, make streamed music available for purchase, and track their sales through the Artist Studio and Fan Support Dashboard. Moreover, fans can purchase and download music in various formats, such as MP3 or WAV, without leaving the SoundCloud platform.
SoundCloud’s decision to start with a smaller group of creators is strategic, allowing for a direct feedback loop to identify what works, what doesn’t, and what artists would like to see developed next. The company plans to gradually expand access to the beta version until all eligible creators can participate later in the fall. This new direct sales feature complements SoundCloud’s existing monetization strategies, which include Fan-Powered Royalties, Fan Support, on-demand vinyl, and ticketing.
The demand for direct music sales has already been evident, as SoundCloud reports that over 250,000 artists have linked more than 2.4 million tracks to external music platforms. The platform also indicates that it directs over half a million users annually to other services for music purchases. According to SoundCloud’s research, 28% of surveyed artists either currently sell downloadable music or have expressed a desire to do so, with both groups evenly split at 14%. This suggests a ready market for such a feature, reinforcing SoundCloud’s assertion that “the need is already there.”
The introduction of direct sales is part of a broader trend of monetization changes at SoundCloud. In November 2025, the company eliminated revenue sharing on its distribution service, allowing subscribing artists to keep 100% of their royalties from distribution to major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok. This overhaul also included the introduction of zero-commission Fan Support, on-demand vinyl, merchandise sales, and artist storefronts, which Seton has termed « the next major revenue format » in music.
In March 2026, SoundCloud launched Follower Exclusive Releases, allowing Artist Pro subscribers to gate tracks behind a follow, further enhancing monetization options. The acquisition of Nina Protocol in July 2026 also played a role in this shift, bringing in an editorial archive from a platform that previously enabled artists to sell music directly to listeners and retain all their sales revenue.
In contrast to SoundCloud’s approach, Bandcamp has a different model for music sales. Bandcamp takes a 15% cut of digital sales, decreasing to 10% for artists who exceed $5,000 in sales. For physical goods, Bandcamp’s fee is also 10%, with payment processor fees applied separately.
Interestingly, the landscape for digital downloads is changing. According to IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026, downloads and other digital revenues fell by 5% year-on-year, accounting for only 2.5% of global recorded music revenues. This marks a 13th consecutive year of decline in digital sales, while streaming continues to dominate, comprising 69.6% of the global total.
Overall, SoundCloud’s new feature for direct music sales reflects a growing trend towards empowering artists to have more control over their earnings and connect more directly with their fans. As the beta program expands and feedback is gathered from artists, it could potentially reshape how music is sold and consumed on digital platforms in the future.
