SoundCloud has announced SoundCloud Go, a new paid subscription service that promises ad-free listening and an expanded music library. SoundCloud Go allows you to save audio to hear offline, and provides access to the catalogs of the three major labels and more than 20,000 independent labels, in addition to the music available on SoundCloud's free tier. (The music streaming provider said it will also continue to offer its existing, ad-supported free service.) SoundCloud Go launches in the U.S. today and elsewhere later this year. It costs $9.99 a month for Android and desktop devices, but it costs $12.99 for iOs devices. Subscribers get a 30-day free trial.
SoundCloud founder and CEO Alexander Ljung said in a press release, "SoundCloud Go represents our vision of the future of music streaming: a platform for creators to collaborate on; for fans to discover the latest tracks, enjoy legendary music and connect with their favorite artists; and for our unique creative community to have the opportunity to be paid for their work."
SoundCloud unveiled plans for a subscription service in 2014, when it signed a licensing deal with Warner Music Group. Last year, the company reached a similar agreement with Merlin, which manages digital rights for independent labels. Earlier this year, SoundCloud struck arrangements with the other major labels, Universal and Sony.
In 2015, streaming became the biggest source of U.S. recorded-music revenue for the first time. The bulk of that revenue came from paid subscriptions. Last year, vinyl album sales brought in more revenue than the recording industry received from free, ad-supported streaming services.
Read our streaming music feature Up Next: How Playlists Are Curating the Future of Music.
via Marc Hogan
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