In a strategic move to enhance artist-fan interactions, SoundCloud has announced the launch of its latest feature, ‘Fans‘. Building upon its user-centric payouts and ‘fan-powered royalties’ initiative, SoundCloud aims to provide artists and their teams with a valuable platform to connect and engage with their most dedicated supporters.
SoundCloud’s VP of Strategy, Michael Pelczynski, previously hinted at the platform’s intentions during the NY:LON conference earlier this year, stating, “When the economic model cuts these cohorts [of fans] into their own scenes, rooms, that’s when the model really flies. That data, let alone the royalties, becomes even more valuable. That knowledge, or that data of you as a fan, is also incredibly valuable. The model needs to build a commercial opportunity on top of itself.”
With ‘Fans’, artists will gain access to comprehensive analytics that highlight their most influential and supportive fans, based not only on royalties but also comments, listening behavior, and sharing habits. This data-driven approach empowers artists to personalize their interactions and deepen connections with their fanbase. Moreover, SoundCloud’s SVP, creator Tracy Chan, explained that artists can utilize this feature to express gratitude, share sneak peeks of upcoming releases, promote merchandise and concert tickets, or simply foster conversations with their supporters.
While this new development is a significant step toward fostering direct artist-fan communication, SoundCloud remains mindful of the need for a delicate balance. While it may be assumed that fans would welcome messages from the artists they follow, SoundCloud provides an opt-out option for those who prefer not to receive such communication. Furthermore, spam prevention measures are in place to ensure that artists do not overwhelm their fans with excessive messages.
This introduction marks an important milestone for SoundCloud as it strives to provide artists with more comprehensive access to data on their most engaged fans. The platform acknowledges that ‘Fans’ holds the potential to serve as a one-way promotional channel for artists, but its true power lies in enabling a two-way conversation between artists and fans.
SoundCloud’s effort to facilitate direct artist-fan communication is part of a broader trend observed in the music industry. The rising popularity of Discord servers further emphasizes fans’ desire for privileged communications and the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with their favourite artists.
‘Fans’ is now available to over 50,000 artists subscribed to SoundCloud’s ‘Next Pro’ plan. By capitalizing on the insights provided by this feature, artists can take their relationship with fans to new heights, fostering a sense of community and loyalty that goes beyond the music itself.
