SoundCloud Expands Premiere Program Helping Artists Monetize Directly

On Tuesday, Soundcloud announced an expansion of SoundCloud Premier program, a direct monetization platform focused on making it easier for fans to support artists.

After initially testing out the Premier with a select group of artists, the program will now be more widely available.

To start, artists must have at least 5,000 plays in the past month and prove that they own the full rights to the music they're monetizing.

READ: The Ten Best SoundCloud Finds of the Month (September 2018)

The move follows Spotify's announcement last month that it is rolling out a program where independent artists could upload music directly to their platform, bypassing labels, which was SoundCloud's major appeal.

The streaming platform also promises direct, monthly payments. The money for Premier will reportedly come from a mix of advertising from the free user experience side and the costs of subscription accounts.

“Expanding SoundCloud Premier’s direct monetization offering from thousands, to hundreds of thousands of eligible creators is an exciting step in our commitment to empowering as many creators as possible to grow their careers," SoundCloud Chief Executive Officer Kerry Trainor said in a statement.

Current SoundCloud Premiere members include artists such as Chance the Rapper, Kali Uchis, Lil Uzi Vert, $UICIDEBOY$, Alina Baraz, Towkio, Lil Yachty, Bryson Tiller, and Metro Boomin.