SoundCloud is a powerful tool that allows previously-unknown music artists to obtain massive exposure, sometimes overnight. And unlike iTunes or Spotify, this open platform allows anyone to listen for free and upload tracks, so long as they own the rights.
SoundCloud is a fascinating concept and has a growing community. This post explores some of the most interesting SoundCloud statistics and why they matter.
Interesting SoundCloud Statistics
Here are some interesting SoundCloud stats right off the bat:
- SoundCloud has over 76 million subscribers.
- SoundCloud had about 120 million monthly active users in 2022, down from 175 million in 2017.
- There are 30 million creators on SoundCloud.
- SoundCloud made $273 million in revenue in 2021, up from $218 million in 2020.
- The Soundcloud brand was valued at $800 million in 2023, up from $700 million in 2021.
- More than 27% of SoundCloud users are from the US.
- 63.5% of the platform audience is 18-34 years old.
- SoundCloud hosts more than 135,000 independent artists.
- Over 150 million songs were available on SoundCloud in 2021, down from 200 million songs in 2020.
SoundCloud is a significant player in the music streaming space. Plus, it allows you to discover music styles and artists you never knew existed.
Like the multitude of artists vying for your attention, here are several interesting stats.
General SoundCloud Facts
Are you ready to discover SoundCloud stats? Let’s dive in.
1. SoundCloud had 127.8 million active users in December 2022, up from 118.4 million in November 2022.
(Similar Web, Business Of Apps)
The number of monthly active SoundCloud users was 175 million in 2017, down from 200 million in 2016. The platform peaked in 2014 with 275 million users. In 2012, the platform had 125 million monthly users.
Number of SoundCloud Monthly Users
| Year | Number of Monthly Active Users, in millions |
| 2012 | 125 |
| 2013 | 200 |
| 2014 | 275 |
| 2015 | 250 |
| 2016 | 200 |
| 2017 | 175 |
| October 2022 | 123 |
| November 2022 | 118.4 |
| December 2022 | 127.8 |
2. SoundCloud has more than 76 million subscribers.
(SoundCloud)
The number of SoundCloud registered users reached 130 million in 2021, up from 115 million in 2020. Many of these users don’t have accounts.
Number of SoundCloud Registered Users
| Year | Number of Registered Users, in millions |
| 2012 | 15 |
| 2013 | 40 |
| 2014 | 85 |
| 2015 | 150 |
| 2018 | 85 |
| 2019 | 92 |
| 2020 | 115 |
| 2021 | 130 |
3. SoundCloud had 150 million songs in 2021, which is 50 million songs less than in 2020.
(Verge)
The platform had over 200 million soundtracks in 2020, up from 180 million in 2019. In 2016, SoundCloud announced it hosted more than 125 million tracks across all subscription tiers.
Number of SoundCloud Songs
| Year | Number of Songs, in millions |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 |
| 2016 | 125 |
| 2019 | 180 |
| 2020 | 200 |
| 2021 | 150 |
4. SoundCloud had 30 million creators on its platform in 2021, up from 25 million in 2020.
(Business Of Apps)
There were 22 million creators in 2019, up from 20 million in 2018. SoundCloud is the gift that keeps on giving to artists who want to get their careers off the ground.
| Year | Number of Creators, in millions |
| 2018 | 20 million |
| 2019 | 22 million |
| 2020 | 25 million |
| 2021 | 30 million |
5. SoundCloud users make 13.6 million searches per month on the platform
(SEMrush)
SoundCloud is a highly active platform. Users make over 13 million searches each month to find notable tracks.
6. In 2020, SoundCloud announced that it made $15 million available to help musicians during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic
(Billboard)
Not wanting the music industry to crash during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders, the platform offered artists millions of dollars and additional initiatives to help boost their long-term careers.
SoundCloud Revenue Stats
SoundCloud recently became a profitable company. Here are some stats for SoundCloud that relate to the platform’s financial performance.
7. SoundCloud revenue was valued at $273 million in 2021, up 25% from $218 million in 2020.
(Business of Apps)
The platform reached $116 million in 2019 and $108 billion in 2018. For comparison, the company’s revenue in 2016 was only $25 million.
| Year | Revenue, in $US millions |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 11 |
| 2014 | 17 |
| 2015 | 21 |
| 2016 | 25 |
| 2017 | 81 |
| 2018 | 108 |
| 2019 | 116 |
| 2020 | 218 |
| 2021 | 273 |
8. SoundCloud platform worth over $800 million in 2023.
(Wealthy Persons)
The brand value was $700 million in 2021, up from $500 million in 2020. SoundCloud was valued at $350 million in 2018, up 133% from $150 million in 2016.
Despite being founded only in 2007, the audio platform is now valued at more than $800 million. However, it is still significantly less valuable than Spotify at around $30 billion and Pandora radio’s market cap of $2.68 billion.
SoundCloud Valuation
| Year | SoundCloud Valuation, in $US millions |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 800 |
| 2021 | 700 |
| 2020 | 500 |
| 2019 | 480 |
| 2018 | 350 |
| 2017 | 300 |
| 2016 | 150 |
| 2015 | 80 |
9. SoundCloud received a bailout worth $169.5 million in 2017 to prevent bankruptcy
(Uproxx)
In 2017, SoundCloud earnings were in bad shape. However, New York City-based investment bank Raine raised more than $169.5 million with the help of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, Temasek, to keep the company afloat.
10. SoundCloud saw a 31% increase in ad revenue in 2020.
(Music In Africa)
In 2020, total revenues at SoundCloud dramatically exceeded the company’s expectations. That same year, gross profit margins were up by more than 53 percent.
SoundCloud Market Share
Let’s take a look at how SoundCloud measures up to other streaming services:
11. The majority of SoundCloud’s traffic (27.5%) comes from the United States.
(Similar Web)
The United Kingdom comes in second with 5.6% of traffic. This is followed by Germany with 5.1%, France with 3.3% and Canada with 3.2%.
SoundCloud Market Share by Country
| Country | Traffic Market Share, % |
| United States | 27.5% |
| United Kingdom | 5.6% |
| Germany | 5.1% |
| France | 3.3% |
| Canada | 3.2%. |
| Others | 55.3% |
12. SoundCloud has a 61.55% share of the audio player market
(Web Tech Survey)
While SoundCloud might be a little behind Apple and Spotify in terms of user numbers, it is way out in the lead for audio players with nearly two-thirds of the market, according to SoundCloud listening stats.
SoundCloud Demographics
And here are some statistics on SoundCloud Demographics.
13. 63.5% of SoundCloud’s audience is aged between 18 and 34.
(Similar Web)
31.4% of SoundCloud users are aged 18-24, 32.1% are aged 25-34, 16.9% are aged 35-44, and 19.6% are aged 45+.
Wrap up
SoundCloud is an exciting platform because it does things differently. Instead of following standard business models, it strives toward making human creativity more open-source.
SoundCloud statistics reveal that the platform allows access to all the music you could ever listen to from new artists. The downside is that you probably won’t be able to find your favorite tracks on it. And if you do, they will likely be remixes.
Even so, it’s good to have some choice, right?
Sources
Timeline Of The Article
-> V1 – Yearly Overhaul: 02-01-2023
Deyan is an avid enthusiast and self-proclaimed fan of the Windows operating system. His passion for discovering new functionalities and hidden gems within Windows drives his insatiable curiosity and fuels his desire to share his findings with others. As an avid writer, Deyan frequently shares his expertise through articles that provide tips and tricks to optimize the Windows experience.