Fast Hyperlinks
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Is SoundCloud Higher Than Spotify? SoundCloud or Spotify: Which Platform Gives a Higher Music Listening Expertise?
Key Takeaways
Curious whether or not it is best to select SoundCloud or Spotify for an optimum music-streaming expertise? This is a take a look at every platform’s strengths and which is greatest for uncovering new artists, organizing your playlists, and high-quality sound.
What Is SoundCloud?
SoundCloud is a music-streaming platform based in August 2007. The service has grow to be a well-liked place for up-and-coming artists to share their work with the world.
In line with SoundCloud, greater than 30 million artists use the platform.
What Is Spotify?
Spotify is a music and podcast-streaming service that focuses on a combination of established artists and newcomers to the music scene. The platform was based in 2006 and launched two years later. After starting in Sweden, the platform has expanded to the UK, the US, and plenty of different international locations.
Apart from showcasing a combination of artists, you can even uncover charts in several international locations on Spotify. Furthermore, the app enables you to design your personal playlists—along with sharing its personal.
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Is SoundCloud Higher Than Spotify?
SoundCloud and Spotify excel in several areas. To find out which platform fits your preferences higher, you must choose each of them in step with your particular person wants.
That will help you settle the Spotify vs. SoundCloud debate for your self, we’ve analyzed probably the most important speaking factors.
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Uncovering New Artists and Songs
Spotify has a number of options that show you how to uncover new artists and songs. Uncover Weekly, which delivers new tracks to you every Monday primarily based in your listening historical past, is the most effective instance.
When utilizing Spotify to uncover new artists and songs, you can even use the Day by day Combine playlists. Usually, these are damaged down into completely different genres and moods. Equally, you may entry personalised mixes on Spotify that aren’t day-specific.
Spotify additionally has a Launch Radar for songs from artists you already comply with or singles that it thinks you want to.
SoundCloud, like Spotify, additionally has Day by day Combine playlists. One other related function is the artist station, which can play tracks much like what you already like. The 2 apps even have playlists for various actions, resembling learning and understanding. On this class, there isn’t an enormous distinction between the 2 platforms.
Winner: Tie
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Listening to Unofficial Remixes
SoundCloud is superb for locating unofficial music remixes and mashups. When you’ve ever been to a buddy’s home and heard one thing that’s a mixture of two standard songs, you’ll in all probability discover it on SoundCloud or YouTube Music.
Spotify, alternatively, isn’t the most effective platform for listening to unofficial tracks. That is largely as a result of extraordinary customers can’t add songs to Spotify in the identical method that they’ll on SoundCloud. For that reason, you’ll usually discover underground classics on Spotify a very long time after they have been launched, if in any respect. Nonetheless, you may nonetheless entry a wide selection of hidden gems.
Winner: SoundCloud
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Audio High quality
Spotify’s AAC (superior audio coding) will depend on the plan you’ve got. Spotify Premium enables you to stream as much as 320 kb/s on its official app, whereas you may get 256 kb/s on the internet model. In the meantime, Spotify Free enables you to stream as much as 160 kb/s (official app) and 128 kb/s (net browser).
SoundCloud Go+ customers can stream as much as 256 kb/s. Nonetheless, SoundCloud doesn’t specify the sound high quality without cost plans.
Winner: Spotify
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Pricing
Spotify and SoundCloud each have ad-supported free plans, however you may get the premium variations in order for you entry to extra options.
Spotify Premium begins at $10.99/month within the US ($5.99/month should you’re a pupil). You may as well get Spotify Premium Duo (which permits for 2 accounts) for $14.99/month. In the meantime, Premium Household—which helps you to join as much as six accounts—prices $16.99/month.
When you’re uncertain whether or not it is best to make a purchase order, take into account studying whether or not Spotify Premium is definitely worth the value.
SoundCloud Go prices $4.99/month, however in contrast to Spotify Premium, it doesn’t embody high-quality audio listening, and you’ll’t entry the entire catalog. SoundCloud Go+ prices $9.99/month and gives full catalog entry, plus high-quality audio listening and a few monitor mixing.
As of December 2023, no SoundCloud household plan exists.
Winner: SoundCloud for value, however Spotify Premium has higher options
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Playlists
Even with out the most effective Spotify playlist ideas and methods, Spotify makes creating and sharing playlists quite simple. Discovering playlists can also be easy. Including new tracks is probably the most effective function; on the backside of your playlist, you may select new songs from the Really useful part.
Spotify additionally has a function known as Good Shuffle, which shuffles the songs in your playlist whereas including new ones primarily based on the playlist’s theme. You possibly can add collaborators to every playlist, too, which is ideal if you wish to create one thing with a buddy or companion.
SoundCloud enables you to make playlists of your favourite songs, and you can even save different folks’s playlists in your Library. Nonetheless, the service lacks lots of Spotify’s superior options.
Winner: Spotify
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: App Availability
Spotify has a desktop app and can also be obtainable on iOS and Android. You possibly can obtain the Spotify desktop app from any browser, whereas the cell apps can be found within the App Retailer and Google Play Retailer.
Obtain: Spotify for iOS | Android | Desktop (Free, in-app purchases obtainable)
SoundCloud additionally has iOS and Android apps. You possibly can obtain the Spotify Desktop Participant to your laptop as nicely, but it surely’s solely obtainable in Chrome, Courageous, and Edge. Spotify, alternatively, can also be obtainable in Safari, so it secures a slim victory right here.
Obtain: SoundCloud for iOS | Android | Desktop (Free, in-app purchases obtainable)
Winner: Spotify
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Organizing Your Library
Spotify has a really intuitive interface, and you’ll entry your whole favored songs and playlists from the Your Library part. Furthermore, you may arrange your content material primarily based on what you’ve downloaded.
SoundCloud additionally enables you to simply entry your library by way of the Library part. Nonetheless, the organizational options are restricted in comparison with Spotify. For instance, you may’t rearrange the order of your playlists.
Winner: Spotify
SoundCloud vs. Spotify: Social Options
SoundCloud has a wonderful vary of social sharing options. You possibly can like and repost songs, and one other benefit it has over Spotify is the power to remark (although you may touch upon Spotify podcasts).
Whenever you discover customers that you simply like on SoundCloud, you may simply comply with them. To maintain up with the most recent updates, go to the Feed part.
In the meantime, Spotify enables you to comply with pals and artists. You may as well, in order for you, see what the folks you comply with are listening to. Furthermore, you’ve got the choice to share what you’re listening to with others.
Spotify additionally enables you to make your playlists public, and the app’s greatest social function is Spotify Wrapped. Wrapped reveals you your music-listening habits for the 12 months and makes it simple to share them on social media.
SoundCloud excels in providing the possibility to repost and remark, however Spotify Wrapped is a game-changer. For that reason, we’re giving the 2 platforms a tie on this part.
Winner: Tie
SoundCloud or Spotify: Which Platform Gives a Higher Music Listening Expertise?
When you’re on the lookout for undiscovered artists and unofficial tracks, SoundCloud is the most effective place to look on the web. You’ll additionally discover a variety of artists who’ve gone massive and likewise exist on Spotify, however that is the principle benefit of utilizing SoundCloud.
Spotify, nonetheless, gives a extra well-rounded listening expertise if you wish to take heed to established artists. You additionally get higher worth for cash on the month-to-month pricing plans. Furthermore, the premium subscriptions obtainable are extra versatile than SoundCloud, and the platform additionally has higher customization to your playlists.