SoundCloud

Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss launched SoundCloud in Berlin during August 2007 to give musicians a direct line to listeners without radio gatekeepers. The platform started as a niche tool for bedroom producers sharing rough mixes but grew into a global infrastructure serving over 190 countries. Today it operates as SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG and hosts more than 400 million tracks from 30 million artists.

The service functions as a dual-sided marketplace offering free access alongside premium tiers like Repost by SoundCloud and SoundCloud Go+. Users can upload official releases, DJ sets, podcasts, and underground tracks often missing from mainstream competitors. This open architecture fostered a loyal community of DJs and emerging artists who value the flexibility to remix and share raw audio files directly with fans.

In mid-2026 the company pivoted toward decentralized infrastructure after acquiring Nina Protocol, a Web3 music platform that had ceased operations five years prior. This move integrates blockchain technology to offer creators better ownership rights and monetization options. Later that same year SoundCloud introduced The Upload, a feature designed to let users manually curate discovery feeds and combat algorithmic fatigue. [edit]