At the end of August 2014 SoundCloud announced a new partnership program that would allow the most popular users to monetize tracks with advertisements.
Six months later SoundCloud says they’ve paid out $1 million in advertising revenue to just over 100 partners.
These partners include Fool’s Gold Records, Fullscreen, and Maker Studios.
Advertisers include Jaguar, Microsoft, and Grand Marnier. Jaguar and Microsoft have used the platform to sponsor exclusive tracks. Mountain Dew used SoundCloud to sponsor an artist competition through their record label Green Label.
SoundCloud is effectively helping companies further blur the line between massive corporation and arts patrons. But in a world where major labels aren’t acting in artists’ best interest, is this necessarily a bad thing?
On the other hand, SoundCloud allegedly tried to force crappy deal terms on indie labels, while providing favorable terms to major labels.
Nina Ulloa covers breaking news, tech, and more: @nine_u
Only UMG’s VeeeeVoooo beats SounCloud in lack of logic and business purpose!
Who is behind all those HOT investments?
They have just burned over $100M of week-one music release on YouTube/VEVO incinerator.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtKuVNj4wVrZvTfxPxAUHcQ
This tune is a perfect tune from new artist for global $100 million in first week run on Radio, streaming, bar, car or elevator working as a music store!
Every single day Radio DJs could fish out nuggets like that from unchartered by labels waters of music.
Time for discovery moment monetization.
Larry Page please help to double your Google as we build $100B+ music business!
In other news…ASCAP just reported that they took in over $1 Billion in royalty payments last year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/04/business/media/ascap-topped-1-billion-in-revenue-last-year.html