Updated: January 13, 2024 
The evolution of media & entertainment app development seems to embrace new technological developments. Platforms like SoundCloud are seeing an increase in users, subscribers, and general engagement. This encourages a lot of businesses to create their own comparable music streaming apps.
The development of apps like SoundCloud is difficult. This cannot be hastened and instead calls for extensive knowledge of developing music streaming software.
There is no doubt that SoundCloud was a forerunner in the internet music streaming app market. The all-encompassing SoundCloud app offers a fantastic mobile user experience. The software can be easily accessed and shared with other users, and the majority of its functions are offered without charge.
It’s not as tough as it would appear to make a music app similar to SoundCloud. The fundamental steps you must take to launch your own music streaming service are outlined in this article. We’ll also offer advice on how to make your app stand out from the crowd. Let’s get going!
What Is SoundCloud?
Creators can post their own material to SoundCloud, a music and podcast streaming service, and connect with listeners all around the world. Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss started it in 2007, and as of 2019, it had 175 million monthly users.
The platform offers a paid subscription with greater features and storage space in addition to a free version with adverts and uploads time restrictions.
Users can explore curated playlists, receive personalized suggestions for new music and audio, and get in touch with creators by leaving comments and integrating social media.
SoundCloud is a place for listeners to find new music, but it’s also a networking tool for artists, podcasters, producers, and other creators to share their work and perhaps get noticed in the business.
How Does SoundCloud Work?
Users of the music and audio platform SoundCloud can upload, distribute, and advertise their own creative content. After creating an account, users can submit their songs or recordings and personalize their profile page with photographs, bios, and links.
Following the profiles of their favorite musicians on social media or using search capabilities will allow other people to find the content. In addition, they can engage with the material by commenting on tracks and liking, reposting, and sharing it.
Through features like posting links to their tunes on other social media sites or including a “buy” button on their profile page, artists may utilize SoundCloud to broaden the audience they reach and engage with fans.
Additionally, SoundCloud provides paid membership services for listeners as well as extra capabilities for artists, including comprehensive track performance information and the capacity to post longer recordings. Overall, SoundCloud offers budding and veteran artists a platform where they may easily share their work with a large worldwide audience.
How Do Apps Like SoundCloud Earn Money?
1. Freemium Model
The freemium app monetization strategy allows users to use the app for free. They will, however, be limited to a limited selection of options and settings. Payment will be required to get access to further features and capabilities.
2. In-app Advertising Model
This specific revenue model is a popular approach to monetizing music streaming services. This user group is not needed to pay in order to access the application’s content. These music streaming services are funded by users who view or click on particular embedded advertising that are a part of the app.
3. Subscription Model
Users must pay a charge to use the premium features and functionality of a SoundCloud-like app for a certain amount of time in the subscription monetization model. When it comes to subscriptions, the app provides two options: SoundCloud Pro and SoundCloud Go.
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SoundCloud Premium
This program allows musicians and artists to upload an endless number of recordings totaling over six hours of audio, as well as do extra procedures such as remark silence, more detailed statistics, and more. And it’s all included with the subscription.
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Go to SoundCloud
This subscription service gives consumers ad-free access to over 120 million songs by well-known and new artists.
4. In-App Purchase Model
This technique of app monetization allows users to purchase or sell virtual or tangible items inside your app. After covering it, let’s look at some pointers and suggestions for making your mobile app similar to SoundCloud future-ready as we draw to a close. And eventually, get a better return on your investment.
Features To Include in Your App Like SoundCloud
You might be interested in developing a SoundCloud-like app as an app developer. To create SoundCloud-like applications, you should always keep in mind a certain set of features. Some of the most prominent features are written below. Let’s take a look at them!
1. Registration And Authorization
Only SoundCloud is available for listening to songs without registering. Only logged-in users have access to the site’s features, including the ability to add music to playlists, save favorite songs, get tailored suggestions, and more.
The signup form is conventional and accepts email addresses as well as Facebook, Google, or Apple accounts. Other businesses, like Spotify, utilize location verification during user registration to weed out customers who aren’t protected by the streaming service’s music licensing.
By adding this function, you allow users to build unique profiles and have a custom experience. Additionally, they will be able to connect with the neighborhood, follow other users, and bookmark their preferred tunes.
2. Basic Music-related
There are a few basic music-related features to keep in mind in between your SoundCloud clone app development. First and foremost is a music player, which allows users to play their uploaded tracks.
Another one is a track uploader. This will allow users to upload their tracks to the app with ease. The last one is a track manager, which allows users to manage their tracks, including editing and deleting them.
3. Online/Offline Listening
SoundCloud being a popular audio-sharing platform, allows users to upload, share, and stream their own audio content seamlessly. One of the features that make SoundCloud so popular is the ability to listen to audio offline. This means that users can continue listening to their favorite content even if they are not connected to the internet.
As people increasingly consume music and audio content online, it’s important to offer them a way to listen both online and offline. Including an offline listening feature in your SoundCloud clone app would be a great way to keep users engaged with your app, even when they’re not connected to the internet.
This feature can be especially useful for users who are often on the go and do not always have access to an internet connection since it gives them the flexibility to listen to content whenever and wherever they want without having to worry about using up their data allowance.
4. Search and Filters
Searching for songs, artists, albums, and genres should be simple and speedy on your clone platform. Additionally, like Spotify and Pandora Premium, you may search for music based on your mood and activities.
By adding this feature, it makes it possible for users to look up songs, artists, and playlists with ease. Make sure to include filters like genre, mood, and popularity as well to further personalize their listening experience.
5. Playlist
The community component of the app will be improved by playlist cooperation, a comments section on songs and user profiles, and the option to follow and message other users.
- Can create a Playlist with your favorite songs.
- It can connect you with your friends and favorite musicians.
- When using the offline mode, you can still listen to your favorite songs.
- Having a million songs by various artists, countries, and genres
- A listener can download SoundCloud for nothing. Access a play store app.
- You may use Google+, Facebook, or email to sign in.
- It is simple to use and offers a flexible format.
- Additionally, you can see commercials for well-known goods.
- The music library will also be updated with recently released tracks.
- You may also pause, play, and switch between tunes from the lock screen.
How To Create a Music Streaming App Like SoundCloud?
An app like SoundCloud requires a herculean effort to create. Making an app is challenging in, and of itself, so it stands to reason that we will have our hands full with this one when someone is focused on making an app similar to SoundCloud itself. Here are some of the most sought-after tips on how you can create a successful SoundCloud clone app.
1. Align SoundCloud Features with Your App
The platform’s features are always what sets it apart from the competition. What features are you hoping to include? Are you planning to register for it? Will your company plan be identical to theirs? Will you make it better?
Say, for illustration, that the business model of the app we are developing will be similar to SoundCloud. With a few limitations on the number of uploads, most of the content and content creation on my app is, therefore, free. One must sign up for a premium subscription if one wants limitless uploads. This is merely an illustration of how we may use the reference in our program.
2. Reverse Engineering
Don’t let this word frighten you. It entails dissecting whatever it is about the reference that appeals to you and incorporating it into your product. Which, in this instance, will serve as a reference for SoundCloud. Take your favorite aspect of SoundCloud and analyze what makes it unique. Once you get the gist, use it in your project.
3. Choose a License
We will make it simpler for you because legal jargon is a specialty in this area. We will pick SoundCloud as our example because it employs the Creative Commons style of license. Here, you can decide which license scheme will work best for your particular business plan.
Why not delve deeply into this one because we don’t have to mimic everything SoundCloud does?
One other music streaming service, spotify, for instance, uses both a sound recording licensing agreement and a music composition license agreement.
4. Locate Expert App Developers
Hiring seasoned app developers will have a number of advantages; some of the most common ones include the following:
- Smooth operation
- Upgraded MVP (Minimal Viable Product)
- The superior final product
- Higher eyesight accuracy
- Increased technical assistance
The game for your business is changed entirely by app developers. Apps require competent app developers, much as books require professional editors. As a general rule, you should always hire experienced app developers.
How Much Does It Cost To Build an App Like SoundCloud?
A number of variables, such as the platform(s) being produced for, the scope and complexity of the features, and the level of experience of the development team, can have a significant impact on the cost of developing an app like SoundCloud.
Generally speaking, it may cost between $50,000 and $150,000 to create a rudimentary version of an app like SoundCloud. The price could potentially approach $500,000 if the software has sophisticated features like tailored suggestions, music streaming and storage, social networking capabilities, and interfaces with other platforms and services.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that the initial development expense is only one component of the overall financial commitment required for a successful app. Continuous upkeep and updates, marketing initiatives, server charges, and other costs can all rise dramatically over time.
Overall, discussing the project with a trustworthy development company and outlining all necessary features and functionalities is the best method to figure out the precise cost of developing an app like SoundCloud. This will make cost estimates more precise and guarantee that the final product lives up to all expectations.
Utilizing the no-code platform, which starts at $165 a month, is an additional option. You can considerably lower the cost of developing an app and put the saved money into its growth and marketing.
How Long Will It Take?
The intricacy of the software and the number of the team developing it are two variables that will affect the answer to this question. Typically, the development of an app like SoundCloud can take anywhere from a few months to more than a year.
This is due to the fact that developing a platform for music sharing and streaming necessitates a number of features, including user profiles, search functions, and the capacity to upload and play audio files. The software also needs to have a slick and simple user interface. Developing each of these components takes time and careful planning.
Nevertheless, a smaller group or lone developer may be able to create a streamlined version of an app like SoundCloud sooner. It all depends on the team’s or developer’s unique objectives and skills. Overall, creating an app similar to SoundCloud is a difficult and drawn-out process, but it is doable with enough commitment and effort.
Wrapping Up
The creation of music streaming software is a lengthy undertaking. You should be equipped to face genuine difficulties. One thing to keep in mind is that you should ignore SoundCloud itself and concentrate on your app. It’s “How to construct my very own app like SoundCloud but full of unique features,” not “How to make a SoundCloud clone.” You’ll continue to be the most effective in terms of planning and development if you do this.
Being the owner of a music streaming platform is a funny and unsettling parallel experience. The aforementioned features would have an impact on your budget by fixing the cost of developing your music streaming software for Android and iOS.
If you are on the hunt for a reliable mobile app development company that can assist you with the app development process, then we at RV Technologies have got you covered. With our highly specialized team of experts, we can help create your dream app seamlessly.
Connect with our experts today!
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