While most teens regularly use Apple Music and Spotify to stream music daily, most have SoundCloud on their phone for an occasional browse. Lately, more and more teens are switching to SoundCloud premium and are leaving their more conventional listening services behind. SoundCloud is the youtube for audio, anyone can upload what they want for others to listen. You can of course still hear more established artists on the app as well. Many rappers and DJ’s get their start on SoundCloud and later move onto larger platforms and studios.
What makes this app so special is that people can post their mashups/remixes and covers to make you hear a familiar song in a new way. I personally use Spotify but often find myself going to SoundCloud for mood-lifting mashups or mellowing slowed versions of my favorite songs. Occasionally, I stumble upon a new artist that is not on Spotify and spend hours listening and saving their music to my playlist.
Teens take music very seriously and love sharing songs they think highly of with friends. As more and more SoundCloud links get shared the more the services following grows. After a while, teens grow sick of the ads keeping them from instant access to the next song and become members. SoundCloud has become a more prevalent way of listening to music for me and I foresee that its popularity will not slow down. I have so many awesome memories with friends connected to SoundCloud songs that I can’t hear anywhere else. It is cool that anyone can release these tracks that make up the soundtrack of my life.
theyoungadult 