SoundCloud Alternatives for Artists: Sell, Host, Distribute
SoundCloud alternatives for artists compared on fees, upload limits and distribution: Bandcamp, Audiomack, Mixcloud and DistroKid, with official prices.
•4 min read•Audio & Music
Verdict:Sell on Bandcamp, host free on Audiomack, post long mixes on Mixcloud, and use DistroKid when you want your songs on streaming stores; none of them copies SoundCloud's comment-on-waveform community.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandcamp | 15% of digital sales (10% after $5,000 in 12 months) plus processor fees | Web, iOS, Android | Selling albums and singles directly to fans | Docs only |
| Audiomack | Free for artists (unlimited storage per its creators page) | Web, iOS, Android | Free hosting for releases and mixtapes with stats | Docs only |
| Mixcloud | Free Basic (10 shows, 10 tracks); Pro $11.25/month billed yearly | Web, iOS, Android | DJ sets, radio shows and long mixes | Docs only |
| DistroKid | From $24.99 per year (Musician, one artist) | Web, iOS, Android | Getting finished songs onto streaming stores while keeping earnings | Docs only |
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Good fit if
- You want to be paid for downloads and albums, not only plays
- You are close to SoundCloud's upload-time cap
- You want a release on streaming stores as well as a hosting page
Not ideal if
- Your audience already follows you on SoundCloud and you only need a few more hours of upload time
- You rely on SoundCloud's remix and bootleg culture
- You want a free way to get on Spotify (distribution costs money)
If you make music and SoundCloud's upload cap or lack of direct sales is the problem, the answer depends on the job. Bandcamp is the pick for selling, Audiomack for free hosting, Mixcloud for long DJ sets, and DistroKid for putting songs on streaming stores. The deciding point is that hosting a track and distributing it are different services, so you may need to combine two.
What matters for artists
Four criteria separate these tools:
- Getting paid. What percentage leaves your sales, and is there a threshold.
- Upload limits. SoundCloud's plans page lists 3 hours of uploads on the Artist plan and unlimited uploads on Artist Pro, which is where hosting costs start to bite.
- Reach beyond the platform. A hosting page is not a streaming-store release.
- Content type. Two-minute demos, albums and two-hour mixes need different homes.
TechCrunch's December 2024 report put the Artist plan at $39 a year, with distribution to other platforms limited to two tracks a month. The two-track monthly limit suits a few releases but not a large catalog. Confirm current prices on SoundCloud's site.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a store and streaming page where fans pay you directly for downloads, albums and physical items. It is the standard choice when income matters more than casual plays.
According to Bandcamp's fees article, the revenue share is 15% on digital items and drops to 10% once you reach $5,000 in sales. The 10% rate only holds if you made at least $5,000 in the past 12 months. Physical goods carry a 10% share calculated without shipping or tax.
Payment processor fees are charged separately and typically range from 4% to 6%. The share applies only to the first $100 of an item, so a high-priced bundle is not penalized past that.
Who should not pick it: artists who want a free feed of plays for discovery. Bandcamp rewards fans who already know you.
Audiomack
Audiomack is a free streaming and upload platform that, per its creators page, gives artists unlimited storage at no cost, with advanced stats and advanced private links on free accounts.
That solves the SoundCloud problem of paying for upload minutes. Check the current monetization terms in your creator account before planning around income from it.
Who should not pick it: artists whose scene is built on remixes and bootlegs, or who want a direct-sales storefront as the main goal.
Mixcloud
Mixcloud is a platform for DJ sets, radio shows and long mixes. According to the Mixcloud Pro page, Basic accounts get 10 show uploads and 10 track uploads at 64kbps AAC+.
Pro removes the upload limits and raises quality to 160kbps Opus. It costs $11.25 a month billed annually or $15.00 billed monthly, and the page lists royalties paid out to artists as a feature.
Who should not pick it: songwriters releasing loose singles. The free tier's 10-track limit is a hard stop for a catalog.
DistroKid
DistroKid is a distributor, not a hosting site. It sends finished releases to streaming stores for a yearly fee instead of taking a cut. According to its pricing page, Musician is $24.99 a year for one artist or band, Musician Plus is $44.99 for two, and Ultimate is $89.99.
Every plan lists unlimited uploads and keeping 100% of earnings. Confirm the store list on DistroKid's site before you pay.
Who should not pick it: anyone who wants a public page to share demos. DistroKid does not replace a place to post work in progress.
Comparison
| Bandcamp | Audiomack | Mixcloud | DistroKid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job | Sell to fans | Free hosting | Long mixes | Store distribution |
| Cost | 15% digital (10% past $5,000) + processor fees | Free storage | Free; Pro $11.25/mo yearly | From $24.99/year |
| Upload limit | Check Bandcamp | Unlimited per creators page | 10 shows, 10 tracks on Basic | Unlimited |
| Keeps your earnings | Minus fees | Check Audiomack | Pro lists royalties | 100% listed |
| Best content | Albums, singles | Releases, mixtapes | DJ sets | Finished songs |
How to choose
- You make albums and want income. Start with Bandcamp. The 15% share on digital sales is the price of a direct sales page.
- You release often and want the plays. Use Audiomack for free hosting and add DistroKid when a release is ready for the stores.
- You mix and record sets. Mixcloud is built for long mixes; upgrade to Pro only once you pass 10 shows.
- You are only short on SoundCloud upload time. Compare the $39 Artist plan against $24.99 for DistroKid and the free hosting above before you migrate anything.
Related reading: Tidal alternatives if you also care about listening, free music production software for recording the tracks, and free DAWs if you are choosing a recorder.
Limits of this review
No platform was installed or tested. SoundCloud's free-plan upload cap, Audiomack's monetization rules and DistroKid's store list were not found on official pages and are left out. No community threads were read, so the choices lean on vendor pages and published comparisons.
FAQ
What is the best SoundCloud alternative for artists who want to sell music?
Bandcamp. According to its help center, it takes 15% of digital sales, dropping to 10% once you reach $5,000 in sales, plus payment processor fees that typically run 4% to 6%. Physical goods carry a 10% share. You set the price and fans pay you directly.
Is there a free SoundCloud alternative with no upload limit?
Audiomack's creators page says artists get unlimited storage at no cost, with advanced stats and private links on free accounts. SoundCloud's plans page, by contrast, lists a 3-hour upload cap on the Artist plan and unlimited uploads only on Artist Pro. Check Audiomack's terms before moving a large catalog.
Is SoundCloud a distributor?
Partly. TechCrunch reported in December 2024 that SoundCloud's Artist plan costs $39 a year and includes distribution to other platforms for two tracks a month, with artists keeping 100% of royalties. Dedicated distributors such as DistroKid, which lists unlimited uploads on every plan, are built for larger catalogs.
How much does DistroKid cost?
DistroKid's pricing page lists Musician at $24.99 a year for one artist, Musician Plus at $44.99 for two artists, and Ultimate at $89.99. All plans list unlimited uploads and 100% of earnings kept. The page does not list which stores are included.
What is the best SoundCloud alternative for DJ mixes?
Mixcloud. Its free Basic plan allows 10 show uploads and 10 track uploads at 64kbps AAC+. Pro costs $11.25 a month billed annually, or $15.00 billed monthly, and, per its Pro page, adds unlimited uploads, 160kbps Opus audio and royalties paid to artists. Basic's limits fill quickly for a regular mix series.
Do I have to leave SoundCloud completely?
No. Hosting and selling are separate jobs, so you can keep a SoundCloud page for discovery and add Bandcamp for sales or a distributor for stores. SoundCloud's Artist plan lists 3 hours of uploads, so a long catalog is the main reason to move hosting, for example to Audiomack, whose creators page lists unlimited storage.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Official pages were read on 2026-10-26: Bandcamp's fees help article, Mixcloud's Pro page, DistroKid's pricing page, Audiomack's creators page and SoundCloud's plans page. SoundCloud's Artist plan price comes from TechCrunch's December 2024 report, because SoundCloud's own help pages blocked the research tool. Competing articles were compared for gaps. Reddit threads were not used. No platform was installed or tested.