SoundCloud takes on Spotify with new music subscription service

SoundCloud is finally taking on Spotify with a new music subscription service, launching today, called SoundCloud Go.

The service, which will only be available in the US at launch, will cost $9.99 per month and offer access to a “newly expanded catalog” of music as well as offline listening.

If you’re an iOS user, it’ll cost more, with the company charging $12.99 for signups to account for Apple’s mandatory 30 percent cut.

For existing Pro Unlimited users, it’ll cost a discounted rate of $4.99 per month for the first six months.

In recent months the company has been signing agreements with major record labels, including Sony, and the service will feature more than 125 million tracks at launch.

In the announcement today SoundCloud reassured current users that it’ll still offer the same indie music today that it’s known for, but the new service will complement that with a wider library.

If you happen across a paid track on the service and don’t have a plan, you’ll get a 30-second preview instead.

The company eventually plans to roll the service out to other countries later this year, but didn’t specify where or when that’ll specifically happen.

What’ll be interesting to watch is if SoundCloud, which is years late to a fully fledged streaming offering, can muscle in and convince people to move across from the likes of Spotify, Apple Music or Tidal.

I use SoundCloud almost daily to find new tracks, so the service sounds interesting given its extensive indie library, but Spotify’s Discover Weekly has me hooked for now.

➤ SoundCloud Go