Reaching future fans, A&Rs, and more just got easier.

Last year, nearly 45.6 million tracks across music streaming services received zero plays. At SoundCloud, we’re committed to getting your music heard, and last year, we introduced First Fans, a recommendation algorithm that helped Next Pro subscribers get new uploads in front of up to 100 listeners who enjoy similar music during the critical period immediately after release. 

Since the launch of First Fans, more than 3.5 million tracks have been analyzed and recommended to potential new fans. And, the average Next Pro artist saw a whopping 400% increase in listens. Building on this success, we updated the First Fans algorithm so now the top tracks get in front of up to 1000 listeners, reaching even more potential fans.  

Now, we’re upping the ante with the launch of Buzzing Playlists, a set of fan-powered, genre-specific playlists, featuring songs based on genuine fan engagement. Updated weekly, these new playlists are sourced from Next Pro artists who have opted in to have their tracks analyzed by First Fans, and are meant to expose artists to even more listeners, giving them the opportunity to get heard by potential new fans. 

Here’s how Buzzing works:

1. SoundCloud Next Pro artists upload a fresh track and opt-in to have it analyzed by First Fans, our recommendation algorithm. 
2. First Fans then analyzes these uploads and recommends them to up to 100 listeners most likely to love it, based on their past listening behavior. 
3. From there, top tracks are recommended to even more listeners, now up to 1000.
4. The highest performing tracks of those recommended – the ones that listeners engage with the most (likes, comments, reposts, replays and playlist adds) earn a spot on a coveted, fan-powered, Buzzing playlist. 

Buzzing Playlists are available to all SoundCloud users and will showcase fresh tracks from the best up-and-coming Next Pro artists in Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, and Electronic. For Next Pro artists, it’s a chance to show off their best new music and find future fans. Also, tracks that are well received by fans listening to Buzzing have the potential to be added to SoundCloud editorial playlists, subject to eligibility criteria for editorial playlisting. Tracks that receive continued and sustained increases in plays may subsequently appear in one of many SoundCloud charts. For listeners, it’s a way to discover the tracks and artists other fans in their scene are connecting with. For A&Rs and industry professionals, it’s a cheat-sheet for who to keep their eyes on.

You can listen to this week’s Buzzing Playlists here. You can also learn more about Buzzing in our Help Center here. And, in case you missed it, make sure to catch up on our other recent SoundCloud for Artist updates like assistive AI integrations, CarPlay, comments and shares, and more. We’re serious about our commitment to helping artists get heard and we’re continuing to explore and innovate, so watch this space. 

‍Subscribe to Next Pro today to access First Fans, be eligible to be featured on Buzzing, and get early access to other upcoming features.