You can now buy music on SoundCloud

SoundCloud has launched a new beta feature that allows artists on the audio streaming platform to sell music directly from their profiles, instead of diverting fans to purchase from third-party services like Bandcamp and Beatport. The feature aims to give listeners a better way to support the musicians behind their favorite songs, because SoundCloud isn’t taking any commission from these sales — meaning everything goes directly to the artists.

By comparison, Bandcamp takes a cut of between 10-15 percent for sales, and artists on Beatport receive roughly 50-65 percent of their sale price. More than 250,000 artists have linked over 2.4 million tracks to external music platforms, according to SoundCloud, and the platform says it sends more than half a million users to external parties to purchase music each year.

The ability to sell music will only be available to 200 Artist Pro SoundCloud creators in the US to start, with plans to expand access to all eligible creators later this fall. Fans can purchase music “in the format provided by the artist,” according to SoundCloud, such as MP3 or WAV files.

This new beta feature follows SoundCloud launching its All-in-One artists subscription in November last year, which gives creators 100 percent of their distribution royalties. The introduction of music sales is also part of SoundCloud’s plan to evolve into something more than a service for streaming and discovering music, allowing its creators to “get heard, connect with fans, and earn-all in one place.”