In a bold move that could shake up the music-distribution landscape, streaming platform SoundCloud will eliminate its cut of artist royalties beginning at the end of November 2025. According to reports, the company’s new “All-in-One” artist subscription will allow creators to keep 100 % of distribution royalties from outlets like Spotify, Apple Music and TikTok, while also introducing zero-commission fan support features, on-demand vinyl services and built-in merch storefronts. Sources explain that existing Artist and Artist Pro subscribers will gain access to these features immediately, with the royalty share change kicking in for payouts from November onward.
Sources: The Verge, Digital Music News
Key Takeaways
– SoundCloud’s new model gives artists subscribing to its Artist/Artist Pro tiers 100 % of distribution royalties, eliminating the platform’s revenue share starting with the November 2025 payout cycle.
– The platform is also introducing zero-commission fan support, merch storefront integrations and on-demand vinyl production as part of its “All-in-One” subscription package.
– The change signals a strategic pivot by SoundCloud toward positioning itself as a full-service, artist-first hub—competing more directly with indie distributor services while seeking to attract creators disenchanted with traditional streaming economics.
In-Depth
For many independent and emerging artists, monetisation through streaming platforms has long been a frustrating game: you distribute your work, you build an audience, you accrue streams—but the platform cuts, intermediary fees and complex royalty formulas mean you often see only a fraction of the revenue you generated. In that context, SoundCloud’s announcement marks a potentially meaningful shift. The company’s new subscription model lets creators retain all of their distribution royalties—whether the music is going to Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok or another outlet—once the payout period begins after November 2025.
This isn’t just a marketing gesture: the move to pass through 100 % of royalties (with only a small processing fee) aligns with broader trends in the creator economy, where artists seek direct fan relationships, merch income and alternative revenue streams beyond pure streaming. SoundCloud’s rollout includes supportive infrastructure: built-in fan tipping, direct-to-artist support buttons, on-demand vinyl (meaning no large upfront pressings), and integrated storefronts for merch and physical goods. In effect, the company is saying: if you are already uploading, distributing, building a fan-base—why not consolidate all your monetisation in one place?
From a business-perspective, there are risks. SoundCloud is giving up a cut of distribution royalties, which may compress its margins or place pressure on subscriber growth. But the bet appears to be: attract more creators, deepen platform engagement, boost retention, and enhance brand loyalty—ultimately monetising via scale rather than per-unit cuts. Competitors like DistroKid, TuneCore or CD Baby still charge fees and/or take cuts; SoundCloud’s pivot positions it as a more artist-friendly alternative.
For artists, this change could be significant—especially for those whose earnings were previously beset by opaque royalty flows, undisclosed deductions or platform cut-sharing. With 100 % royalty retention, creators may see a higher effective yield from their streaming and distribution efforts, and the integrated fan-support features may help them capture more direct revenue from their audience. That said, artists will still need to drive fan engagement, marketing, streaming volume and conversion to merch or physical products—retaining 100 % means nothing if the revenue base is small.
From a broader industry standpoint, the announcement may prompt other platforms to re-examine their artist payout models. If SoundCloud’s move proves successful in attracting creators and building sustainable business cases, it may heighten competitive pressure across streaming and distribution services. On the flip side, some questions remain: will the “keep 100 %” offering apply across all tiers globally, how will it affect payout timing and tax/processing nuances, and will it attract the level of growth SoundCloud needs to offset the lost revenue from the cut it’s giving up?
In any case, for artists who are already using or considering SoundCloud’s distribution and monetisation tools, this development is worth scrutiny. It lowers one of the structural barriers in music distribution—platform-take-rates—and shifts more of the revenue capture back to the creator. In the world of artistic entrepreneurship, that shift may matter a lot.