How to earn royalties from your existing music on SoundCloud for free
Our SoundCloud Network allows anyone to easily monetize their music and start collecting revenue for each play.
Whether you distribute your music to stores and streaming service with us, another distributor or not at all, we can help you monetize your music on SoundCloud. This will also automatically upgrade your SoundCloud account, giving you unlimited uploads. Note: this isn’t a Pro Unlimited account. You’ll have pay SoundCloud for those extra features.
Our SoundCloud Network totally free and open to all artists and labels. You are never locked in with RouteNote. If our distribution, SoundCloud or any other services don’t work for you, you can leave at any time.
Ensure you own exclusive rights to the music your are attempting to monetize.
Step One – Upload to RouteNote
First of all, you need to upload your music to RouteNote. In the Manage Stores page, you’ll need to make sure SoundCloud is ticked. If you want to distribute your music to other platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, or more social media monetization platforms such as YouTube Content ID, Facebook, Instagram etc. that is entirely your choice. If your music is already with another distributor, just click the stores your are not already on.
Choose Free Distribution or Premium Distribution. Free Distribution has zero upfront or recurring costs, while you keep 85% of the revenue. Premium Distribution costs a small fee for 100% of the revenue.
Step Two – Link your channel
On RouteNote, head to SoundCloud – Management. Start by linking your SoundCloud channel. Simply paste your SoundCloud profile URL in the box and click Submit. Our SoundCloud team will ensure your SoundCloud channel is eligible for monetization and enable your account, usually within 72 hours. You’ll receive an email once you’re on our SoundCloud Network. The Status in RouteNote will change to Active.
Step Three – Link your tracks
Now you’ve got your music on SoundCloud and RouteNote, and your channel is Active, head back to the Management page, find your RouteNote track under ‘Not Cleared for Monetizing’, paste the corresponding SoundCloud track URL, tick the box and click Update to link your music. Your music will then jump into ‘Cleared for Monetization’.
(Optional) Step Four – Linking private tracks
If you want to link tracks before they go live on SoundCloud this is possible via private tracks. You’ll need to repeat the process above, but ensure the link does not include the private extension at the end of the URL. Private SoundCloud URLs look like this: https://soundcloud.com/artistname/trackname/randomletters. Remove the random letter after the final forward slash and paste the link as above. Then email our SoundCloud team with the full link, letting them know the track is valid: soundcloud@routenote.com
Step Five – How to know when tracks are monetized
All being well, our SoundCloud team will send your tracks to SoundCloud to turn on monetization. If we spot any issues with your track, we’ll drop you an email. From the date you link your music or your track is approved by our moderation team (which ever comes last) it usually takes SoundCloud around a week to turn on monetization. Once your first track on SoundCloud is monetizing, you’ll automatically receive unlimited uploads.
To check if your tracks are being monetized, while logged in, find the track on SoundCloud and look for the blue dollar symbol below the track next to “This track is monetizing.”
See a summary of all of your monetizing tracks by clicking your user name in the top right corner, then ‘Tracks’. You’ll see blue dollar symbols next to all tracks that are actively monetizing.
If your track is not being monetized after two weeks or for any other problems, just drop our SoundCloud team an email with your SoundCloud URL and RouteNote track ISRC and they’ll look at what may be the issue: soundcloud@routenote.com
