SoundCloud introduces a TikTok-like update to the Feed, with its vertically scrollable 30-second previews encouraging music discovery.

For the longest time, SoundCloud’s Feed has been a chronological list of tracks uploaded and reposts by those you follow. While fortunately the option to view and listen to tracks this way isn’t going away, SoundCloud are introducing a second Discover tab, joining Following in the Feed.

Following in the footsteps of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, YouTube Music and just about every other music streaming service and social media platform, SoundCloud are leaning into the shift in the industry.

Rolling out now to everyone on iOS and Android, head to the new Discover tab on Feed to find a very familiar interface, with full-screen artwork (or profile image if no artwork), and buttons to listen in full, like, comment, follow the artist and add the track to a playlist. Tracks are personalized to your musical tastes, with suggestions based on your listening history. Any public track can appear in the new tab. To hide your track, make it private.

SoundCloud also lists why the track is being recommended to you, for example because you follow a certain artist or like a specific song, so make sure you start liking, commenting and following the artists you care about to make the most of the new Feed.

The 30-second snippet is chosen by the artist on upload or automatically generated using AI. To pick the most exciting portion of your track, when uploading, click the Advance button.

As before, the Following tab shows new releases and reposts from artists you follow in reverse chronological order. To remove artists from your Following Feed, simply unfollow them. The Feed on web is also staying as is for the time being.

SoundCloud explains why they’re making this change in a community post:

There are a few reasons why we’re prioritizing Feed and rolling this feature out to everyone. First, we’re aware that the way people expect to consume and discover music has changed – and it’s important to us that we evolve to meet people where they are. Second, we’ve been testing this feature for a while to positive results and feedback. Third, this format opens the door for us to innovate on music discovery in exciting ways we haven’t explored before.

Rohit Agarwal, Chief Product Officer, SoundCloud

The more people use Feed, the more people discover my music. I rely on Feed to connect with my supporters and engage with many different creators, and to keep my community updated on my journey.

Sojabrat

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