{"id":105226,"date":"2025-07-11T12:29:52","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T11:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=105226"},"modified":"2025-07-11T12:32:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T11:32:09","slug":"soundcloud-is-helping-artists-sell-vinyl-without-upfront-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/soundcloud-is-helping-artists-sell-vinyl-without-upfront-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"SoundCloud is helping artists sell vinyl without any upfront costs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 style=\"user-select: auto;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff; user-select: auto;\">Thanks to a new partnership with elasticStage, SoundCloud is helping indie artists release vinyl without the cost or risk.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>Vinyl is booming, but indie artists have been left behind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For many artists, <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/a-quick-guide-to-merchandise-for-musicians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">physical merch<\/a> like vinyl offer a tangible way to connect with fans while also creating additional income. Fans love vinyl. It\u2019s nostalgic, collectible and something that just seems cool- with reports suggesting <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/vinyl-record-popularity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">50% of vinyl record buyers do not even own a record player<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite vinyl seeing a <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/vinyl-sales-misreporting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resurgence<\/a> in recent years, many independent artists simply cannot cash in. Why? Because producing vinyl is expensive, and risky for smaller artists. Costs can run high, and artists often have to pay upfront with no guarantee of sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s where SoundCloud\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/community.soundcloud.com\/playbook-articles\/from-playlist-to-turntable-soundcloud-x-elasticstage-bring-vinyl-to-artists-everywhere\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new partnership<\/a> with elasticStage comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><strong>\u201cVinyl sales have surged over 300% since 2016, yet most independent artists have been excluded from this growth due to high manufacturing costs and logistical limitations\u2026 This partnership is another step toward ensuring that every artist- no matter where they are in their career- has the tools to build a sustainable career.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><cite>Eliah Seton, SoundCloud CEO<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/62a0a0168756b7e12bbc65d3\/686fabeaeca157c1cd0fd18b_video-gif.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"352\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>Here\u2019s how it works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/what-is-soundcloud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SoundCloud<\/a> x elasticStage partnership is only available to SoundCloud\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/soundcloud-launches-new-lower-cost-artist-plan-how-does-it-compare-to-routenote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Artist Pro<\/a> users. Here\u2019s what the process looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><strong>Get approved<\/strong>: Artist Pro users can apply to join the <a href=\"https:\/\/partner.soundcloud.com\/elasticstage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">waitlist<\/a> for approval e.g., whether your account is in good standing.<\/li><li><strong>Build your release<\/strong>: Pick your tracks from SoundCloud, upload artwork, add credits, and submit for review.<\/li><li><strong>Start selling<\/strong>: Once approved, SoundCloud will create a vinyl web page for you, where fans can purchase your vinyl directly<\/li><li><strong>Easy distribution<\/strong>: Each vinyl will be released and shipped by elasticStage. Shipping is available to over 90 countries, and elasticStage handles all the logistics including customer service.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>elasticStage\u2019s innovative model means that each vinyl is made to order. This means no minimum order requirements, no upfront costs, and no waste. Simply create your vinyl, and get paid per sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><strong>\u201cWe created elasticStage\u2019s on-demand vinyl technology to make physical music as accessible as streaming for artists and music fans everywhere.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><cite>Steve Rhodes, elasticStage and Co-Founder<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3>Final thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With SoundCloud and elasticStage\u2019s new on-demand model, independent artists finally have a way to bring their music to fans in a physical format without the risk of breaking the bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re on SoundCloud, this could be a great time to explore <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/soundcloud-launches-new-lower-cost-artist-plan-how-does-it-compare-to-routenote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Artist Pro<\/a>. Adding vinyl to your merch offering could unlock a whole new revenue stream- with no upfront risk. And if you\u2019re already an Artist Pro user, get on that waitlist. Your fans might just be waiting to spin your record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/what-is-soundcloud\/#monetize-public\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RouteNote is one of the only distributors worldwide that offers SoundCloud monetization for free. If you&#8217;re looking to get your music distribute, get started with RouteNote today!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thanks to a new partnership with elasticStage, SoundCloud is helping indie artists release vinyl without the cost or risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":105227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13,1],"tags":[30745,2133,25860,30746,326],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>SoundCloud is helping artists sell vinyl without any upfront costs - RouteNote Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/soundcloud-is-helping-artists-sell-vinyl-without-upfront-costs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SoundCloud is helping artists sell vinyl without any upfront costs - RouteNote Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thanks to a new partnership with elasticStage, SoundCloud is helping indie artists release vinyl without the cost or risk.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/soundcloud-is-helping-artists-sell-vinyl-without-upfront-costs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RouteNote Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-11T11:29:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-11T11:32:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/686fac9668f6f9edb1d3a83d_blog2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tom Marshall\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"RouteNote\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/\",\"sameAs\":[],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/routenote-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/routenote-logo.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"RouteNote\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"RouteNote Blog\",\"description\":\"The World of Digital Music - 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