In this guide
What is SoundCloud?
SoundCloud is an audio-streaming platform which lets users upload and share their audio content. This content is most commonly music, but users also upload podcasts and stand-up comedy routines.
SoundCloud also includes social features that allow users to interact with each other on the platform. Users can repost tracks, follow other users, leave comments on tracks and direct message each other. Because of this, SoundCloud can resemble a social media platform.
You can use SoundCloud in a web browser or it is available to download on Android, iOS, and Xbox. The platform is free to use, but paid subscriptions are available too. SoundCloud Go, priced at £5.99/month, and SoundCloud Go+, priced at £10.99/month, remove the adverts from the platform and enable offline listening for paid subscribers.
SoundCloud’s terms & conditions state that users in the UK must be at least 16 years of age. However, there is no age verification when creating an account on the platform.
How it works
On SoundCloud, users can find new music, search for specific artists and genres or explore playlists made by other users. If a user finds an artist they enjoy, they can follow them to stay updated on their new releases. They can also like, comment on or repost their tracks.
Creators can share their tracks with the huge in-built audience of Soundcloud, which has 140 million users. If they would like to find listeners outside the site, users can share direct links to tracks or embed the songs on other websites. They can view a track’s success using the basic analytics that SoundCloud provides, such as plays, likes and reposts.
SoundCloud has been instrumental in launching numerous successful artists careers, such as Post Malone and Billie Eilish, so it is a platform that can benefit unknown artists.
The social features of SoundCloud allow users to use it as a social media platform where they can find new friends, communities, or collaborators. Users can interact in public through the comment section of a track, where they can also leave comments on specific parts of the track, or they can direct message someone privately.
The ability to message privately does represent a risk of the platform, as a stranger could send inappropriate or upsetting content to your child.
Some sources report that SoundCloud has around 100,000 new tracks added to the platform every day. With so much music on the platform, there is a lot of content that features explicit language or mature themes. However, the platform bans any content that is predominantly sexual in nature. Users upload content without any review, and moderators only remove or flag it as explicit after someone reports it.
SoundCloud parental controls
SoundCloud does not have built-in parental controls. However, you can adjust some options in the settings to make your child’s experience on the platform safer. Using the settings, parents can control who can view their child’s activity, comment on tracks or send messages. However, as there are no true controls, a child can turn these safety settings off without their parent’s knowledge.
You can use the in-built parental controls on your child’s device to help manage their experience on SoundCloud. Teaching your child to report and block anyone that posts or sends inappropriate content will also help make their experience safer.
Is SoundCloud safe for kids?
SoundCloud only allows people aged 16 and older to have an account on the platform. This is a sensible restriction considering the content and features available on it.
Anyone can upload a track instantly without any review process. Users upload 100,000 tracks every day, so inappropriate content will always appear on the site without proper flagging or moderation. Your child could easily come across this content, and it is important they flag it as explicit to SoundCloud. If your child feels upset by something they’ve heard, check our advice hub for tips on how to help them cope.
The ability to direct message other users means a stranger could message your child through SoundCloud. This opens your child up to the risk of people looking to do harm anonymously online. Changing your child’s account settings means you can disable this feature. However, there is no password to edit these settings so your child can re-enable it. Learn about managing stranger danger.
If your child shares their music, there is a chance that they receive negative comments on their tracks. While this could just be feedback, sometimes these comments can be unnecessarily cruel, so it’s important that you help your child deal with these comments.
Despite these risks, SoundCloud can also have benefits for teens aged 16 and over. Being able to create, share and discover music on the platform can have a positive impact on a user’s creativity. Likewise, connecting with other fans of the same music they like can give a child a sense of community and belonging. If your child uploads their own music, they can build an audience and receive feedback from listeners, which they can then use to improve in the future.
SoundCloud users in the UK and EU must be at least 16 years old to own an account. However, US users can create a profile for music streaming at 13 years old. If your child is interested in using SoundCloud you should make them aware of this fact. Otherwise, they might see people under 16 using the platform in the United States and assume that means they can use SoundCloud while under 16 in the UK too.