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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Better options than

SoundCloud alternatives

SoundCloud users often look for alternatives due to excessive ads, repetitive recommendations, and app performance issues. Alternatives like Mixcloud offer ad-free listening for specific genres, while DistroKid focuses on music distribution for artists.

Why users look for alternatives to SoundCloud

The alternatives

Facebook
4.5★ · 27,186,663 ratings · Free

Facebook is a social media platform primarily used for connecting with friends and family, sharing updates, and accessing marketplace features. It allows users to watch others' reactions and share family moments, with some users enjoying seeing the 'whole world' through their feed.

Better for: Facebook is better for users who want a broad social media experience to connect with people, share personal updates, and use features like Marketplace, rather than a dedicated music streaming service R54R61. It suits those who want to 'connect with your people' and 'partner with your posse' R64.

Head-to-head: SoundCloud vs Facebook
Soundmap
4.8★ · 340,143 ratings · Free

Soundmap is described as a game that involves music, with users finding it fun and enjoyable R72. However, it has significant issues with app performance, customer service, and account management, including being slow, crashing, and not allowing account deletion R68R70.

Better for: Soundmap might appeal to users looking for a music-themed game rather than a traditional music streaming or distribution platform, provided they are willing to overlook significant bugs and customer service issues R70R72.

Head-to-head: SoundCloud vs Soundmap
Mixcloud
4.8★ · 89,039 ratings · Free

Mixcloud is an app praised for its 'righteous mixes' and being the 'BEST in old school mixes' R86. It offers a wide choice of music, including DB radio and worldwide DJs, and is noted by some users for being free of pop-ups and ads R87.

Better for: Mixcloud is better for users who are specifically interested in DJ mixes, old-school mixes, and a wide variety of electronic or ambient genres, and who appreciate an ad-free experience R86R87. It suits those who want to discover music from 'world wide DJ's of every stripe' R87.

Head-to-head: SoundCloud vs Mixcloud
MD Vinyl Music App
4.6★ · 26,986 ratings · Free

MD Vinyl Music App offers an aesthetic music player experience with a spinning record widget . While users find it 'cute' and 'amazing' for its visual appeal, it requires payment for full functionality, including connecting to Apple Music or Spotify and listening to any song R93R95R98R99.

Better for: MD Vinyl Music App is better for users who prioritize the aesthetic visual experience of a vinyl player while listening to music and are willing to pay a one-time fee or subscription for this feature R94R95. It suits those who want to 'play music aesthetically' R95.

Head-to-head: SoundCloud vs MD Vinyl Music App
DistroKid
4.9★ · 24,368 ratings · Free

DistroKid is a music distribution service that allows artists to release their original content on streaming platforms quickly and easily R108R116R118. It helps artists achieve their dreams without traditional record label compromises, allowing them to retain most of their earnings R114R116.

Better for: DistroKid is better for independent artists and creators who want to distribute their music to streaming platforms efficiently and retain control over their earnings and creative process R114R116R118. It suits those who want to 'release my original content on streaming platforms' without 'compromise myself to fit into the boxes that traditional record labels put artists through' R116.

Head-to-head: SoundCloud vs DistroKid
Stick with SoundCloud if

You should stick with SoundCloud if you value its role in discovering new and upcoming artists, especially those who gain initial acknowledgment on the platform R20. It is also a good choice if you find it to be an 'amazing switch' from other platforms like Spotify, particularly if you are concerned about supporting smaller artists .

Evidence note: Soundmap has many negative reviews regarding bugs and customer service, making it difficult to recommend for reliable use.

Frequently asked

Why are users complaining about ads on SoundCloud?
Users complain about ads on SoundCloud because they are too frequent, disrupt the listening experience, and appear every time a user switches tracks, making the app frustrating to use without a paid subscription R1R3R6R28.
Is SoundCloud's discovery feature effective?
SoundCloud's discovery feature is often criticized for being ineffective and repetitive, recommending the same songs repeatedly, including tracks users have already favorited or disliked, instead of introducing new, relevant music R10R48.
What are the main issues artists face with SoundCloud?
Artists on SoundCloud face issues such as slow customer service, tracks getting stuck in 'processing' for weeks, and accounts being terminated due to 'editorial discretion' without clear explanations or a pathway to resolve the problem R24R115R117.
Does MD Vinyl Music App require payment to use?
Yes, MD Vinyl Music App requires payment for full functionality, including connecting to Apple Music or Spotify and listening to any song, with some users noting that it is 'literally unusable without the premium' R93R95R98R99.
Is DistroKid a good option for independent artists?
DistroKid is considered a good option for independent artists as it allows them to quickly and easily release their original content on streaming platforms, enabling them to achieve their dreams without traditional record label compromises and retain most of their earnings R108R114R116R118.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] SoundCloud 1/5 · US Sucks: Too many adds you turned into YouTube with ur three adds dude. Ruined my experience and I did recently did the 7 day free trial just for it to not work when I get a new phone. This app used to be good
  2. [R3] SoundCloud 3/5 · GB Ads: I really like this app and all the unreleased music you can find here, it's amazing! My only issue is the ads, they get in the way so much. Please could you remove them? It would make using the app so much better and easier.
  3. [R6] SoundCloud 3/5 · GB Too many ads: So many ads
  4. [R9] SoundCloud 3/5 · GB Need no adds for free: Great songs and playlists but adds are frustrating
  5. [R4] SoundCloud 2/5 · US Boring: Bad song recommendations and for me laggiest app ever
  6. [R10] SoundCloud 1/5 · US Discover Feed Feels Pointless and Repetitive: 1 star The Discover page is terrible. It keeps recommending the same repetitive songs over and over, including tracks I already favorited in my library. Why would I need Discover to show me music I already saved? It also keeps pushing songs I’ve already heard and didn’t like instead of giving me new similar songs I haven’t listened to yet. The recomm
  7. [R48] SoundCloud 1/5 · GB Dead algo: Only pushes generic slop , barely any organic real listeners
  8. [R30] SoundCloud 2/5 · GB Can’t open my own profile: It keeps saying to try again but it doesn’t work at all.
  9. [R34] SoundCloud 1/5 · GB Disappointing: Installed this app to get a soundtrack my yoga instructor uses. I was able to create an account ‘Unexpected error occurred. Please try again’.
  10. [R36] SoundCloud 1/5 · GB What has happened: Nothing is working or loading in the app
  11. [R15] SoundCloud 3/5 · GB SoundCloud: I hate the fact I have to get SoundCloud go or smth it’s really annoying bc I just wanna listen to my song and I can’t without that coming up
  12. [R16] SoundCloud 1/5 · US Money Grab: I canceled my premium account in June. The continued increase in monthly subscription price isn’t justified. Nothing is getting better and nothing more is being offered so why is it $20 now? It’s also not appreciated that the increases are never mentioned til billing time. Why would you think charging by people more and not saying you’re doing so is alright? You lost me as a paying cus
  13. [R22] SoundCloud 1/5 · US charged me after canceling: they charged me after i canceled a day before
  14. [R18] SoundCloud 1/5 · US 👎: The Artist Pro paywall shows an official promo image of a model wearing "LETS SUMMON DEMONS" on their shirt. Including a weird and inappropriate image with some weird symbols. Inappropriate for a paid creator service used by all ages. There's no way to report official SoundCloud content, Help Center only allows reporting users. Please fix this.
  15. [R20] SoundCloud 1/5 · US AI Music Suffocating Human artist: A view SoundCloud for years to find new & upcoming artist and people learning how to express their creative processes for the world to see. This is the Place Billie Eilish gained acknowledgment, XXXTENTACION, Lil Peep, Ski Mask, etc., so how did one of the most creative applications for music turn so AI driven, Was it Money? Was our memberships not enough of a fe
  16. [R24] SoundCloud 1/5 · US Abysmal Distribution and Discovery Mechanics: Waiting months to get an email response about distributed tracks still appearing on platforms that I’ve had officially taken down through their website and they showed they were not “live” anymore but weeks to a month later songs that weren’t even up are now appearing as well. WHILE I PAY THEM FOR ARTIST PRO… utterly insane customer service. Zero help
  17. [R27] SoundCloud 4/5 · US speech: they need to stop their ridiculous banning of speech
  18. [R26] SoundCloud 1/5 · US Search feature non existent?: Can we get like an actual search feature? I’ll never pay for this app if I can’t filter search results, organize by release date or when the set was posted, it’s difficult to see information on the track, just overall not user friendly and it’s annoying to search for something and sets from like 2016 show up before sets from 2025. Let’s get into the modern era
  19. [R54] Facebook 1/5 · US Please don’t let your children use Facebook! There’s a reason the execs don’t let theirs use it…: It’s such rubbish. Truly, the only reason I have it is for old photo, albums, and marketplace. Don’t let children on this thing.
  20. [R55] Facebook 5/5 · US Great Time on the H2O: Freedom Boat Club has got to be our best move…..take advantage of their classes on boating…..you learn a lot.
  21. [R61] Facebook 5/5 · US Enjoying Facebook: I find myself watching Facebook seeing other people reactions. Watching how people share with their family. Vacations people, travel, games, families share seeing how other people interact. in the confinement of my own, I love Facebook. I love watching everybody I like clicking my phone open and seeing the whole world. What a blessing I wish I had a sharing it years ago. I would
  22. [R64] Facebook 5/5 · US Truthteller ShellzMetaX Here: The truth is out there. Connect with your people. Partner with your posse. Call the Calvary. Save the world. Save yourself. Do more good and become a better version of yourself. Update your app and don’t just sit there. Be the change you want to see happen in the world. Who said, “Invent the world you want to see. Be the best version of yourself. Bring the good vibes
  23. [R65] Soundmap 1/5 · US Scam: Game was super fun at first I enjoyed it so I bought premium, and they instantly banned me for as I know no reason at all. They would not answer the support or anything. I could no longer go into the app, so I deleted Games a big waste of time. They falsely ban constantly.
  24. [R68] Soundmap 1/5 · US Update: Day 645 of playing: Game has never worked completely right a single day. Customer service is awful and run by Ai. They will sweep you under the rug asap. Bought a song that hasn’t shown up for 30 hours. Just sold a song, game crashes and I get no money on my account. Literally the worst game in the world to be addicted to
  25. [R70] Soundmap 3/5 · US Fun but Slow: This is my absolute favorite game, I’ve been playing for close to 2 years now but in the past 6 months the app has been extremely slow.
  26. [R72] Soundmap 4/5 · US fun: I enjoyed this app and it had some of the songs I enjoy takes long for the drops to refresh
  27. [R80] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Mixcloud: So Dope !
  28. [R83] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Mixcloud: Outstanding App. 💪🏾✊🏾
  29. [R86] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Righteous Mixes!: The BEST in old school mixes! Read RELENTLESS!
  30. [R87] Mixcloud 3/5 · US Wide music choice ruined by faulty UI: Db radio and world wide DJ’s of every stripe a great plus. The fact that some times it works in landscape on my iPad, and then randomly will switch to portrait and not switch back. Frustrating to the point of not using the app any longer. It may seem minor, maybe it is, but it makes want to delete the app and sit in silence instead.
  31. [R93] MD Vinyl Music App 1/5 · US Not even trying for free for like 30 days at least? Maybe a month??: I literally just downloaded this app and I can't listen to anything else until I pay a subscription. I recommend just using Apple music.
  32. [R94] MD Vinyl Music App 5/5 · US It’s so cute: You pay ones than you never pay again it’s so cute in my opinion
  33. [R95] MD Vinyl Music App 3/5 · US You have to pay: I love this app overall it is super cute, but you do have to pay to add your Apple Music or Spotify and you have to pay to overall listen to any song at all so I would recommend if you want to pay for it but it’s not worth it if you just want to play music aesthetically.
  34. [R96] MD Vinyl Music App 1/5 · US I keep loosing premium: I got to enter my password every now and then to restore my premium. Fix this
  35. [R107] DistroKid 1/5 · US L app: yall scammed me out 120$ i bought 2 subscriptions & my music is pending & not letting me log in.
  36. [R108] DistroKid 5/5 · US Best: They are so fast with the music
  37. [R109] DistroKid 3/5 · US App crashing i still love it: I think it’s needs another update every time i attempt to drop a song … the app crashes
  38. [R111] DistroKid 5/5 · US Rating: I guess it’s a five star because every single time I’ve dealt with DistroKid it’s always time to make sure everything was good and I appreciate that I wish to continue my business with DistroKid and distribute my music and further on thank you DistroKid and hopefully 2026 help me release more music
  39. [R28] SoundCloud 1/5 · US More ads: Ads were once manageable on this app, you could at lease switch between songs and not have to endure an ad every time. But after these recent updates, ads are unbearable. Every single time you switch tracks you get hit with an ad. Im sad and disappointed, a once glorious app.
  40. [R115] DistroKid 1/5 · US No Support or Help, Broken Systems: ⭐☆☆☆☆ (1 Star) I’ve distributed music for years and this has been one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had with a distributor. Multiple releases have been stuck in “Processing” for over a week. One release has already missed its scheduled release date twice, and several others are experiencing the same issue. The biggest problem isn’t even the delay, it
  41. [R117] DistroKid 1/5 · US “Editorial Discretion”: I’ve been uploading music for a few months. Singles and a few concept Albums then with no warning my music gets stuck in “processing” for weeks. I email to clarify, and am told that I have to find a new distribution service due to “editorial discretion”. No warning, no pathway to fix said issue, and no clarification on to what that issue even was. Since then Ive emailed thr
  42. [R98] MD Vinyl Music App 3/5 · US Eh: It works but you have to pay for other song
  43. [R99] MD Vinyl Music App 1/5 · US Too many adds: Don’t recommend, doesn’t let you actually use the vinyl player thingy unless you pay for it. It’s basically useless, you won’t be able to see the vinyl unless you pay for it and the add does not go away.
  44. [R114] DistroKid 5/5 · US TTProcess The Original: DistroKid is turning my dreams into a reality.
  45. [R116] DistroKid 5/5 · US The Moment: So pleased with the ease of being able to release my original content on streaming platforms. Distrokid has allowed me the opportunity to achieve a lifelong dream without having to compromise myself to fit into the boxes that traditional record labels put artists through. Most of what I earn will come to me and not gobbled up by a big record company because I did this independently. Th
  46. [R118] DistroKid 5/5 · US Released my song: Thank you for helping me get through to music streaming quickly. Great help

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store