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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Is it worth paying for

SoundCloud

65
Value score / 100 Worth paying? Depends It depends

SoundCloud is worth using for its unique content, especially unreleased and remixed tracks, but the free version is heavily impacted by frequent and intrusive ads, making the paid subscription a consideration for heavy users.

Free + in-app purchases seen up to $129.00 4.8★ lifetime (1,918,172) since 2009

SoundCloud offers unparalleled access to a vast library of unreleased and independent music, making it a favorite for discovering new artists and unique content R1R8R10. However, the free experience is significantly degraded by an increasing number of ads, poor recommendations, and various bugs, pushing many users to consider alternatives or the paid tier R11R116R119R31. The value of the paid subscription is debated, with some finding it too expensive for what it offers, especially given reported issues with paid features and customer service R52R134R234.

Free vs paid

The free tier of SoundCloud provides access to a wide variety of music, including many unreleased and remixed tracks not found elsewhere R27. However, it is heavily monetized with frequent and lengthy ads, sometimes appearing every two or three songs, or immediately upon opening the app R11R116R119R134. Some songs are also paywalled, requiring a subscription to listen R134R201. Offline listening is not free R3R582. The paid subscription, which has been reported to cost around $15 a month and has seen price increases to $20, removes ads and unlocks certain songs and features R52R134. However, some users report issues even with a paid subscription, such as songs not playing or being locked out of their ad-free account R144R234.

Value complaints

  • Too many ads in the free version, making it difficult to listen to music without interruption.R11R116R119R145
  • Certain songs are paywalled, requiring a subscription to listen.R134R201
  • Subscription price increases are not justified by improved features or content, and sometimes not clearly communicated.R52R134
  • Offline listening is not available for free.R3R582
  • Users report being charged after canceling premium accounts or encountering issues with paid features.R78R144R234
  • Ads play even for paid users or are aggressively pushed.R52R141

Where it delivers

  • Excellent for discovering new and unreleased music, remixes, and independent artists not found on other platforms.R1R8R10R27
  • Provides an outlet for artists to publish and share their music.R7
  • Some users report fewer ads compared to Spotify.R5
  • Has a long-standing user base and is considered a classic platform by some.R4R28R657
Worth paying if

It is worth paying if you frequently use SoundCloud for its unique content, like unreleased music and remixes, and find the ads in the free version too disruptive to your listening experience R27R11. Paying might also be justified if you are an artist using the platform for distribution and promotion, provided you don't encounter the customer service and distribution issues reported by some R7.

Skip / stay free if

You should skip paying if you already subscribe to other music services like Apple Music and primarily use SoundCloud for occasional unreleased tracks . Also, skip if you are unwilling to pay for basic features like ad-free listening or offline access, especially given the reported bugs and customer service issues even for paying users R3R52R134R144. If you are frustrated by repetitive or poor music recommendations, paying may not solve that core issue R31.

Evidence note: The reviews show a strong dichotomy between long-time users who appreciate the unique music discovery and newer, or more recent, complaints about ad frequency and app functionality. Pricing information is primarily from user reports, which may not reflect current official pricing across all regions or tiers.

Frequently asked

Is SoundCloud free to use?
Yes, SoundCloud offers a free tier, but it includes frequent and sometimes lengthy advertisements, and some songs may be paywalled R11R116R134R201.
How much does SoundCloud premium cost?
User reviews indicate subscription prices around $15 per month, with some users reporting increases to $20 per month R52R134.
Can I listen to music offline with SoundCloud?
Offline listening is not a free feature and requires a paid subscription R3R582.
Does SoundCloud have good music recommendations?
Many users find the Discover feed and recommendations repetitive and unhelpful, often showing already favorited or disliked songs instead of new content R21R31.
Are there many ads on SoundCloud?
Yes, the free version of SoundCloud has a significant number of ads, with users reporting ads every two or three songs, or immediately upon opening the app R11R116R119R134.

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. [R11] 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. [R116] 3/5 · US Ads: I hate the length of the adds and the amount of them
  3. [R119] 3/5 · US Ads: I’ve had this app since I was in middle school. I understand the ads but if I just opened the app and get an immediate ad I just go to Apple Music or YouTube. Every 3 songs is annoying
  4. [R145] 3/5 · US Too many ads: Too many ads; I know I have the free version but geez.
  5. [R134] 2/5 · US VERY greedy: i thought i’d switch to soundcloud bc of all the controversies surrounding spotify, but i soon (literally the day i started using it) realized that it is VERY GREEDY. i literally got an ad every 2 SONGS…. and i noticed that you have to pay for a subscription to listen to certain songs. the ad thing was already unnecessary, but PAYING TO LISTEN TO CERTAIN SONGS ON A MUSIC STREAMING APP
  6. [R201] 3/5 · US Eh: It doesn’t have all the songs you wanna listen to and sometimes if it does you have to literally pay to listen to it and absolutely not i love SoundCloud but cmon man🫩
  7. [R52] 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
  8. [R3] 4/5 · US Free offline: I wish the offline option was free
  9. [R582] 3/5 · CA Y’all could be better: Less ads then Spotify but I wish they would add offline listening like cmon it would make them way better than other music streaming services.
  10. [R78] 1/5 · US charged me after canceling: they charged me after i canceled a day before
  11. [R144] 1/5 · US Locked out & upgrade needed after already paying for full month ad free account: I was locked out needed to sign back in “set up” account and then was given option to upgrade to ad free which I already paid for … will cancel account next month !!
  12. [R234] 2/5 · US loading error: why tf can i not play the songs i want to play even tho i payed for the subscription ts pissing me off i downloaded it to play unreleased songs that aren’t on regular apps FIX TS
  13. [R141] 1/5 · US Aggressive ads and hijacking my car stereo: I used to love SoundCloud especially when I was a producer but now it's just aggressive ads trying to get me to get SoundCloud premium and I don't want that as well as it hijack my vehicle stereo and does not give me an option to stop it.
  14. [R1] 5/5 · US Sound cloud review: If your not on SoundCloud you don’t know music it’s the best thing ever straight up and I’m not even a bot I’m real I’m telling you
  15. [R8] 5/5 · US Great switch from Spotify: I got sc a while back after finding out that Spotify’s ceo invested millions in ai military drone tech and the platform incentivizes bigger artists instead of promoting smaller artists to help them grow, I didn’t want to support the platform anymore after finding this out and SoundCloud was an amazing switch!! The only advantage Spotify has over sc is that Spotify has no
  16. [R10] 5/5 · US My go to: This music app has been my outlet for stress, mainly because people from all around the world post their sounds and I love that
  17. [R27] 5/5 · US Fun: It is really good for losing to music that is not on another apps
  18. [R7] 5/5 · US SoundCloud: Published my first song here and ended up making some more music
  19. [R5] 5/5 · US Ads: I get less ads than on Spotify
  20. [R4] 5/5 · US The best: Been using since 6th grade
  21. [R28] 5/5 · US Sound Cloud Life: Been using sound cloud since 6th grade. I am 27 now. Best platform out there. Sometimes it sucks. I wish the coders would reach out to platinum users for advice. I have a lot.
  22. [R657] 3/5 · CA Still a classic: Always been a fan since it was created however wish I could download the music I uploaded on the platform for the last 13 years or so with my iPhone …
  23. [R21] 2/5 · US Boring: Bad song recommendations and for me laggiest app ever
  24. [R31] 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

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