SoundCloud’s move is by no means an immediate game-changer. At launch in April, only indie artists on two of SoundCloud’s own distribution services
will get access to these user-centric royalty options. And SoundCloud is not where the majority of music streaming in the world takes place. Still, the symbolism of the decision which raises another round of conversation about whether artists can make a living wage from streams has the music industry’s interest piqued. Executives tell
Rolling Stone they are most interested in the transparency of the new model and in its potential to put bigger value outside of more recent hit songs.