Soundcloud’s New $9.99 Streaming Service to Compete With Apple Music [Updated] - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Soundcloud’s New $9.99 Streaming Service to Compete With Apple Music [Updated]

by

In a recent update to its iOS app, popular streaming music platform Soundcloud added a subscription model into the service that will provide users with a few premium monthly upgrades on top of the discoverability and personalization previously offered.

As discovered by The Verge, the service is called "Soundcloud Go" and will run users $12.99 on a monthly basis if purchased through the App Store, with a free 30 day trial to test the waters beforehand. Outside of the iOS App Store, SoundCloud Go will cost $9.99/month.

New-SoundCloud-iPhone-app_1
The announcement has yet to be made official by Soundcloud, but in the version 4.0.0 update release notes, the company lists a few ways upgrading to the monthly subscription could benefit its users. These advantages include a bolstered track list, the ability to listen offline, and the removal of interspersed advertisements within playlists.

Upgrade to SoundCloud Go to:
- Play all tracks
Access a newly expanded catalog of everything from Grammy-winners to garage bands

- Listen offline
Listen to your favorite tracks anytime, anywhere, with or without a signal

- Go ad-free
Listen without any ad interruptions

Soundcloud Go joins a growing list of streaming music services on offer for users to choose from, most of which are available on iOS for $9.99 per month: Apple Music, Spotify Premium, and Tidal, among others. There are variations on monthly subscriptions when factoring in family plans and an upper-tier "Tidal HiFi" offering that promises better quality sound for $19.99/month, but for the most part SoundCloud Go will enter the streaming music market at the same level as its rivals.

SoundCloud can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Update: A previous version of this article stated the monthly cost of SoundCloud Go was $12.99 everywhere, but the company has confirmed that price is only due to the fee Apple charges for App Store subscriptions.

Top Rated Comments

_Refurbished_ Avatar
138 months ago
Today, I'm subscribing to Soundcloud.

- said no one ever
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
138 months ago
$12.99 to listen to crappy mixtapes and EDM samples? You're having a laugh.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
138 months ago
What one of these streaming services needs to do to entice me to one of these obscene monthly subscriptions is to give 5-10 songs of the user's choice per month permanently, even when the subscription runs out.
Zune Music Pass used to offer this. Unlimited streaming, fill you Zune player (*snicker*) with as much DRMed offline music as you want, and choose 10 songs per month to keep permanently. It was $15/month. One those examples when a Microsoft product was too far ahead of its time. Compared to today's landscape, I would take that subscription plan over Spotify and Apple Music.
[doublepost=1459265290][/doublepost]
How is $10/month obscene? That is basically the cost of one album.
That's sort of the problem right? It costs about as much as one album, and at the end of the month, you have zero albums. Unless you pay again...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
138 months ago
Are they kidding
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
138 months ago
Should be priced at 9.99 same as Apple. Competition is good for everyone
It is if subscribed outside of App Store. Apple shouldn't be getting 30% of monthly subscription fees anyway. Apple isn't hosting the content so what is the 30% for? A commission for having access to the iOS install base? Does that warrant $3/mo for every subscription? I don't think so.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zimmy68 Avatar
138 months ago
I just don't get how these companies sit around and come up with this $12.99 price point.
That horse has left the barn. There are too many other options to survive with that.
You charge $2 - $5, people wouldn't think twice, but $13? Are you kidding me?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
apple music new logo red

Apple Music Is Getting a New Logo

Tuesday October 6, 2026 4:06 am PDT by
Apple appears to be rolling out a new logo for Apple Music in its upcoming set of software updates. The logo has been spotted in both macOS 27.2 beta 3 and iOS 27.2 beta 3, and it's identical to the one that Apple used in its Apple Music Hall announcement last month. When Apple used the logo in the venue's press materials and on its new official website, it wasn't clear if this was a one-off ...
Apple Music Hall event space 02

Apple Music Hall Spatial Audio Venue Opens in Battersea Power Station

Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:07 am PDT by
Apple has announced the opening of Apple Music Hall, a state-of-the-art 600-capacity music venue located in London's Battersea Power Station. Apple says it is "designed to connect artists and fans through bespoke, intimate performances unlike anywhere else." "Apple's deep love for music dates all the way back to the very beginning, from the launch of the iPod to the long-running iTunes Music ...
Latest Stories
Apple Stores Will Add Your Name to iPhone Duo's Startup Screen
Apple Stores Will Add Your Name to iPhone Duo's Startup Screen
13 hours ago
SpaceX Inches Closer to Becoming a U.S. Carrier
SpaceX Inches Closer to Becoming a U.S. Carrier
14 hours ago
Apple Potentially Behind 'HomeView' Trademark Filed Alongside 'homeOS' Last Year
Apple Potentially Behind 'HomeView' Trademark Filed Alongside 'homeOS' Last Year
16 hours ago
Mark Your Calendar: Six Important Apple Dates Coming Up This Month
Mark Your Calendar: Six Important Apple Dates Coming Up This Month
17 hours ago
MacRumors Giveaway: Win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a Nylon Band From Southern Straps
MacRumors Giveaway: Win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a Nylon Band From Southern Straps
19 hours ago
First Apple TV 4K Now 'Vintage' Ahead of New Model Coming on Tuesday
First Apple TV 4K Now 'Vintage' Ahead of New Model Coming on Tuesday
20 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: Apple's Smart Home Products Are Coming
The MacRumors Show: Apple's Smart Home Products Are Coming
21 hours ago
Apple Shares Fall After News of iPhone 18 Pro Order Cuts
Apple Shares Fall After News of iPhone 18 Pro Order Cuts
21 hours ago
Leak Details iPhone Features for Apple's LG Home Accessories
Leak Details iPhone Features for Apple's LG Home Accessories
22 hours ago
Prime Day Leftover Deals: AirPods Max 2 for $429, Mac Mini for $779.99, and More
Prime Day Leftover Deals: AirPods Max 2 for $429, Mac Mini for $779.99, and More
22 hours ago
Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
23 hours ago
Mac Shipments Fall, But Apple Still Gains Ground in Shrinking Market
Mac Shipments Fall, But Apple Still Gains Ground in Shrinking Market
23 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders After Price Hike Dampens Demand
Apple Reportedly Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders After Price Hike Dampens Demand
1 day ago
Apple Signs Hiring and Licensing Deal With AI Podcast Startup Huxe
Apple Signs Hiring and Licensing Deal With AI Podcast Startup Huxe
1 day ago
Apple's October 13 Launch: What's Coming
Apple's October 13 Launch: What's Coming
2 days ago
Anthropic Says Users Can't Be Needlessly Cruel to Claude
Anthropic Says Users Can't Be Needlessly Cruel to Claude
2 days ago
Apple to Launch Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro and OLED iPad mini on October 27
Apple to Launch Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro and OLED iPad mini on October 27
2 days ago
Apple Now Pushing iPhone Users Still on iOS 26 to Install iOS 27
Apple Now Pushing iPhone Users Still on iOS 26 to Install iOS 27
2 days ago
Apple Has a New M&A Chief as Ternus Reshuffles Leadership
Apple Has a New M&A Chief as Ternus Reshuffles Leadership
2 days ago
Prepare for Apple's New Home Hub With These HomeKit Accessory Deals
Prepare for Apple's New Home Hub With These HomeKit Accessory Deals
2 days ago
Tim Cook Says He's 'Not Meddling' With Apple's New CEO John Ternus
Tim Cook Says He's 'Not Meddling' With Apple's New CEO John Ternus
2 days ago
Tim Cook Explains Why He Stepped Down as Apple CEO Before iPhone Duo Launch
Tim Cook Explains Why He Stepped Down as Apple CEO Before iPhone Duo Launch
2 days ago
Apple Product Launch Announced for October 13: 'Welcome Home'
Apple Product Launch Announced for October 13: 'Welcome Home'
2 days ago
Amazon Unveils New iPad Rivals With Alexa+ and Google Play
Amazon Unveils New iPad Rivals With Alexa+ and Google Play
2 days ago
Missed Prime Day? You Can Still Score Big on Apple Devices Today
Missed Prime Day? You Can Still Score Big on Apple Devices Today
2 days ago
Apple's Cheapest 16-Inch MacBook Pro Just Got a Massive $563 Discount on Amazon
Apple's Cheapest 16-Inch MacBook Pro Just Got a Massive $563 Discount on Amazon
2 days ago
Apple Still Expected to Announce Three New Products on October 13
Apple Still Expected to Announce Three New Products on October 13
2 days ago
Leaker Jon Prosser Pushes Back as Apple Seeks His YouTube Data
Leaker Jon Prosser Pushes Back as Apple Seeks His YouTube Data
2 days ago
iPhone Air 2 Could Be as Thin as an Unfolded iPhone Duo
iPhone Air 2 Could Be as Thin as an Unfolded iPhone Duo
2 days ago
New iPad Mini Rumored to Have 60Hz OLED Display Ahead of Launch
New iPad Mini Rumored to Have 60Hz OLED Display Ahead of Launch
1 day ago