Soundcloud has launched its long-rumoured premium service Soundcloud Go in the UK.

 
Soundcloud executives hope their service will rival other subscription-based platforms like Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music. Though upgrading to Soundcloud Go is not compulsory, listeners who wish to use Soundcloud’s free tier will now be subjected to advertisements between songs.
 

 
Soundcloud Go hopes its huge catalogue of user-uploaded remixes, DJ sets, podcasts and covers will set it apart from rival services, who only offer official versions of tracks. As discussed in a MN2S feature on Soundcloud and subscription, the platform has reached agreements with all of the major record labels and copyright holders, allowing them to continue hosting unofficial remixes unless the copyright holders object. Whether this will lead to mass takedowns is yet to be determined, though Soundcloud’s CEO told the BBC he is confident it will not. Also unclear at this point is the way independent and unsigned artists will be compensated for the revenue their music could now bring for Soundcloud.

When Soundcloud Go launched in the US earlier this year it was widely criticised for poor user interface and lack of the official content premium users expect. Indeed, the service still does not allow users to listen to full albums without queuing up the tracks in a playlist themselves. It does, however, have the much-requested ‘offline listening’ feature.

Time will tell if Soundcloud’s new incarnation succeeds. Soundcloud Go is available in the UK now.