I saw someone post in here recently in a comment about Amplify actually hurting your tracks to use because it's just a bunch of bots and it messes up the algorithmic standing of your track. They seemed to know what they were talking about but I'd like other people's experience and insight before I stop using it.
Hey u/qbikmusik! Just wanted to jump in and clarify how First Fan / Amplify works. It's designed to introduce your music to real listeners who enjoy similar genres to build early engagement. It is definitely not a bot service, but engagement can vary depending on listener habits and track fit.
Also, regarding the "The Upload" algorithmic playlist mentioned in this thread—that is a legitimate algorithmic feed on SoundCloud that surfaces new releases to active listeners! We're actively answering questions and taking feedback across the sub right now, so feel free to drop any other questions or ticket numbers you need checked out.
Thanks for the insight! Is there any chance y'all would be able to increase the cap on how many people I can follow? I've been stuck at the 2k limit for YEARS now and I have to unfollow someone everytime I find a new artist I like, it's tedious and annoying and I don't like having to unfollow artists I like.
Hello, I just uploaded my first EP but I am ineligible for Amplify and I don’t understand why I am meeting all the requirements, how can I speak to someone else than the stupid AI bot ? Thank you in advance.
Hey! not sure if you are able to share this, but what qualifies or triggers a song to get in the upload? It was super exciting to have a song added and just wondering what i can do to try and replicate that success.
As a US-based artist, watching the "Amplify" feature push my music almost entirely to listeners in Indonesia and Vietnam is frustrating. It’s a broken system that inflates play counts in markets where I have zero ability to build a real community, sell tickets, or convert long-term fans. This isn't just my issue; independent artists across the board are voicing the same complaint. Dumping tracks into low-CPM, high-volume regions gives the illusion of reach on paper, but it yields zero actual value for creators. It feels like SoundCloud is prioritizing vanity metrics to boost its own platform data rather than helping artists build functional careers. If Amplify is going to be a useful tool, creators need regional targeting controls or an algorithm that distributes tracks where artists actually operate. Running impressions through a black-box system that inflates vanity plays in non-viable markets feels less like a feature and more like a scam.Fix the targeting logic and give creators real control over where their music goes.
I’ve only put out 2 tracks no social media promotion other than a couple Reddit posts you can see on my page. Amplified both. First got like 150 plays then nothing. Second got initial few hundred from amplify but much higher like to play ratio and another algo picked it up for 3 days and now it’s up to like 4500 plays 350 likes. i click into lots of the likes and they almost all seem like legit profiles. So it definitely can work. I think you need to get some decent initial likes comments from accounts in that first day though for better algos to pick it up. Very new to how this all works though.
The spike was from it getting in the algorithm called the upload. It clearly hit some time limit and then dropped off. Has been super interesting to watch though
I think he is joking though. He said "algorithm called 'the upload'", so I now believe he means he UPLOADED a second track where it shows that second wave lol. I have not heard of an algorithm called the upload, so he is probably just playing with us.
It was interesting at first almost every single like i got was from someone who within their last 3 or so likes liked the same exact newly released track of a fairly popular bass artist. It has since de-paired from that and seems to be suggested to a wider audience.
i had the same with 2 songs first song stopped at 150 plays, the second had 3000+ and the upload algo seems to be where your track is going once it surpasses 1000 plays. so it‘s really depending on how your track hits the algo in terms of stickiness or not
ive notices that, they have a certain time limit that goes witht he amplify but i mean ive gotten like 30k plays off of amplify and most of the likes/plys are from real people (mainly usa where im based)
I love the amplify feature, I use it quite often. Most tracks will only get around 100-300 plays before it falls off, but if you have a song that has good listener engagement with a lot of repeat listeners during that time, it can easily help your track pop off into the 500-1000 range and beyond in just a few days.
If it does well during that period then it might be added to algorithmic playlists which is really what you want for continued exposure and organic listens.
I’m not sure but here’s a recent test of me using it and it just ended 2 days ago. 2 tracks hit 1k quickly, some people were definitely real some bots for sure. 1k this quick was pretty cool too see.
I was rarely getting plays before amplify , just a few tracks that had done well. Now I can get 300-400 over the first few days, but then there will be the real ones that add them to playlists or keep playing the songs. If I get to 1000-2000 plays I am happy. I still a few non amplified songs that have 50 likes and 10 plays . It’s hit and miss each way.
No real listeners with Amplify, don't even click it...you will only get views from Vietnam 100%. Before you post, on advanced settings, go to geoblocking and only pick us, europe and australia...see how well it works :)) you'll get like 10 plays in 7 days
It’s not bots and it doesn’t mess up your algorithm. I think what does influence it are your listening habits and the listening habits of the people who listen to the people you listen to. If all you do is irregularity post a track and use amplify, the listeners you get are from random far away places: the algorithm has nothing to relate to. If you listen to active users who build large connections and they listen to your tracks, the algorithm has multiple relevant datapoints to guide where it sends your new track. I think what messes up your algorithm is all the users that click on your tracks , like them, and repost them with no other reason than promoting their own tracks. Then the algorithm amplifies your track to a bogus and irrelevant datasets. On top of that you get stuck with irrelevant tracks being recommended to you
Real engagement matters way more than raw numbers on SoundCloud, so if Amplify is pushing bot plays, it can tank your like-to-play ratio and hurt how the algo surfaces your tracks. If you're seeing lots of plays but no likes or comments to match, that's usually the tell. What actually moves the needle is followers who match your genre, since they're the ones who'll listen to future uploads and give you real signals. Full disclosure, I built soundriser.io, which connects to your SoundCloud and grows your follower base from real listeners already into artists similar to yours, no bots or fake accounts.
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u/SoundCloud Sep 11 '26
Hey u/qbikmusik! Just wanted to jump in and clarify how First Fan / Amplify works. It's designed to introduce your music to real listeners who enjoy similar genres to build early engagement. It is definitely not a bot service, but engagement can vary depending on listener habits and track fit.
Also, regarding the "The Upload" algorithmic playlist mentioned in this thread—that is a legitimate algorithmic feed on SoundCloud that surfaces new releases to active listeners! We're actively answering questions and taking feedback across the sub right now, so feel free to drop any other questions or ticket numbers you need checked out.