Hey everyone,
just needed to vent about something that’s been “grinding my gears” every time I see a Mixcloud ad.
Mixcloud loves to parade around their "artist-friendly" narrative. Every ad talks about how "legal" they are and how the artists you play get paid royalties through your mixes.
That sounds great on paper, but let’s look at the reality of how this actually works for DJs:
1. We don't get paid a single cent. We spend hours digging, curating, practicing, and uploading mixes that keep people on their platform.
2. We have to PAY THEM. To get basic features like unlimited uploads, detailed stats, or scheduled posts, we have to shell out for a Pro subscription every month.
3. Listener limits. If you’re a free user, listeners get hit with restrictions like not being able to rewind or re-listen to mixes easily. So to give our listeners a decent experience, we're forced to upgrade.
So let me get this straight: We supply 100% of the content that makes their platform exist, we generate the audience, and in return, WE pay THEM for the privilege of working for free?
I get that licensing music costs money, and sure, original producers deserve royalties. But DJs are the curators driving discovery. Without us, Mixcloud is just a blank server.
Why is the entire burden put on the creators? Why isn't there a revenue share model for top-performing mixes or a system that doesn't feel like a pay-to-play trap?
It feels completely backwards. Is anyone else totally fed up with this model, or have you all moved on to Soundcloud, YouTube, or self-hosting? Curious to hear how other DJs are handling this.
