SoundClick

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SoundClick

SoundClick is a music-focused social network where artists can upload MP3 songs, stream or download them, sell tracks in a store, or license them to others. The site also creates daily charts for different genres and lets users have profile pages with friends, photos, videos, blogs, and their own music stations.

History and scope
SoundClick was founded in 1997 by Tanju and Tolgar Canli. It started with RealAudio streams and later switched to MP3s. The company was incorporated in California in 1999. In 2007, SoundClick added its own social network.

Today, SoundClick is privately held and hosts about 4.5 million songs, 530,000 artists or bands, and over 4.5 million registered members.

How it works
- Artists can upload unlimited MP3s and offer them as streams, free downloads, or paid sales through the SoundClick store.
- Tracks can be licensed under Creative Commons or paid licenses.
- Artist pages can include news, tour calendars, and information about their group or project.

VIP service and payments
- VIP members get ad-free pages, higher-quality audio uploads, more page customization, and discounts on promotional tools.
- Songs sold through the store use PayPal. Artists set the prices and keep most of the revenue (85% generally, 90% for VIPs), with weekly payouts.

Social features
Users create profiles to network with friends, share photos and videos, blog, and run their own stations that showcase a selection of SoundClick songs.