SoundCloud expands artist services business globally; enters JV with Jax Jones’ and Dan Stacey’s record label WUGD (What You Gonna Do)

sound cloud is expanding its artist services business globally by joint venture with Jax Jones and Dan Stacey’s UK-based dance-focused record label, WUGD (What You Gonna Do) Ltd.

DJ, songwriter and producer Jax Jones founded WUGD in 2021 with Dan Stacey, founder of Loving Alliance, the home of artists like Riton, DOD, rising star Hannah Laing and Jax Jones herself. .

SoundCloud says it has partnered with WUGD “to discover, nurture and invest in emerging electronic music artists that stand out on an international basis”.

SoundCloud’s deal with WUGD comes a year after SoundCloud signed the artist Venture with Solid Foundation, the creative services and management arm of Atlanta rap group QC Media Holdings (Quality control).

Just last week, HYBE America, led by CEO Scooter Braun, agree to get Quality Control, home to artists like Lil Baby, Migos, Lil Yachty and City Girls, from its owners, respected music industry veterans Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P “Thomas.

A SoundCloud spokesperson said the recent acquisition of HYBE does not affect Coach K and P’s relationship with SoundCloud going forward.

SoundCloud notes that Dan Stacey “has been an influential figure in the UK music scene” for more than 20 years since his time as iD and A&R Magazine’s Music Editor at 679 Recordings, where he signed a contract with popular artists Kano and Plan B.

First with his company Hardlifes and now Loving Alliance, his Grammy Award-winning and nominated artists have been responsible for over 30 Top 20 singles on the Main Singles Chart. UK format and over 12 billion global streams.

Meanwhile, Jax Jones is a multi-Grammy, Ivor Novello and British nominated artist who has racked up 8 billion streams globally, 15 platinum singles in the UK and his debut album Snacks was the best-selling dance album in the UK in 2019 and 2020.

MBW has previously written about SoundCloud evolution to become a more artist service business.

SoundCloud’s current model has two distinct sides:

• (i) User-oriented streaming service, which offers both subscription and ad-supported income streams (SoundCloud Go+); And
• (ii) One artist services business, whereby independent artists can not only upload their music directly to SoundCloud, but also distribute their tracks to rival services such as Spotify. SoundCloud also provides additional tools and resources for independent artists under the ‘SoundCloud for Artists’ label.

SoundCloud also launched a leading artist service, called “lists,” last year. Under these “listing” arrangements, particularly successful independent artists will ‘sign up’ directly with SoundCloud, with the company paying upfront, investing in artist marketing, etc. traditional recording can do.

‘SoundCloud for Artists’ was formerly known as ‘Repost’ which SoundCloud buy in May 2019 for about 15 million USD.

SoundCloud rebrands Repost, and show a new creator dashboard for its artist services platform, in October 2022. (SoundCloud also changed its name subscription plan).

Write in one blog post at the time, Tracy Chan, SoundCloud’s Senior Vice President of Creative, (and former head of music department at Twitch), called SoundCloud for artists “an enhanced, all-in-one platform for artists to connect with fans and advance their careers.”

He added, “SoundCloud for Artists is now your centralized home for all things distribution, advertising, monetization, etc.”

Commenting on the deal with WUGD, Jessica Rivera, SoundCloud Global SVP & General Manager, said: “WUGD’s genuine approach and commitment to supporting artists make them the ideal SoundCloud partner when we continue to expand our offerings and provide the resources they need to build sustainably. career.

“WUGD’s genuine approach and commitment to supporting artists make them the ideal SoundCloud partner as we continue to expand our offerings and provide the resources they need to build their careers. lasting.”

Jessica Rivera, SoundCloud

Rivera added: “Jon Vick, our Director of International Assignments, is at the helm of our efforts to bring this deal to life, which will bring Jax Jones and Dan Stacey as lead advisors. in the dance music space, a highly interactive community on SoundCloud in the UK and internationally.”

“Jax and I started WUGD to nurture and empower new talent, and this partnership with SoundCloud expands our commitment to artists, providing the perfect space for them to thrive and grow. sublime.”

Dan Stacey, WUGD

Dan Stacey, Co-Chairman of WUGD Ltd, added: “SoundCloud has the largest community of new dance artists on any platform today.

“Jax and I started WUGD to nurture and empower new talent, and this partnership with SoundCloud expands our commitment to artists, providing the perfect space for them to thrive and grow. sublimation.

“We all have important mentors who have supported us on our journey and we will do the same here. In this partnership, we look forward to investing in new artists and introducing them to the broader industry – from mentoring to distribution and marketing.”Global Music Business