Mixcloud was founded in 2009 with the goal to grow an DJ mixes, radio shows, and podcasts. The platform has done just that, but now it’s shifting things around a bit. They’re launching a premium subscription, which will cost $7.99 per month to “access all public shows across the platform without limits.”

“The short answer is: so that we can keep up with the costs of running a streaming service that puts artists and creators at its core, and so we can build a sustainable platform that will be here for you in the long term,” mentions Mixcloud’s blog post.

The limits with Mixcloud’s new subscription model will include fast-forwarding (but no rewinding), only listening to a show three times in a two-week period. Additionally, the free listeners will not be able to listen to uploads that include more than four tracks by the same artist, or more than three tracks from an album.

Existing Mixcloud Select subscribers won’t have these limitations, and neither will those who subscribe to the new Mixcloud Premium. Mixcloud Select was launched back in December of 2018 and allowed users to subscribe to individual channels.

“Since we started building this platform, the royalty costs we pay for every person who listens for free have steadily risen. Today, the revenue that we make from advertising simply doesn’t come close to covering these costs,” adds the blog post.

Streaming services have taken hold in today’s music world. It’s easy, cheap (for users), and quick. However, for services like Mixcloud and the like struggle to stay afloat when they offer free tiers. It’s unfortunate, but it’s sadly how the cookie crumbles. We’ve seen how SoundCloud has struggled to stay above water. Mixcloud has created a unique platform and community for content creators, DJs, and musicians to share their talents. It should be interesting to see how the platform continues forward and how creators and listeners will react to the announcement.