SoundCloud and Splice launch artist development programme

SoundCloud is home to 30 million creators, while Splice boasts an international community of producers, sound designers and musicians, with more than 2 million pre-cleared samples within its creator ecosystem.

The initiative is open to unsigned Splice and SoundCloud music creators. The partnership will see a series of contests unveiled on both platforms, and artists can enter the first Nova competition now. The winners of the contest will get to produce their own Splice Sounds pack.

Splice will release 12 Nova Artist Packs, a collection of signature sounds, loops and samples starting in January 2022. This will be the first time Splice opens up its soundpacks to their users, they were previously only available to established sample labels and prominent producers like Murda Beatz, WondaGurl, Travis Barker, Chad Hugo and George Clinton.

Four winners will be selected by teams at Splice and SoundCloud to receive SoundCloud’s enhanced marketing and distribution services, including dedicated account management, professional marketing and promotion, distribution to all major streaming services and monetisation, as well as a $20 000 marketing budget for their next project.

“We’re opening the doors to our most talented users and leveraging our global producer community to amplify these creators,” Splice’s chief music officer, Maria Egan, said. “The power of our platform, alongside this incredible partnership with SoundCloud, will give artists a unique opportunity to kick start their careers.”

SoundCloud vice-president and head of creator Jeff Ponchick said: “As leaders in new music discovery and creator empowerment, SoundCloud and Splice share the same DIY ethos to elevate the emerging artists and thriving communities found on our platforms who are driving music culture forward. “The Nova programme combines our unique capabilities, music expertise and scale to offer new opportunities for artists, creators and fans to come together to grow careers and break new artists.”

Earlier this month, Splice developed a strategic advisory board comprising artists, entrepreneurs and music executives from several regions. The platform recently announced its first artist in residence programme with producer Kenny Beats.