SoundCloud Adds ‘Follower Exclusive Releases’ Superfan Feature

DJ Chris Stussy has kicked off the launch of SoundCloud’s Follower Exclusive Releases with ‘What Makes You Feel.’ Photo Credit: SoundCloud

Another day, another superfan-geared expansion – this time from SoundCloud, which is now enabling artists to make new projects available to diehards with “Follower Exclusive Releases.”

Follower Exclusive Releases officially set sail today, after SoundCloud last year scored an elasticStage tie-up and a data pact with Imogen Heap’s Auracles. But the newest of the features is especially timely given ongoing discussions about platforms’ efforts to tackle AI slop – not to mention possible steps to establish fresh DSP revenue streams for artists.

In keeping with its name, Follower Exclusive Releases allows Artist Pro-enrolled acts to make projects available exclusively to their SoundCloud followers. Out of the gate, timed exclusives will presumably take center stage; DJ Chris Stussy has used the feature to drop “What Makes You Feel” before its wider April 3rd release as part of Lost, Found & Forgotten…

However, SoundCloud also confirmed that artists can put out creations via Follower Exclusive Releases “indefinitely.” Not stopping there, the music-sharing service took the opportunity to reiterate its existing support for comments, DMs, and more.

“I’ve been using SoundCloud since the start,” Stussy added. “During my early days I was uploading a lot of podcasts and recorded sets. I sometimes gave away a free download or posted snippets of upcoming tracks I was making.

“For this occasion I’d like to share ‘What makes you feel…’ as a thank you for everyone who’s been listening to me on the platform all those years. It’s part of the ‘Forgotten’ side of my album and I’m playing this track a lot as my intro the last couple of months. Enjoy this one, all the best,” the professional concluded.

In the bigger streaming picture, SoundCloud still has a ways to go before catching up to well-entrenched players such as Apple Music and Spotify in subscribers.

Nevertheless, Follower Exclusive Releases is significant from the perspective of the growing superfan-monetization push – including calls earlier in March to embrace a decidedly similar feature.

Moreover, with Spotify plotting a superfan buildout of its own, there’s always the possibility that a similar option could hit the leading music platform down the line. But in general, a “see what sticks” approach, not a carefully tailored strategy, appears to be the name of the superfan game.

Just in passing, this refers to limited-edition variations and features like Follower Exclusive Releases. Then there are standalone superfan platforms including Stationhead and Mellomanic (which kicked off 2026 by merging and scoring a UMG investment) as well as Even and OpenWav, which set sail last year.

And that’s without exploring TikTok and iHeart’s increasingly aggressive superfan initiatives. In short, both fans and artists have plenty of superfan choices, and it remains to be seen which of the offerings will stand the test of time.