Entertainment
Building Your Music Brand with SoundCloud
Promoting music today is a totally different ball game from what it was in the past. Previously, it was practically unthinkable for your music to be heard and become a hit if you did not have the backing of a major record label.
This was mainly because you required massive financial backing to enable you to get radio time, television slots, headline at concerts of already popular artists, go on road tours and more. This was something that was not possible for most artists back then.
Interestingly, the music industry was among the first to be hit by the changes brought on by the internet even before other industries began to experience massive disruptions. We can see this in this article here. The status quo had already been disrupted in the entertainment industry, resulting in a proliferation of what we now know as indie labels and independent artists.
One of the major tools that has made it possible for these indie artists to achieve fame and fortune even without the backing of any major record label is music streaming platforms. These platforms allow independent artists to build their fan base on the internet, sharing their songs and receiving likes, followership, shares and collaborations which all result in increased visibility.
With increased visibility comes increased demand for their songs which results in increased song sales, concert ticket sales, merchandise sales and other opportunities. In fact, a lot of them even get pickup by one of the major labels because they’ve shown that they have what it takes to make it in the entertainment world.
There are currently a number of these kinds of platforms, but we will be focusing on one and that is SoundCloud.
What is SoundCloud?
This is an online music sharing, streaming and distribution platform. Here, musicians and podcasters alike can upload their content, making it available for access by a huge audience. These uploads can be listened to, downloaded, shared, commented on, liked and reposted.
This platform offers independent musicians a great opportunity to bring their sound and music to the world without spending an arm and a leg. Everyone on the platform has equal access to the many platform users, so this levels the playing field for all.
Why Should I Choose SoundCloud?
There are a number of benefits that this platform offers. These benefits can be broken into two parts. There is the issue of convenience of use and the second issue which has to do with statistics. You can read about the convenience that the platform offers here: . We will however focus on the stats in this article.
Entertainment has always been about numbers. How many ears will hear it? How many eyeballs will view it? etc.So, in this regard, what does this platform offers? Let’s quickly enumerate a few of them right here.
User Base
A lot of different people use this platform. Some simply come to listen to music that have been uploaded while some others upload their music and also listen to music uploaded by others. SoundCloud currently has over 76 million users who come to the site for one reason or another each month.
The site also has about 20 million musicians who are registered on this site. Having such a huge community of artists, covering practically every known music genre means that collaboration is very easy.
Reach
Every month, content from the site reaches over 175 million people from around 190 countries of the world. These are 175 million folks that your music can potentially reach it you know how to go about it. That’s really huge.
Music Uploads
This year, SoundCloud announced that it had hit its 200th music upload. This makes it the streaming platform with the most uploads. You can read about it in this blog post. This should tell you that there is something about the platform that has warranted such a huge following.
How Do I Get SoundCloud to Work for Me?
All of the stats we have listed above will not profit you much if you do not know how to make the most of the platform. We will therefore dedicate the remaining part of this article to explaining a few ways in which you can get the most from this platform
Your Profile
It all begins with your profile. This is not something you treat carelessly. Put some thought into what you write here, understanding that it should be something that will pull people in to listen to your work.
Your Images
This is another very important thing to note. Your profile image as well as your album arts should be very attractive. People will see this before clicking to listen to your song. If the image is not attractive, the chances of getting them to listen to your song will be lower.
Quality of Music
No matter how wonderful your profile and images are, if a person listens to your music and it is horrible, what you will achieve will be negative publicity. It is therefore important to understand that you must ensure you do a good job before trying to promote it.
Proper Tagging
Tagging is very important when it comes to campaigns online. This is not just something you do for fun. It has to be strategic. You may want to read about it in this article. Properly tagging your work makes it easy for the right people to find it.
If you are a pop artist, tagging your song as pop and also using other related tags will ensure that pop lovers and other pop artists can find you easily. This is very important.
Offer Previews or Free Downloads
This is especially important for very new artists. You should consider offering free downloads so people can really feel your music. As you get more popular, you can begin to offer short previews of your new tracks. These will act as teasers that will get people interested in listening to the whole thing.
Be Active
It is important that you do not just upload your music and then fold your hands. You need to be active on the platform. Listen to music by other similar artists. Make comments on their work, reposts some, reach out and try to establish some relationships. Doing this will organically attract more people to come check out your page and what you have to offer.
Collaborate with Other Artists
Following from the point above, collaborating with fellow artists on the platform can help build your brand. When two artists come together to do a track, they could easily be bringing their respective fan bases together to support both of them. This becomes more for each person.
Pay for Promotion
While you do all of the above, something else you should really consider is paying to have your music promoted. SoundCloud promotion offers could come in different forms. You could decide to buy SoundCloud reposts, followers, likes, comments etc.
There are companies that offer these services. If for example you pay for 1000 reposts, these will be delivered to you over a specific period. Same goes for likes, comments and followers. This is most certainly a good strategy to adopt if you really want to speed things up nicely.
Conclusion
There is a lot that SoundCloud has to offer you. Carefully take advantage of its many features and with a little help, you may find yourself the next big sensation to have come out of the social media space.
The Garden City of Rivers State Port Harcourt at the weekend joined other parts of the world to celebrate the World Music Day, 2025, as Alliance Française showcases talents.
The event which is internationally known as Fête de la musique was held at cultural hall of the Alliance Française was a remarkable concert with memorable experience.
The event brought together music lovers, students, Artistes and members of the community For an exciting evening live performances and cultural exchange.
The Tide Entertainment reports that the world Music Day, which was created 1982 in France by the then Minister of culture, Jack Lang, ‘ Fête de la Musique’ is now celebrated in more than 100 countries every 21st June, marking the first day of summer with free concerts and musical showcases in public spaces.
In Port Harcourt, the Alliance Française honoured the tradition by spotlighting four(4) emerging artistes offering a platform to young talents shaping the city’s contemporary scene.
The audience enjoyed an unforgettable moments as they were entertained by the powerful performances from Preach A, who is known for blending fitness culture with spoken words and rhythm.
Also, artiste Emmayany delivering a vibrant fusion of afrobeat and afro pop. A singer, song writer and a performing artiste with a distinct sound.
Others were Amarachy Uko, a sensational singer with passion for soul , R&B, pop music and afrobeat.
While DJ Prospel closed the night with an energetic DJ set that got the entire hall dancing.
Earlier, the Director, Alliance Française, Port Harcourt Mrs Marina Lacal high lighted the mission of the Alliance Française saying that the event was more than a concert.
According to her, the event was put together by the Alliance Française to promote cultural diversity and foster artistic expression by connecting a long standing French tradition with creativity of the local music scene, adding that the event offerers an avenue for dialogue between culture and generations.
She stated that the event is used to promote professional and bring amateur artistes to limelight via the platform of the Alliance Française which is aimed at promoting the French Language through cultural heritage.
She explained that the celebration is also a broader series of Fête de la musique activities organized by the 10 Alliance Française across Nigeria in sync with concerts held in France and around the world simultaneously.
She further noted that the occasion reaffirms the role of Alliance Française as a cultural bridge, one where French heritage meets the pulses of Nigerian youth.
It would be recalled that no fewer than 19 artistes applied to perform at the event in Port Harcourt, but only four got approval for appearance.
The Governor of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Rivers State chapter, Comrade Moses Mabadeje popularly known as Mozy B said that the body has announced plans to implement performance Levy on artistes in the state with effect from 21st June.
This was carried in a statement released to The Tide Entertainment, yesterday by the Deputy Governor of the association, Comrade Abiye Howells.
According to the Governor, the announcement was made by PMAN, the only governing body that regulates the music profession in Nigeria, as authorized by the Government of Nigeria, in line with the Trade Union Act.
He stated that those affected by the Levy include (Non members)bands, groups, Hotels, Bars, lounges, Event Centres, show organizers, promoters and other stakeholders hosting events which feature live music performances within the State.
However, the Levy does not apply to members of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria. (PMAN).
Comrade Moses Mabadeje, explained that this drive is aimed at financing the association and supporting the welfare and interest of musicians as outlined in Article 8 of the PMAN constitution as amended (2023). Consequently, a PMAN task force has been set up to enforce and swing into action to effect this move.
He further said that event organizers, promoters and owners of event centers are expected to comply with this regulation as the Governor has urged stakeholders to collaborate with the association to ensure the successful implementation of the levy and the peaceful co-existence between PMAN and Stockholders.
Nancy Briggs
Entertainment
“French Up Your Career” PH, 2025 :Consul General Of France Harps On Proficiency In French
The Consul, General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier has encouraged French Learners to improve their skills on the language, as there are lots of opportunities up for grabs on the job market with fluency in French Language, saying that there are many other career paths which are often less well known to learners of French.
Participants at the “French Up Your Career” event held in Port Harcourt.
Favier who disclosed this during the just concluded third edition of the seminar tagged “French Up Your Career” organized by Alliance
Française, Port Harcourt explained that learning French doesn’t mean adding a language to your resume. It rather provides learners with new opportunities. Irrespective of their area of interest, be it diplomatic and International relations, international development, translation and Interpretation or journalism.
According to the Consul General, it was important to create awareness for young Nigerians in Port Harcourt who desire to have better understanding of how been fluent in French can create diverse career opportunities for users of the languages in Nigeria and the world at large, emphasizing that proficiency in French could possibly make learner a bridge between Nigeria and fast-developing regions.
“You previously heard this morning about how you can improve your French skills. This afternoon you will discover how being fluent in French can provide a significant edge on the job market and lead to professional careers that you may not have even considered before,”
“This event comes at the right time, as it launches the celebration of the richness and diversity of French-speaking cultures, which will mobilize us for more than a month throughout Nigeria and alongside other French-speaking countries,” Favier added.
He further highlighted that French is spoken by over 300 million people across the world, saying that, it’s one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
“There are many neighbouring African countries to Nigeria ,who have French as one of their primary languages of communication including Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So, what does this mean for you as students here in Nigeria?” He asked
“These sectors in which the French Embassy is often mobilized are the business and marketing field for example, as French is often the preferred language in many multinational companies, particularly those in the energy, oil and telecommunications sectors. I’m thinking as well in technology and IT,” he said
He noted that French-speaking countries in Africa are investing heavily in tech, innovation, and infrastructure, revealing that companies in Tech are looking for bilingual professionals to assist with software localization, customer support, and managing projects in French-speaking regions.
“The French embassy is not only mobilized to help learners discover promising sectors. We are also providing our support and expertise in
training teachers and optimizing university programs,” he summed up
Also, the linguistics cooperation attaché, French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange, who also gave a lecture at the seminar, in an interview with Newsmen said that the main purpose of the seminar was to be more informative and supportive to those who want to make a skill out of French Language,saying that as the linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy it is her duty to promote French language through culture.
She cited traditional stereotypes as a major challenge affecting the growth and development of French in Nigeria, as school, teachers at the primary and secondary level in most cases teach French using the traditional way, where students learn French, but could not put words and grammar together as a skill for communicate.
“French is important. I don’t see French as colonization, l see French as a key to embrace globalization, l hope that learners will be inspired and ready to embrace the global village,” Losange said.
She however said that the French Embassy is working to ensure that equipments to facilitate the learning of French is put in place to enable learners improve their skills fast, which in two to three years learners should be able to communicate with French, advising learners to be intentional with learning the language, through social media and other workable devices to advance their skills for certification and better opportunities.
Highlight of the event which had about 250 participants in attendance was the eloquence award ceremony where students were awarded for their eloquence in French language by the Director, Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs.Marina Lacal alongside the Linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange.
After two edition of the seminar it was the turn of the Alliance Française, Port Harcourt to host the Third edition.
It would be recalled that the first edition of ” “French Up Your Career” event was organized at the Alliance Française Lagos on October 23, the second one at UNILAG on November 24, 2024 respectfully.