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Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

SoundCloud vs Glow.fm

SoundCloud logo

SoundCloud

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Discover, stream, and share music

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SoundCloud the free tier plays tracks with ads; Glow.fm the Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: SoundCloud covers Audio streaming, Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SoundCloud and Glow.fm actually diverge.

Attributes where SoundCloud and Glow.fm differ
AttributeSoundCloudGlow.fm
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb
CategoryPodcast & Audio PublishingUnknown
Founded20072019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in SoundCloud

  • Audio streaming
  • Uploads
  • Discovery
  • Sharing
  • Social media
  • DJ software
  • Privacy settings
  • Content protection

Only in Glow.fm

  • Private RSS feeds
  • Any app support
  • Tiered subscriptions
  • Subscriber management
  • Payment processing
  • Analytics
  • All podcast apps
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

SoundCloud

  • Discovering tracks from emerging and independent artistsnot Glow.fm
  • Uploading your own music to reach listeners directlynot Glow.fm
  • Offline listening and ad-free playback on a paid tiernot Glow.fm

Glow.fm

  • Premium podcastsnot SoundCloud
  • Subscriber contentnot SoundCloud
  • Membership tiersnot SoundCloud
  • Direct monetizationnot SoundCloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

SoundCloud

  • The free tier plays tracks with ads
  • Offline saving of tracks requires a SoundCloud Go or Go+ subscription
  • Premium Go+ tracks are locked behind the higher Go+ tier, so SoundCloud Go alone does not unlock the full catalogue
  • Exclusive DJ app integrations require Go+
  • The app is available in only eight languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Arabic
  • The iOS app requires iOS 16.4 or later

Glow.fm

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.

Pricing, plan by plan

SoundCloud

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited uploads
    • Ads
  • Go$5.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • Offline
  • Go+$12.99/month
    • Full catalog
    • HQ audio

Glow.fm

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Private RSS feeds
    • Any podcast app support
    • Subscription management

Which should you pick?

Choose SoundCloud if

  • You need audio streaming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want uploads.
SoundCloud review

Choose Glow.fm if

  • You need private rss feeds.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want any app support.
Glow.fm review

Questions people ask

Is SoundCloud or Glow.fm better?
Neither clearly leads. SoundCloud starts at Free and Glow.fm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SoundCloud or Glow.fm?
SoundCloud starts at Free and Glow.fm at Free.
Does SoundCloud or Glow.fm run on more platforms?
SoundCloud runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Glow.fm runs on Web.
Can I use SoundCloud for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is SoundCloud best used for?
SoundCloud is most often used for discovering tracks from emerging and independent artists, uploading your own music to reach listeners directly, offline listening and ad-free playback on a paid tier. Of those, discovering tracks from emerging and independent artists and uploading your own music to reach listeners directly are not what Glow.fm is typically brought in for.
What can SoundCloud do that Glow.fm cannot?
SoundCloud covers Audio streaming, Uploads, Discovery, Sharing. Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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