SoundCloud has published its Music Intelligence Report covering emerging consumption trends and cultural movements on the platform.
“At SoundCloud, we don’t just track trends – we identify them before they happen,” said a statement. “By combining our unique engagement data with cultural and musical context, we can recognise when a niche sound is evolving into an unstoppable force, when a micro-movement is turning into a global wave and when an emerging artist is on the path to becoming the next superstar.”
Key insights from the 2024 SoundCloud Music Intelligence Report:
Top scenes in the UK
SoundCloud identified UK rap as the No.1 scene in the UK, followed by UK/Irish dance music (including Jazzy, Belters Only and Chrystal) at No.2 and minimal/tech house at No.3.
“The most streamed artists in this scene are among the top streaming artists overall in the UK,” stated the report of UK rap. “Notably, the scene is home to Meekz and newcomer Pozer, who broke through this year with his hit Kitchen Stove. Many of the most influential accounts in this scene are curators who serve as tastemakers, sharing gems with eager listeners.”
D-Block Europe have the most played SoundCloud account in the UK for 2024 (see below). Youngboy Never Broke Again came out on top in the US.
For the Top 10 Most Played New Accounts on SoundCloud, Pozer (pictured) came out on top in the UK followed by Chrystal and Mazza L20. In the US, Vonoff1700 came out on top.
Top genres
In the UK, electronic came out on top as the top genre, followed by hip-hop, pop, long-form and R&B/soul. SoundCloud identified Scottish DJ Hannah Laing as a key artist in electronic music on the platform.
“In the UK, electronic accounts for the greatest share of plays, followed closely by hip-hop, which gained 0.6% of share,” stated the report. “This coincides with notable activity in the UK hip hop underground.”
Also on the up in terms of consumption are rock (up 0.5%) and folk (up 0.4%), “reflecting a renewed interest from Gen-Z in subgenres like shoegaze, nu-metal, and others with heydays in the aughts and before”, said the report.
Meanwhile, hip-hop reigns as the top genre in the US.
Top Tracks
Flex (UK) had the top track (6 In The Morning) in the UK on SoundCloud in 2024, followed by Happier by The Blessed Madonna and Kisses by Bl3ss, CamrinWatsin and Bbyclose.
“In the UK, a new swell of house continues to rise, accounting for the top three most streamed tracks,” noted the report.
In the US, Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us was on top, followed by Future’s Like That and Get In With Me by Bossman Dlow.
Rise of UK garage/bassline
SoundCloud identified UK garage/bassline as the No.1 top scene to watch across the global platform. Key artists include Sammy Virji, Oppidan, Scruz and Bushbaby.
“A new revival of UK Garage and the aptly named, bass-oriented bassline, is underway,” stated the report. “Scene plays are up 31% in the last year and are on track to rise an additional 20%, with the scene most popular in the UK, followed by the US, Australia and Germany.”
Country and folk surge
A rising wave of young country and folk artists are gaining momentum on SoundCloud, driving a 15% increase in streams across the scene over the past year. More broadly, uploads of #country and #folk tracks have surged by over 50% in the last two years, signaling strong growth in the genre.
Additionally, SoundCloud continues to perform strongly with underground and emerging scenes. Plugg/Pluggnb/Rage, Cloud Rap, and Reggaeton are all making waves on the platform.
“At first glance, these small scenes might appear identical, but as you move closer, the finer details emerge,” stated the report. “What starts as a tight-knit community on SoundCloud can expand into a global cultural force.”
Top growing genres
In the UK, the top growing genres on SoundCloud are: hip-hop, rock & metal, folk & country, Latin and pop.
“As in the US, rock and metal and folk and country were among the top growing genres in the UK,” stated the report. “But hip -hop took the crown thanks to British acts like D-Block Europe and Nines, US superstars like Lil Baby and Drake, and a fast-growing underground rap scene.”
This report highlights the artists, tracks and movements defining music today – and those set to take over tomorrow
Wyatt Marshall
Electronic, long-form and rock and metal are all seeing significant growth on SoundCloud in the US, with emerging artists experimenting with new sounds.
Current music on SoundCloud
Some 46.5% of listening on SoundCloud in the UK and US is devoted to tracks released in the last 18 months—nearly double the industry average of 26.7% (Luminate 2024 Year-End Report). SoundCloud said its platform is dedicated to helping emerging artists and new sounds.
That result is slightly down on 2023 when new music was dominant in the UK at 51.46%.
“The UK has seen similar trends to the US,” stated the report. “As more SoundCloud legends graduate to become popular catalogue acts, consumption share of catalog has increased, but new music released in the last 18 months still accounts for nearly 50% of all listening.”
New rap – #jerk and #hoodtrap on SoundCloud
SoundCloud identified 71.8% consumption growth in 2024 across new rap genres including those tagged tagged as #jerk and #hoodtrap.
“At the visible forefront are Xaviersobased and Nettspend, two young rappers who have incorporated jerk-style beats to propel a kind of kaleidoscopic, atmospheric and lively rap that feels both chaotic and hypnotic. It’s a new, expansive sonic palette for hip hop that transcends genre lines
“This report highlights the artists, tracks, and movements defining music today – and those set to take over tomorrow,” said Wyatt Marshall, director, music intelligence & analytics at SoundCloud. “We take a deep dive into scenes – the interconnected groups of artists who use SoundCloud’s unique networking features to shape subgenres and subcultures, fueling the next generation of music.
The report was compiled through analysis of SoundCloud engagement data and hashtag usage. The report is also based on proprietary audio analysis tools.
Subscribers can read our Radar interview with Pozer.
PHOTO: Pozer Photo By Reuben Bastienne-Lewis
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