What Mixcloud does

Mixcloud is a London-based, privately held audio streaming platform founded in 2008 that operates as a two-sided marketplace connecting professional and semi-professional audio creators—DJs, radio hosts, and music producers—with music listeners. The platform's core differentiator is a proprietary licensing technology that enables creators to legally share copyrighted music (DJ mixes, radio shows, podcasts, full-length productions) without routine takedowns and without algorithmic curation, positioning it explicitly against algorithm-driven mainstream streaming services.

The product portfolio centers on a free core platform, with two paid subscription tiers layered on top: Mixcloud Premium for listeners ($7.99/month, offering unlimited replays, offline listening, an ad-free experience, and upfront tracklists) and Mixcloud Pro for creators ($11.25/month when paid annually, offering unlimited uploads, HQ audio, live streaming via Mixcloud LIVE, monetization through Tips & Subscriptions, analytics, host tagging, and profile customization). Mixcloud LIVE, launched in 2020, extends the platform into real-time broadcasting. In September 2024, Mixcloud acquired Encore, a European online marketplace that has facilitated over 50,000 musician bookings and $33 million in musician earnings since 2014, marking the company's move into the live performance services vertical.

Mixcloud distributes through a fully product-led, self-serve go-to-market motion via its web platform and native iOS and Android applications, with a freemium conversion model and organic/community-led marketing through creator partnerships and content. The company employs 11–50 people, is legally domiciled as Mixcloud Limited in the United Kingdom, and has raised approximately $12 million in total disclosed funding, the majority in an $11.5 million round led by WndrCo in April 2018. Revenue figures have not been publicly disclosed.

Name

Mixcloud

Legal name

Mixcloud Limited

Website

https://mixcloud.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mixcloud is a UK-based audio streaming platform connecting DJs, radio hosts, and music producers with listeners through a creator-friendly licensing model and freemium subscriptions (Premium $7.99/mo, Pro $11.25/mo).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audio Streaming Platform

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand Music Streaming Platforms (MPAIADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC)

Keywords

• Audio streaming platform
• Creator monetization tools
• Live music streaming
• DJ mix sharing
• Podcast hosting platform

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Premium Subscriptions (Listeners): Monthly subscription for listeners providing unlimited replays, offline listening, no ads, and upfront tracklists. Priced at $7.99/month.
2. Pro Subscriptions (Creators): Monthly subscription for creators providing unlimited uploads, live streaming without takedowns, HQ audio, monetization through tips and subscriptions, analytics, and profile customization. Priced at $11.25/month (annual billing).
3. Creator Tips: Direct monetary support from listeners to creators, enabling fan-to-creator direct revenue sharing.
4. Fair Royalties: Revenue model emphasizing fair royalties for artists and rights-holders, differentiating from other streaming platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mixcloud operates an online long-form audio streaming platform where DJs, radio hosts, and music producers upload DJ mixes, radio shows, and podcasts that listeners can stream on demand. The platform operates a freemium model: a free ad-supported tier for both listeners and creators, a $7.99/month Premium tier for listeners (offline listening, unlimited replays, no ads), and an $11.25/month Pro tier for creators (unlimited uploads, live streaming via Mixcloud LIVE, HQ audio, and direct monetization tools).

Product overview

Mixcloud is a UK-based audio streaming platform built for curators, DJs, producers, and radio hosts. The core platform enables music sharing and community building with a unique licensing technology that avoids algorithmic curation. The product portfolio includes: the free Mixcloud Core Platform (basic streaming), Mixcloud Pro subscription for creators ($11.25/month) offering unlimited uploads, live streaming (Mixcloud LIVE, launched 2020), HQ audio, monetization tools, and analytics, Mixcloud Premium for listeners ($7.99/month) providing ad-free offline listening, and Encore, an acquired European gig-booking marketplace. The platform emphasizes fair royalties for artists and supports various genres including house, trance, hip hop, electronic, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mixcloud Premium: Premium subscription service for listeners offering offline listening, unlimited replays, and no ads
• Mixcloud Pro
• Mixcloud LIVE

Products and services

• Mixcloud Core Platform Free audio streaming platform for DJs, radio hosts, and music producers to upload DJ mixes, radio shows, and podcasts, and for listeners to stream curated long-form audio content on demand.
• Mixcloud Pro (Creator Subscription) Paid creator subscription providing unlimited uploads, Mixcloud LIVE live streaming without takedowns, HQ audio uploads, monetization via Tips and Subscriptions, listener stats, host tagging to publish to multiple profiles, profile customization, and direct fan messaging. Priced at $11.25/month when paid annually.
• Mixcloud Premium (Listener Subscription) Paid listener subscription offering unlimited replays, offline listening, an ad-free experience, and upfront tracklist visibility so listeners can see the full tracklist from the start. Priced at $7.99/month.
• Encore European online music marketplace that connects musicians with live performance and booking opportunities. Since its founding in 2014, Encore has facilitated over 50,000 bookings and helped musicians earn $33 million. Operates independently as a Mixcloud subsidiary.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 bookings facilitated through Encore acquisition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EncorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2024Mixcloud acquired Encore, a European online music marketplace, to expand its live music services. Encore connects musicians with performance opportunities and will continue to operate independently while benefiting from Mixcloud's resources. Since founding in 2014, Encore has facilitated over 50,000 bookings and helped musicians earn $33 million. The acquisition strengthens Mixcloud's position in the live music sector.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SoundCloud: SoundCloud is a creator-driven audio streaming platform that hosts DJs, producers, and podcasters uploading mixes and original tracks. It is the closest direct competitor to Mixcloud, operating a similar two-sided marketplace with freemium and Pro (SoundCloud Pro) subscriptions and a comparable long-tail creator base.
• Beatport: Beatport is a leading electronic music platform specializing in DJ mixes, tracks, and related downloads for professional and amateur DJs. It directly overlaps with Mixcloud's DJ mix and electronic music creator base and operates a similar marketplace model targeting the same curator community.
• Bandcamp: Bandcamp is a creator-friendly music marketplace that allows artists to sell music directly to fans with a higher revenue share than mainstream platforms. While more focused on direct sales than streaming, it shares Mixcloud's creator-first ethos and similar audience of independent and niche musicians.
• Audiomack: Audiomack is a free music streaming and upload platform focused on hip hop, electronic, and emerging genres. It directly competes with Mixcloud for DJs, producers, and emerging artists seeking upload-friendly platforms with monetization tools.

Broad incumbents

• Spotify: Spotify is the global leader in music and podcast streaming with hundreds of millions of users. While much broader than Mixcloud, Spotify increasingly targets the same creators and long-form audio use cases (DJ mixes, live audio, podcasts), making it the dominant incumbent Mixcloud must differentiate against.
• Tidal: Tidal is a high-fidelity music streaming service owned by Block that emphasizes artist payouts and audio quality. It overlaps with Mixcloud's premium, quality-focused positioning and is an alternative for creators and listeners seeking fairer artist compensation.
• LiveOne: LiveOne is a music, podcast, and live event streaming platform that bundles audio streaming with live performances. It is comparable to Mixcloud where Encore meets Mixcloud LIVE, serving an overlapping intersection of music and live audio use cases.
• iHeartRadio: iHeartRadio is a major US-based audio platform offering live radio, podcasts, and on-demand music streaming. It overlaps with Mixcloud's radio-show and podcast hosting positioning and is a broader incumbent in the curated audio discovery space.

Emerging players

• Pocket Casts: Pocket Casts is a popular podcast listening platform with a creator publishing tier. While focused on podcasts rather than DJ mixes, it overlaps with Mixcloud's long-form audio discovery and curation use cases and serves a similar listener persona interested in human-curated content.
• Resonate Co-operative: Resonate is a musician-owned streaming co-op that emphasizes fair payouts and artist ownership, paralleling Mixcloud's fair-royalty narrative. While smaller and more niche, it shares Mixcloud's positioning around creator-first economics and is a relevant peer on values and model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mixcloud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mixcloud