Channel subscriptions allows creators to upload shows and set them as “Exclusives” for their subscribers. An Exclusive show will be visible to everyone, but only paying channel subscribers will be able to listen.
As a creator, Exclusives are a powerful tool to reward your fans and encourage more fans to subscribe to get full access to your shows. In fact, creators who upload exclusives are twice as likely to get subscribers as those who don’t.
It’s up to the creator to choose how and when to use the feature to reward their inner circle of fans. They can make a show exclusive at first and set it to public later, if they wish.
How to upload an exclusive
To set a show as an Exclusive, just click the “Exclusive to my subscribers only” when you upload a new show.
The show will then only be available for listeners who have previously subscribed to your profile. If you'd like to make this show available for all your listeners at any point, just go back to the editing page for the show and unclick the button, then click Save.
For help with how to edit shows, see our FAQ here.
Keep in mind:
- Exclusives won’t be able to enter the charts until they are made public to everyone. Don’t worry, when you make a show public, it will appear as a new show and behave exactly the same as a regular public show.
- Everyone will see an Exclusive in their feed and on your Mixcloud profile, but only your subscribers will be able to listen.
- All your followers will be notified about exclusive shows you upload.
How to effectively use Exclusives
As a creator, you understand your fans best. You know what kind of exclusive content would best incentivise your fans to support and subscribe. Here are some approaches that we have seen other creators have great success with:
- Teaser windows: keep your new shows exclusive for a limited amount (“window”) of time, and then make the show public for all your followers.
- Bonus content: upload extra or rare content like extended interviews, extra commentary, rare live sets or special guest mixes.
- Extended B-side: Create extended versions of your shows - make the first part free, and the second part exclusive.
- Create an archive: put older, rare shows that are not available elsewhere behind a paywall.
Do:
- Make a show exclusive in your first week or month to show that you’ve started using channel subscriptions.
- Use the feature to periodically boost your subscribers.
- Write a compelling show description for your Exclusives to make clear what the show is about.
- If you plan to make it public, describe when in your show description.
- Rethink your distribution strategy and get creative! It doesn’t need to take extra time or effort to create new content.
Don’t:
- Make shows exclusive if they are available to listen elsewhere for free! Not a good look.