Setting up Creator Subscriptions – Mixcloud Help Center

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Mixcloud is a platform for creators of all forms – DJs, radio hosts, playlisters, artists and podcasters alike. Creator Subscriptions are a direct fan-to-creator subscription layer to the platform.

Creator Subscriptions enable you to build an inner circle of fans who directly support you, plus all music and artists played in your shows. Creators can take more control of their profile, offer their biggest fans a more rewarding experience and earn revenue from their shows.

Every creator using Creator Subscriptions has a dedicated page that can be used to promote their profile to potential subscribers. Creators should treat this page as a shop window to their profile. Your fans will see this page before they subscribe, so it’s important to give it some thought.

The option to offer Creator Subscriptions is one of the benefits of our Pro subscription. To subscribe, click here.

Listener benefits included in Creator Subscriptions

⭐ Exclusive Shows: Sharing exclusive shows or putting archive shows behind a paywall for your subscribers only. Find out how best to use Exclusives here.

⭐ Early access: Giving subscribers the ability to listen to exclusive shows for a period of time before anyone else.

⭐ Extended Shows: Publish extra shows such as guest mixes, interviews or extended mixes as exclusives for subscribers only.

⭐ Upfront Tracklists: Provide detailed tracklists about shows visible before hitting play to your subscribers only. Read more about how tracklisting works here.

Additionally, Creator subscribers benefit from the following features when listening to the content uploaded by accounts they're subscribed to:

⭐ Offline listening: Download shows to the Mixcloud app to listen anytime, anywhere.

⭐ Premium playback: Listen to shows without limitations or ads.

⭐ Fair distribution model: Contribute to a split revenue model where the creator, as well as all rights holders involved in making the shows get their cut, fairly and legally.

Creators utilising Creator Subscriptions can also choose to keep their followers and supporting fans up-to-date with news and updates using Mixcloud Posts.

See article: What are Mixcloud Posts?

Rules for using Creator Subscriptions

When utilizing Creator Subscriptions, it's crucial to ensure that the content you upload to Mixcloud aligns with our Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.

You should not:

Try to boost your engagement by buying plays, favorites, reposts, or through means other than those allowed by our Terms of Use.
Use violent, pornographic, or drug-related images.
Upload content that you don't own the rights to, like recordings of other people's shows or unreleased material.

If you break these rules, we may revoke your access to Creator Subscriptions and Pro without warning, as well as remove and/or refund all associated Creator Subscriptions.

Setting up your Creator Subscriptions page

Please note that Creator Subscriptions are available to creators and listeners worldwide, except for Japan, China and North Korea due to licensing restrictions.

Step 1: Set your payment details

Choose a currency

In this section you can pick the currency you would like us to pay you in. Your subscribers will have a choice between main currencies, but we will convert it into your chosen currency when sending it over. For more information see our article on currency exchange here.

Set your subscription Price

You can set your monthly price from 2.99 (EUR, USD or GBP). This is the minimum amount fans need to pay to subscribe. Sales tax will be added depending on location.

The price you set directly impacts how much you earn. You can choose to set a higher minimum price, and your subscribers can choose to pay more if they wish.

💡Tips:

Consider what your fans are willing to pay for what you upload. If you have an engaged audience and a rich catalogue of shows, feel confident to set a higher price of 3.99 or more.
If you’re a radio station, you will likely be uploading shows more regularly than the average Mixcloud creator. Consider charging 4.99 or more.
Keep an eye on subscriptions coming in via your dashboard. If your loyal subscribers are willing to pay more, consider increasing the minimum accordingly.

Step 2: Write your story

Write a personal note to fans

This text will appear on your profile upsell and encourage fans to subscribe to your profile. It also appears on the email messaging sent to all your Mixcloud followers one week after your page goes live. This is your chance to make an impression that counts.

Keep these pointers in mind when writing your note:

Get personal, keep it human and write in your voice - make your fans feel good about joining an inner circle of fans who directly support you and your shows.
Describe the shows you regularly upload on Mixcloud - what can your fans expect to hear on your profile?
Tell your fans why their support matters to you - what will you use the money for?
Say why it matters to support the artists and music played in your shows - remind them that they’ll be supporting the artists and music that you play.
Suggest how you will reward your paying subscribers - will you be uploading exclusives? Will you offer them extras?
Describe your creative process - how much time and energy goes into crafting the shows they love to listen to?
Don’t just copy-paste what’s on your Mixcloud page already - get creative!

Don’t worry, you can edit your note at any time and keep it updated. Here are some examples of Creators who have got it right:

https://www.mixcloud.com/dublab/subscribe/

https://www.mixcloud.com/mol_/subscribe/

Write a thank-you note

Your fans will see this message after successfully subscribing to your profile. This is an important opportunity to say thanks!

Write a personal note to your new subscriber thanking them for their support. Welcome them and remind them how their support will help you and the artists you play in your shows. When writing your thank you note, make your fans feel special. Welcome them to your inner circle.

Step 3: Choose your look

Select your image

This image gives a first impression of your profile to potential subscribers. It will be used in all promotions for your profile. Consider the following points when choosing your look:

Make sure the image is high resolution and quality photography.
Make sure the image is different from the one you’ve used on your Mixcloud profile to help you stand out.
Ensure the image is free of copyright or that you have permission from the creator to use it.
Make sure that the image clearly represents you and your brand identity.
Make sure the image is 1600px x 900px or 16:9 (landscape).
Make sure there aren’t logos or branding that won’t work with the overlay we add.

Here are some examples of dublab and Mista Bibs who are doing this right

Step 4: Choose your Categories

These categories are how you will be seen on the Explore page. To make sure that potential subscribers can find your page when browsing through the Explore page, choose a Primary and a Secondary category that conveys the music you play.

If you play a variety of genres in your shows, you can pick the two most popular or the two you play the most.

Step 5: Choose the optional benefits you'll be providing your subscribers

As a part of the Creator Subscriptions feature, your profile will provide subscribers with the ability to listen without limits to your shows and download any of your shows to their mobile devices via the apps.

However, you can also choose to give them up to three additional benefits for subscribing to your profile as detailed below. These will appear on your subscriptions upsell page so that your subscribers know what to expect when they subscribe.

Exclusive shows

These are shows that are only available to your subscribers. You can make a show an Exclusive by following the steps here. For more information on how we've seen Exclusives work for Creators, see our blog post about it here.

Early access

These are shows that you upload as an Exclusive for a limited amount of time before putting it public. We've seen creators such as John Digweed capitalise with the help of this process, giving subscribers access to his weekly shows days before the general public can listen to them.

Upfront tracklists

Playing rare, unusual or unreleased tracks in your show? Then, providing an upfront tracklist allows your subscribers to see what you've been playing while on the show page.

Extended shows

This is another way of using Exclusives that is well used by Creators like Bill Brewster. Think about making a longer edit of a show and then putting the longer version as an Exclusive for your subscribers. Creators have done this with guest minimixes, longer versions of interviews or just a 4-hour version of a 2-hour show.

Support me!

Want your subscribers to know that they'll be supporting you to continue making shows by subscribing to your upsell page, then this is the option for you.

Here's how these optional benefits will appear for your subscribers.

Step 6: Preview your page

You will save your page to draft mode as you go through the setup process. Review how it looks and reads to make sure you’re happy with it before you hit publish.

After you publish this, you will be able to change most of your page details by heading to your earnings dashboard and clicking 'edit details'.

To change your subscription price, please contact support@mixcloud.com.

Step 7: Publish

Finally, you will need to publish your page to go live on Mixcloud. After you hit publish, here’s what to expect next:

Your upsell page will be public.
You will have access to your dashboard.
The purple badge and “Subscribe” button will appear on your Mixcloud profile.
Your Mixcloud followers will automatically receive an email in about a week that announces you are offering Creator Subscriptions.

Disabling the Creator Subscriptions option

If you no longer wish to have the option for your listeners to subscribe to you, we can remove the Profile subscription option from your profile. Please send an email to support@mixcloud.com to request this.

We will inform all subscribers to your profile of this change and cancel their subscriptions. Additionally, once the feature has been removed, any show that you previously set as Exclusive will be available to all Mixcloud listeners.

The Mixcloud Creator Subscriptions creator guide

To help you make the most out of Creator Subscriptions, we have created a guide to all things subscriptions:

Download the guide here

Will Creator Subscriptions affect the free Mixcloud experience?

Absolutely not. Free listeners can access all public shows on Mixcloud for free. This free feature will not change due to Creator Subscriptions.

Creator Creator Subscriptions (formally known as Select) are a subscription layer on top of this experience that allows fans to subscribe to a profile for a small monthly fee to directly support the creator and their shows. Subscribers receive additional features on that account such as offline listening, upfront tracklists and access to exclusive content.

If you need further assistance with your Creator Subscriptions or have any questions, please fill out this form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

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