SoundCloud is saved with a new round of money
We almost lost another great one.
SoundCloud, an online network for sharing and enjoying music, had been crashing. The website was unable to pull in enough money to meet its costs. Last month, the company was forced to lay off 173 employees, which was about 40 percent of its workforce.
The move caused an uproar, online. SoundCloud’s future appeared in serious doubt. Chance the Rapper, one of many artists who frequently uses the platform to share his work, tweeted that he was on the case.
I’m working on the SoundCloud thing
Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) July 13, 2017
Just had a very fruitful call with Alex Ljung. @SoundCloud is here to stay.
Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) July 14, 2017
Well, Chance was right.
SoundCloud announced Friday that the company had secured a new round of funding. The amount was not disclosed, but the company did reveal it was its biggest round to date. Participants included The Raine Group and Temasek.
“Youve told me how, without SoundCloud, there would be a giant gaping void in todays world of music. We cant have that, and Im happy to once again say that wont be happening,” SoundCloud founder Alexander Ljung wrote in the blog post.
As part of the funding, the company is under new leadership. Ljung will no longer be serving as CEO but will remain on as chairman. Kerry Trainor and Mike Weissman, both of whom worked at video-sharing platform Vimeo, are joining as CEO and COO, respectively.
It’s TBD on what’s next, as in what it means for making money going forward. One of the company’s latest efforts is SoundCloud Go, a paid subscription service launched in March 2016. But it seems like they are confident something will work.
“SoundCloud, just like music, will continue to evolve, but importantly, both will always be a key part of life,” Ljung wrote.
UPDATE: Aug. 11, 2017, 2:55 p.m. EDT Ljung told Chance by sliding into his DMs on Twitter.
Before my phone dies, just wanted to make sure yall know, @SoundCloud is here to stay. pic.twitter.com/3DxFeoVSTs
Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) August 11, 2017
Read more: http://mashable.com/2017/08/11/soundcloud-saved-new-funding-kerry-ceo/