Instagram Integrates Soundcloud Links Into Its Stories

Users will now be able to share direct links to Soundcloud in their Instagram Stories.

soundcloud instagram
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Image via Getty/Alexander Pohl

soundcloud instagram

Struggle rappers, take note. It just got a lot easier to direct people to Soundcloud releases via Instagram. The social media platform announced that users will now be able to share links to Soundcloud through Instagram Stories. 

The setup works much in the same way that it does with Spotify, which Instagram integrated into their Stories earlier this year. To share a track to Instagram, users simply click the "share" icon on Soundcloud and pick "Share to Instagram Stories."

On the other end, viewers will see a button that says "Play on Soundcloud." Clicking the link will open the Soundcloud app on their phone. While Spotify and Soundcloud have integrated with Instagram, their two main competitors who lack a tier for free access have not. There's no word yet if we'll see Apple Music or Tidal links on Instagram in the future. 

According to Billboard, Soundcloud said that tens of millions of posts to Instagram every month consist of workarounds attempting to get users to leave the app to listen to music. The streaming platform said that users would post screenshots of their latest songs to promote them. This new integration with Instagram gives creators a much more direct way to send listeners to their latest releases. 

While Soundcloud started as a way for musicians to collaborate or talk about works-in-progress, the unfettered nature of the platform quickly turned it into a home for up-and-coming musical acts who wanted an easy way to distribute their music (particularly if it contained material that might run afoul of copyright law on a monetized platform). The glut of young rappers trying out new ideas and sounds on the platform ended with the platform lending its name to an entire genre: Soundcloud Rap. Though many of those rappers have moved on to bigger and better checks, the kids following them will have it a little easier, being able to point fans directly to their new tracks via Instagram. 

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