SoundCloud CEO talks avoiding the sale and monitoring monetization

Recode’s Code Media Conference has had a few notable appearances from the audio and music space. New SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainor recently took his turn in the hot seat, marking his first public interview since taking the helm at the audio company.

Trainor explained his role in convincing the board to accept an investment rather than sell during SoundCloud’s difficult 2017. “Please don’t sell the company, because you’re a one-of-a-kind asset,” he said he told the board.

CNET also managed to snag some time with Trainor at the conference to ask about the platform’s monetization platforms. SoundCloud Premier offers creators a share of ad-revenue on an invitation-only basis.

“The power of open platforms is a double edged sword,” he said. “We’re very passionate about the democratizing power…but the other side of it is you have to vigilant about people abusing that system.”

SoundCloud on the product side has always served two masters: uploaders, who contribute the content, and listeners, who consume the content. In the last five years, starting with a dramatic redesign of the browser app, SoundCloud has thrown itself into the mission of building the listener base and building major-label catalog. Social and collaborative tools which fueled SoundCloud’s pre-2012 growth, and which represented the founding mission, were reduced — this according to many creators who built audiences on the platform.

It’s possible that Kerry Trainor will adjust the balance; Recode’s reporting noted that Trainor said the business would focus “more on products offered to audio creators.” So far in Trainor’s leadership, the analytics platform for uploaders has been renovated twice, offering a better interface and more detail.

Watch the full interview here.

RAIN News Staff