This Is How Fetty Wap Mastered SoundCloud and Went Old School

Urban Klancnik

Jan 13, 2020

SoundCloud is regarded as one of the best streaming platforms for discovering new music. It’s based on simple like and repost features, which makes discovery quite easy. Unlike with Spotify, you don’t need a label to upload things to SoundCloud, and that makes the platform perfect for new musicians seeking attention. About 175M people use SoundCloud every month, and according to the channel, about 180M tracks have been uploaded to the platform so far. Hip Hop, and especially Trap, found a great refuge here. Our data shows that out of the 100 top streaming artists on SoundCloud, 78 make Hip Hop.

Read more about the top rated Hip Hop artists on SoundCloud here!

Fetty Wap: Independent spirit

Fetty Wap was almost an overnight SoundCloud sensation when he released his song “Trap Queen” on the platform in 2014. It was streamed over 1M times on SoundCloud even before it was first played on radio. He’s #24 on the Viberate Trap rank (based on the artists' popularity on social media and streaming services), just above former jailbird Tee Grizzley and below Cardi B’s hubby Offset. For an independent artist, that’s quite an achievement.

Old-school marketing

Fetty Wap's success is special because he did it without the help of major labels. In the beginning of his career, he hit the streets and sold mixtapes to people, thus managing to drum up buzz, so he was definitely creative with his marketing (it’s something musicians in the 1970s and 1980s did, but even now some musicians, mainly in Hip Hop, do it for promotion). And that’s the main thing, isn’t it? Be creative, inventive, think of new ideas, and you can make it. Fetty Wap is a great example of how an artist can succeed without some huge corporation in the shadows pulling strings. In the end, all it takes is a song people like, a bit of ingenuity, and a lot of hard work. Don't forget, you can make things a lot easier just by claiming your profile on Viberate.com.

An artist has to be smart when using SoundCloud. With over 180M tracks uploaded, it’s hard to get through the noise, so don’t miss the tips and tricks on how to be successful on the platform. 

Cover photo source: Fetty Wap by Hofstra University at Fall Festival

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