SoundCloud Free vs. SoundCloud Go+: Audio Quality Comparison
SoundCloud is the world's largest open audio platform, boasting over 300 million tracks. But for audiophiles and music enthusiasts, a lingering question remains: Is the audio quality good enough?
SoundCloud offers two distinct listening experiences: the standard Free tier and the premium SoundCloud Go+ subscription. Among other perks like ad-free listening and offline saves, Go+ promises "high-quality audio."
In this article, we break down the exact technical differences between these two tiers so you can decide if the upgrade is worth your money.
The Free Tier: 160kbps AAC
For years, SoundCloud was heavily criticized by audio purists because it streamed all audio in 128kbps MP3. This resulted in a notorious "swishy" or "underwater" sound on high frequencies (like cymbals and hi-hats).
Fortunately, a few years ago, SoundCloud quietly upgraded their standard streaming format.
Today, the free tier on SoundCloud streams in 160kbps AAC (Advanced Audio Coding).
Is 160kbps AAC good enough?
Yes, for the vast majority of listeners. AAC is a highly efficient, modern codec (the same one used by Apple Music). A 160kbps AAC stream is roughly equivalent to a 256kbps MP3.If you are listening on standard Apple AirPods, Bluetooth car speakers, or a laptop, you will likely not hear any compression artifacts. The bass is punchy, the mids are clear, and the high-end distortion that plagued the old 128kbps MP3 days is largely gone.
SoundCloud Go+: 256kbps AAC
When you upgrade to SoundCloud Go+ (currently $9.99/month), you unlock a toggle in your settings for "High-Quality Audio."
When enabled, SoundCloud streams tracks in 256kbps AAC.
How does it compare?
256kbps AAC is widely considered "transparent." This means that in blind A/B tests, most human beings cannot distinguish it from a lossless CD-quality file (1411kbps WAV).This is the exact same bitrate and codec that Apple Music uses for its standard high-quality streaming.
If you have high-end wired studio monitors (like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x or Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO) or a dedicated DAC/Amp setup, you might notice slightly better stereo separation and a more defined high-end in the 256kbps stream compared to the 160kbps free stream.
The Catch: Source Files Matter
There is a massive caveat to SoundCloud's audio quality, regardless of whether you pay for Go+ or not: The platform is entirely user-generated.
SoundCloud's encoding algorithms can only do so much. If an underground producer uploads a poorly mixed, clipping 128kbps MP3 that they exported from FL Studio incorrectly, SoundCloud will transcode that file into 160kbps AAC for the free tier and 256kbps AAC for Go+.
It will still sound terrible.You cannot create data out of thin air. High-quality streaming only works if the original creator uploaded a lossless file (WAV, FLAC, or ALAC) in the first place. Fortunately, most professional labels and serious independent artists upload high-quality masters.
Can you download these streams?
If you want to save these tracks for offline use outside of the SoundCloud app, you can use tools like SCtoMP3.
When you convert a track using our platform, we capture the exact stream provided by SoundCloud.
- If the track is publicly available, we extract the native 160kbps AAC stream and package it neatly with ID3 tags and album art.
- We never artificially upscale files to "320kbps MP3," as this degrades the audio further and wastes storage space on your device.
The Verdict
So, should you upgrade to SoundCloud Go+ just for the audio quality?
No. For 95% of users, the free 160kbps AAC stream is incredibly capable and sounds fantastic on consumer-grade Bluetooth headphones.You should upgrade to SoundCloud Go+ if you want to support artists, remove advertisements, and unlock the full catalog of major-label tracks that are geoblocked or restricted on the free tier. The bump to 256kbps AAC is a nice bonus, but it shouldn't be the sole reason you open your wallet.