If you haven't heard, Soundcloud, a social media platform that allows people to create, share, and listen to music may be going down in the upcoming months. Reportedly, streaming platform laid off 40% of its staff last week and only has enough money to last another 50 days. This creates a situation where artists that use Soundcloud to put their music out there in a difficult situation because there aren't a lot of platforms that allows them to do what it does for them.

Soundcloud is my preferred platform to stream music, mostly because it is unique in the way that it allows me to discover new artists and music that no other platform allows me to do so. It is different from other streaming platforms such as Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music in the sense that not-so-well-known artists and individuals display their talents on this platform.

Notable artists that gained popularity using their services include: Kehlani, Rezz, Alison Wonderland, Bryson Tiller, Post Malone, Khalid etc.

Chance the Rapper, whose beginnings also started on Soundcloud, has voiced his opinions and vowed to help them, and it seems that they have found a way to keep the service up.

Just had a very fruitful call with Alex Ljung. @SoundCloud is here to stay.
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) July">https://twitter.com/chancetherapper/status/8859212... 14, 2017

*airhorn* Spread the word: your music isn’t going anywhere. Neither are we.
— SoundCloud (@SoundCloud) July">https://twitter.com/SoundCloud/status/885940178292... 14, 2017

What Soundcloud does for up-and-coming artists is unlike anything any other platform can do. It allows people to post music without the aid of other people, and is more effective than posting music on Youtube since the audience is music-lovers, not video-watchers. The accessibility and ease in using the service cannot be beat. Without it, there are a plethora of names, genres, and sounds that we as an audience would be robbed of hearing.

As an audience, we want the ability to be exposed to upcoming, new artists that can't afford to put their music out there without a service as popular and big as Soundcloud. Other streaming platforms don't offer the kind of freedom and ability to stream underground music in the same manner that Soundcloud does. I've discovered a number of different artists and genres that I never thought I'd find interest using their services.

It would be a shame to have the service go down, but as of right now, it is good to know that Soundcloud is here to stay.