When it comes to buying plays on SoundCloud there are quite a few misconceptions about how it all works and the value of these plays. SoundCloud has become one of the largest social media platforms for musicians. Buying plays (as well as favorites, followers, etc.) can be an effective way to generate social proof, which is indispensable on a platform like SoundCloud.

Just like with any other social media platform, using these services to improve your following has a poor reputation. However, after digging beneath the surface, it becomes clear that this lack of a good reputation stems from a lot of half-truths or complete myths. Let’s take a look at the seven most common myths about buying plays on SoundCloud.

Myth #1 – The plays are fake, so they don’t work

The first myth is more of a half-truth. While it is true that most plays that are purchased are fulfilled by bots, that doesn’t make them worthless. Fake plays can help generate traffic simply because of social proof, the phenomenon that people follow what others do. When searching through related tracks, people tend to hit play on tracks with lots of plays. Because of this, you’ll get more organic plays if you have a high view count – regardless of whether those plays are real or not.

Myth #2 – Buying plays gets you banned

This one is partially true as well, but only to a certain extent. The truth is that you’ll only get banned from buying plays if you purchase them from a shady vendor. There are thousands of choices when picking a provider of SoundCloud plays, so make sure you do your research and pick one that won’t get you slapped with a ban.

Buying from a reputable vendor will save you from a whole mess of issues that could come up even if you didn’t get banned from using a shady vendor. Worried for your channel? Check out our Top Vendors here.

Myth #3 – 100% of purchased plays are fake

In the first myth, we mentioned that “most” purchased plays aren’t real. This ties into the myth that all of purchased plays are fake, which actually isn’t true. There are actually quite a few vendors who provide legitimate plays from real SoundCloud users. However, keep in mind that these users are likely being paid to play your music, so they may not even be listening. They are real, but don’t expect them to become your biggest fans.

Myth #4 – You need to provide your login information

Although there are websites that are looking to phish your information, there isn’t a single reputable provider of SoundCloud plays that would require your login information. If you are about to place an order and they ask for your SoundCloud account email and password, get out of there right away. Remember, you’re buying social signals that can only come from other accounts, so it doesn’t make sense that you’d need to give up your credentials.

Myth #5 – After buying plays, you’ll get more spam

Again, this is another thing that can be easily avoided by choosing a provider who has a good reputation. A smart vendor with high-quality signals will want you to come back for more business, a shady vendor with low-quality signals will sell your information to other shady vendors for advertising. As long as you read reviews you should be fine, but you can take an extra precaution and test a vendor on a secondary account first.

Myth #6 – Buying plays is all you need

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s also the myth that all you need to be successful on SoundCloud is a few thousand fake plays. Although they can certainly be helpful, fake plays are definitely not a silver bullet for success. Fake plays are part of a bigger marketing plan, which requires other metrics (favorites, followers), good content, and advertising.

Having just the plays won’t garner a whole lot of attention, as it becomes somewhat obvious they’re fake if there are no favorites or shares to go along with them. 37,000 plays? Ok, sure. 37,000 plays, 6,000 likes, 2,000 reposts? Now that's worth a listen.

Myth #7 – The plays will disappear

Outside of your track being completely removed as a result of a DMCA violation or from purchasing low-quality plays from a shady provider, there are no cases of SoundCloud plays being deducted. Once you’ve got the plays, they’ll stay there unless the track itself is removed.

Be Smart & Let Your SoundCloud Grow

Although we may debunk several myths surrounding purchased SoundCloud plays, it’s still a shady industry. With such a large market and so many different providers, there’s bound to be a few rotten apples. Unfortunately, there are quite a few rotten apples in this industry so you need always be cautious. But don't be completely deterred – by no means does this mean you should steer clear of buying plays altogether.

With the right knowledge, you can easily take the proper precautions to ensure you benefit from buying SoundCloud plays, as opposed to having them sink your reputation.

Date: January 26, 2016 / Categories: SoundCloud Plays, / Author: Viv