By Somesh Dash and Dennis Phelps
Sound is the most absorbent medium of all, soaking up histories and philosophical systems and physical surroundings and encoding them in something so slight as a single vocal quaver or icy harpsichord interjection. - Geoffrey OBrien, Sonata for Jukebox: An Autobiography of My Ears
IVP is excited to announce that we led the most recent investment round at SoundCloud. In just five years, the company has experienced explosive growth and become a cultural phenomenon. And things are just getting started
For those of you who do not know IVP, we are a leading later-stage venture capital firm dedicated to technology investing. All our professionals are based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we focus exclusively on funding rapidly-growing enterprise and consumer companies. Thanks to our loyal and generous Limited Partners, we have plenty of capital to invest. Our current fund, IVP XIV, is capitalized at $1 billion, and we are actively managing close to $3 billion.
We have known SoundCloud for quite some time, but from term sheet to wire transfer, it took us only three weeks to close the investment. When we see something we like, we can move fast.
We have been fortunate to partner with a number of the leading consumer technology companies of the modern Internet era, including Twitter, Dropbox, Netflix, Supercell, Buddy Media, Zynga, and Snapchat. We proudly add SoundCloud to this list and believe it has the potential to be an iconic tech success story. Here are the top ten reasons why we believe SoundCloud will rule the digital audio world:
SoundCloud is the YouTube of Audio Our core investment thesis for SoundCloud is centered around our belief that SoundCloud will become the dominant online digital delivery platform for audio in much the same way that YouTube has become the dominant online platform for video. YouTube is the most fundamentally disruptive thing to happen to video content since the advent of cable TV, and it is not just the dominant online video platform, it is also now one of the leading search platforms, social media platforms, and smartphone apps. Many investors do not fully understand or appreciate YouTube from all these perspectives. In addition, YouTube is clearly one of the most successful technology acquisitions of the past two decades. If Google were to spin out YouTube today as an independent company, it likely would be worth tens of billions of dollars - perhaps a 10-20x or more multiple of the $1.6 billion Google paid to acquire the company in 2006.
Audio and Video are Fundamentally Different We generally do not watch TV while writing important emails at work, while driving our cars, or while jogging along the beach. When it comes to consuming audio and video, many of us own separate devices for separate use cases an iPod mini for working out at the gym, and a full-screen iPad (with retina display) for that 10 hour Breaking Bad binge on an overseas flight. Fundamentally, audio and video are two very different media. Digital delivery does not change that fact.
Evolving Audio Consumption Patterns Ever since the advent of digital music delivery, consumer expectations have evolved rapidly. In fact, the very idea of an album or even a single is changing with the growing popularity of live performances, remixes, and mash-ups. Artists and fans are now interacting with music in ways that were impossible just a few years ago, and SoundCloud has become a key connective layer between music creators and fans. For example, Band of Horses were so impressed by a fans cover of their song Part One on SoundCloud that they decided to cover her rendition. Music has always been an inherently social experience and SoundCloud imbeds social connectivity as a core element of the platform.
Scale Matters comScore recently listed SoundCloud as one of the top ten fastest-growing websites in the United States. In any given hour, SoundCloud touches users from over 200 countries. These users post 12 hours of audio content every single minute with 90% of tracks played most frequently on the day that they are posted (and more than half played within the first hour of being posted). We believe that this global reach, combined with very strong networks effects, will continue to expand and solidify SoundCloud's position in online audio.
New Discovery Medium Many users go to SoundCloud to discover new bands, to listen to songs or artists that they cannot find on the radio, or to follow the creative explorations of their favorite artists. People also use SoundCloud to hear the latest episodes of podcasts, catch up on breaking news, and listen to spoken-word performances and audiobooks. Even Snoop Dogg/Lion/Snoopzilla uses SoundCloud to find and sign new talent to his label, helping to define SoundCloud as a new medium for artist discovery.
New Promotion Medium Innovative record labels also know that SoundCloud is not only one of the best places to discover new sounds and artists, it is also one of the best places to promote work. SoundCloud's massive global audience has made it the hot new platform for artists to break out. One notable recent example is Lorde, the 17-year old singer/songwriter from New Zealand whose debut song Royals topped Shazam's Most Tagged worldwide charts for several consecutive months in 2013. Where did Lorde's viral popularity first build? On SoundCloud.
It's Not All Top 40 Hits Sure and that's the point! SoundCloud turns the traditional audio discovery model upside down, allowing everyone to upload original content including songs, podcasts, news events, etc. for people to share across the web (the comedy selections in particular are some of our favorites). However, with an audience as large and expansive as SoundCloud's, even top artists such as Drake, Skrillex, Macklemore & Ryan
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
By Somesh Dash and Dennis Phelps
