Music and audio streaming service Soundcloud has launched a new subscription service in Ireland to rival the likes of Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer.
Users who sign up to Soundcloud Go will have access to an expanded catalogue of 125 million tracks by well-known and emerging artists for a cost of €9.99 a month. They will also be able to listen to an unlimited number of tracks offline by syncing them to their device.
Soundcloud itself will remain free to use, although listeners in Ireland will hear advertisements between songs from today.
The service, which was launched in 2008, lets its 175 million users listen to, upload, and discover music and podcasts, as well as connect directly with artists.
It has become increasingly popular in recent years and has been used by musicians to upload their songs and demos to share it with fans. Acts like Drake, Lily Allen, Miley Cyrus and Roisín Murphy have used it to premiere songs.
The new paid service, which was launched in the US last month, also goes live in the UK today. The company claims Soundcloud Go has been well received in the US.
However, reviews of that service have been lukewarm at best, with a limited range of music available from established artists. Katy Perry, One Direction, The Beatles and Radiohead are all missing from its line-up. One website said was damning of the new service saying it was "a mess" and "a chore to use".
The new service is available on web, iOS and Android and includes a 30-day free trial. Among the labels it has agreed deals with are Warner Music, Universal Music and Sony Music.
However, the company could face an uphill battle. Along with the difficulties with its music catalogue, it is relatively relatively late entering the subscription music streaming market, with services like Spotify, Apple Music, Google Music, Deezer dominating what has become an extremely competitive market.
