The year was 2013. I was holed up in my cousin’s garage-turned-studio in Long Beach, blowing smoke rings at a cracked laptop screen while my first real track uploaded to SoundCloud. That beat – a messy fusion of chopped soul samples and 808s that sounded like a car alarm having an existential crisis – was my golden ticket. Or so I thought.
Three weeks later? 87 plays. 63 of them were me checking if anyone had listened.
That’s when Javier, the neighborhood “music entrepreneur” (read: dude who sold bootleg CDs and fake Instagram followers), hit me with the proposition: “For $50, I can get you 10,000 plays on your SoundCloud by Friday.”
I nearly spit out my Arizona Iced Tea.
Fast forward to 2025, and that same desperate question still echoes through home studios and Discord servers: “Should I buy real SoundCloud plays?” Let’s break it down with the wisdom of a dozen failed projects and two that actually popped off.
The SoundCloud Landscape in 2025: Why This Question Still Matters
SoundCloud ain’t dead – but it’s definitely wearing a different outfit. What used to be the wild west of music sharing is now a platform that’ll algorithmically bury your track faster than you can say “but my mom said it’s good.”
Here’s what’s changed:
- The Algorithm Got Smarter
Remember when you could buy 100K plays from bots in Bangladesh? Those days are gone. SoundCloud’s current AI doesn’t just count plays – it measures how people listen. Do they skip after 15 seconds? Save it to a playlist? Comment? The system knows. - Play Counts Alone Don’t Impress Anyone
Back in 2018, A&R scouts would get starry-eyed at six-digit play counts. Now? They’re looking at your engagement rate, your follower-to-play ratio, and whether those reposts are coming from real accounts or bot farms. - The Competition is Ridiculous
With every kid with a cracked FL Studio and a TikTok dream flooding the platform, standing out requires more than just good music. You need momentum.
What “Buying Plays” Actually Means in 2025
When we talk about buying real SoundCloud plays today, we’re not talking about the sketchy bot services of yesteryear (though those still exist). The game has evolved into three distinct approaches:
1. Promo Services That Actually Work
These are the new kings. Companies like StreamDigic and FriendlyLikes now offer targeted promotion to real listeners in your genre. You’re not just buying a number – you’re paying for placement in front of real eyes and ears, who might actually dig your sound.
Does it work? Sometimes. If your track is fire, these services can be the spark that starts the fire. If it’s mid or… you know? You’re just wasting money.
2. Playlist Placement (The Grey Area)
There’s a whole underground economy of curated playlists with real followers. Getting on one might cost you $100-$500, but the plays come from actual humans. The catch? SoundCloud’s been cracking down hard on pay-for-play schemes.
3. The Straight-Up Bots (Don’t Do This)
Yes, you can still find services offering 10,000 plays for $10. No, they don’t work anymore. At best, your numbers go up while your actual engagement stays dead. At worst, your track gets flagged and shadowbanned.
The Cold Hard Truth From Industry Insiders
I recently sat down with three people who actually know what they’re talking about:
- Marcus “DJ Proof” Henderson
“We can spot bought plays within seconds now. What we look for is the story the numbers tell. If you’ve got 50K plays but only 3 reposts and no comments? That’s a red flag bigger than the Hollywood sign.”
- Lina Torres (Wavely’s Head of Artist Relations)
“Our algorithm prioritizes tracks that keep listeners engaged. Buying fake plays is like putting a turbocharger on a car with no gas – it might rev loud, but it ain’t going anywhere.”
- Kai “Starchild” Johnson (Independent artist who blew up organically)
“I spent $400 on fake plays back in 2019. Biggest waste of weed money ever. What actually worked? Networking with smaller creators and putting out consistent heat.”
The Verdict: Should You Buy Plays in 2025?
Here’s my take after a decade in the trenches:
✅ Consider It If:
- You’ve got a legitimately great track that just needs initial exposure
- You’re using a reputable promotion service (not some random Telegram bot)
- You’re pairing it with real marketing (social media, collabs, etc.)
❌ Avoid It If:
- You think plays alone will make you successful
- You’re using shady bot services
- Your music isn’t truly ready for prime time
At the end of the day, if you buy real SoundCloud plays, it is like pumping up your followers on Instagram – it might make your profile look cooler at first glance, but it won’t make most of your new listeners actually care about your music.
The real game in 2025? Building a real fanbase. That means:
- Engaging with your listeners
- Collaborating with other artists
- Putting out consistent quality
- Understanding this is a marathon, not a sprint
Or as my uncle (a failed reggaeton producer) used to say: “You can buy the plays, mijo, but you can’t buy the respect.”
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a track to finish – and no, I’m not buying plays for this one.
