SoundCloud offers a ton of great music, with a mix of well-known content and tracks from up-and-coming artists. Some of those who promote their music on SoundCloud allow users to download their tracks. The problem is that files will automatically be downloaded in their original format, which may not be compatible with your device or take up too much space.

If you’re looking to convert SoundCloud to MP3, you’re in luck, as there are many converters up to the task. In fact, with the right tool, you can easily convert music and video files to a ton of different formats.

Read on to find out exactly how to convert SoundCloud music files to MP3 and what you should bear in mind when doing so.

How to convert SoundCloud to MP3

Converting SoundCloud files to MP3 is surprisingly simple when you have the right tool. We recommend VideoProc, but Allavsoft, Wondershare, and ByClick are a few great alternatives. VideoProc’s free app enables you to convert files five minutes or shorter, but the premium version is very reasonably priced.

There are two main ways to convert SoundCloud files. One is to use SoundCloud’s download file feature (available on select content) and run the downloaded file through the converter. The other is to use a downloader to pull the file from SoundCloud (an option for copyright free content) and then convert it. We’ll go into more detail about what content you’re allowed to download in the next section, but here are the steps for both of these methods:

How to convert SoundCloud download files to MP3:

  • In SoundCloud, locate the track you want to download.
  • Download your track by selecting More and Download file (note this option is only available on select tracks).
  • Download and install a reputable video conversion software. We’ll use VideoProc in this tutorial.
  • Launch VideoProc, select Video, and choose +Music.
  • Locate the file you downloaded from SoundCloud (by default, it should be in a folder named Music).
  • Choose a conversion format. In this case, we are converting a WAV file for which VideoProc selects MP3 as the conversion format by default.
  • Click RUN, then Continue, and the file will be converted.
  • The converted file will appear in your VideoProc folder.

How to download and convert copyright-free content in one one step:

  • Launch VideoProc, go to Downloader, and select Add Music.
  • Find the track you want to download from SoundCloud and make sure you are allowed to download it (see next section for more information).
  • Enter the URL of the SoundCloud track you want to download and hit Analyze.
  • Once the link has been analyzed, you will see several options. Choose extension mp3 to automatically download the track as an mp3 file, then click Download Selected Videos.
  • In the resulting screen, hit Download Now, then Continue.
  • Your file will automatically be stored in a default folder labeled VideoProc in your PC’s Music folder.

You’ll notice that some tracks have a Download or Free Download option next to the More button. This is different from the Download file option mentioned above and will usually lead to a download gate called Hypeddit. You can download through this gate, but you may need to carry out some additional steps such as endorsing the artist on SoundCloud, Spotify, or another site, or commenting on their music.

One thing you may be wondering is if it’s legal to download music from SoundCloud. At the time of writing, the answer is yes, as long as the owner of the music has given permission, which is quite often the case. SoundCloud works differently from Spotify and other mainstream music distribution sites in this sense.

Platforms like Spotify deal mainly with established artists who don’t want to give away their music for free. Spotify allows users to download their playlists for offline listening but these are in an encrypted format and are not intended to be converted for sharing or playing on other devices.

SoundCloud, however, provides a platform for pretty much anyone who wants to get their music in the hands of listeners. As such, you’ll find artists who are happy to simply gain exposure by allowing users to download and share their tracks.

Artists can do this in several ways. They can change a simple setting to allow listeners to download files in their original format. These files can be freely converted to any format (using the steps above) and played on any device you wish.

What about files that haven’t been released for download? Some video converters will have the capability of downloading and converting any music file from SoundCloud as well as other sites such as Spotify and YouTube. However, that doesn’t mean it’s allowed and users should proceed with caution. Downloading music that is subject to copyright restrictions could leave you on the wrong side of the law.

That said, some SoundCloud artists may not have enabled downloading on their tracks but are still okay with you downloading their content. To find copyright-free music on SoundCloud, go to the homepage and search for the type of music you want. In the left sidebar, click Tracks, then under Filter results, click To listen to.

Select a filter depending on your use case. For example, if you just want to share music, select To listen to. If you’re looking for music you can use as is for commercial purposes, select To use commercially.

Note that even for copyright-free content, there may be some stipulations for use such as crediting the creator. This information can usually be found in the track details on SoundCloud.

Important note: Comparitech does condone illegally downloading copyrighted content. The above is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. To avoid any wrongdoing, it’s advisable to consult the music platform’s terms of use, as well as relevant local laws, before downloading any content.