SoundCloud deployed an AI feature called First Fans that automatically recommends newly uploaded tracks to listeners most likely to enjoy them, even before a song has accumulated any plays. The feature is available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers on the platform.

First Fans uses AI technology built on the Musiio acquisition (completed May 2022) to analyze a track's audio content — detecting patterns, genre, and mood — and match it to around 100 listeners based on their listening history and user activity. This content-based recommendation approach was designed to address the 'zero plays problem,' where a significant share of new music receives no streams. As of May 2024, the algorithm was updated to recommend top-performing tracks to up to 1,000 listeners, and over 3.5 million tracks had been analyzed and recommended since launch.