SoundCloud to be first music app with 'fan-powered' artist payments

This file photograph taken on April 19, 2018, shows the logo of the online music streaming company Soundcloud, displayed on a tablet screen in Paris. - SoundCloud. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

SoundCloud announced Tuesday that it will become the first music streaming service to start directing subscribers' fees only to the artists they listen to, a move welcomed by musicians campaigning for fairer pay.

Musicians have been pushing for a change to payment systems on platforms such as Spotify, Deezer and Apple that put all revenues in one big pot and dish them out based on which artists have the most global plays -- a system that significantly favours mega-stars over smaller artists.