Audius: The Decentralized Music Streaming Platform Explained

When you stream music on Audius, a blockchain-powered music streaming platform that lets artists upload and monetize tracks without labels or middlemen. Also known as the decentralized SoundCloud, it uses crypto tokens and smart contracts to give creators full control over their work and how they get paid. Unlike Spotify or Apple Music, Audius doesn’t take a cut of your royalties. Artists keep 100% of what they earn, and listeners can tip them directly in crypto—no ads, no paywalls, no corporate gatekeepers.

Audius runs on a peer-to-peer network built on the Solana and Ethereum blockchains. That means no single company owns it. Instead, it’s maintained by node operators—regular people who run software to keep the network alive. In return, they earn AUDIO tokens, the platform’s native cryptocurrency. These tokens also let users vote on platform changes, making Audius one of the few music services truly run by its community. You don’t need to be a tech expert to use it. Just download the app, search for a song, and hit play. But behind the scenes, everything from file storage to payment distribution is handled by decentralized tech you can’t find on traditional platforms.

Related to Audius are other projects trying to fix music’s broken system. AUDIO token, the native cryptocurrency powering Audius, is one of the few tokens built specifically for music distribution. It’s not just a currency—it’s a governance tool. Then there’s decentralized storage, the tech that keeps music files permanently available without relying on centralized servers. Audius uses IPFS, the same system that secures NFTs, so tracks don’t disappear if a server goes down. And unlike YouTube, where artists get pennies per stream, Audius rewards creators based on actual listener engagement, tracked transparently on-chain.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real examples of how Audius is being used right now—artists launching albums without labels, fans discovering underground tracks before they hit mainstream platforms, and developers building tools that connect Audius to wallets and NFTs. Some posts dive into the risks: what happens if the AUDIO token crashes? Can node operators be trusted? Others show how people are using Audius to fund tours, sell exclusive tracks, or even create music DAOs. This isn’t theory. It’s happening. And if you care about artists getting paid fairly, or you just want to hear music that doesn’t come from a corporate playlist, this is where the future is being built—right now, on a blockchain.