Soundcloud — Behind the scenes

Founded: 2007
Tech stack: Go, Java, Scala
Employees(#): 230 (150 tech)
Headquarters: Berlin

What’s the story behind SoundCloud? What problem are you solving?

We are here to give people the power to share and connect through music.

What do you do and what makes your service exciting?

SoundCloud is the most open and authentic, people-powered music streaming service in the world. Through our thriving creator community, everyone can discover the largest and most diverse range of music.

What kind of talent are you looking for?

We are in constant motion — whether it’s in the work we do here or the nature of working in a lean, fast-growing global business. We are looking for resilient people who drive change, can adapt fast, and keep us nimble. We value innovative ideas that push our progress, and recognize that change is a good thing. Of course things can go wrong when you’re moving this fast, so we pause, reflect, and learn. It’s part of the ride.

Can you describe the work environment at SoundCloud?

SoundCloud creates genuine connections and that is what makes us unique. It’s also what makes our teams great — we’re incredibly proud to be a workplace that recognizes the strength in openness, the broadness of perspective and the ability to express our individuality. Real relationships are built on open and candid conversations.

What growth opportunities do you offer to your employees?

At SoundCloud, we’re motivated by knowing that our work changes lives (Just ask our creators!). We aim to do the same for every SoundClouder — this is the place where you can step up, test your limits, grow, and make a difference for millions of creators and listeners. We’re small enough that you can influence what we do yet large enough that we have the resources to do it.

What’s the tech scene like in Berlin? Are you happy to have your headquarters here?

Berlin’s variety of culture, innovation and freshness has created a tech scene unlike any other! The city has fostered an environment of entrepreneurs who have found Berlin to be an exciting place to be inspired, create and build. With the vibrant culture, affordable lifestyle and engrained work life balance, it’s attracted thousands of expats and techies every year! We couldn’t have built SoundCloud to what it is today without the backbone of the city and culture to fuel us.

Prove that you’re The One. What would attract candidates to work for you?

SoundCloud is an ecosystem of culture and we love investing our energy into it. We are here to build the platform that will launch the next Lorde or Chance the Rapper. Our energy comes from a shared purpose, which keeps us focussed on the goal towards which we are moving forward boldly and with confidence. SoundCloud is not just another streaming service. We are modeling a democratic future of the music industry where creators can express themselves at a global scale and do so independently.

What’s the future of tech careers?

Considering the current society trends, the future of tech careers might lie on AI, VR or blockchain technologies. With an increasing use and demand in technology, everyone would have to get themselves familiarized with basic (if not proficient) level of coding which also would potentially increase the quality of software development & number of resources we’d find available.