I can't remember what the default client is like, but Nictone+ sorts by user speeds (by default). So unless people are looking for specific encodings, they're always going to download from the fastest user (the top result). If you're not among the fastest and/or don't have a niche library, you're not going to see much traffic.
this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2026
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i used to have this problem too but as my library grew and grew (now at 60GB) I upload daily to multiple users
That would be normal as it depends on what albums and what formats you have. I use a VPN and I can go days without any uploads but then suddenly someone will download everything I have by one artist.
Reading this thread and lots of people saying no uploads is normal. I know most of what I share is pretty niché but I upload 100s of things every day and I thought that was normal :/
I have Port Forwarding and have had exactly 1 Upload in the year since I’ve started using it. I guess if you don’t have fast internet, popular music is usually gonna be offered by people with better internet so there’s no reason to download from you, while niche music isn’t gonna be downloaded much because it’s niche.
Only people with open port can download from you if your port is not opened. If you have a small bandwidth you will have fewer uploads too. 25 albums are few albums. Try sharing more albums to get more chances of someone getting them. I will say that is normal to not have uploads in these conditions.
Kind of normal I think. I have like 4tb of stuff and people have only grabbed like 100 files off me.
Meanwhile, I must have shared 100k files out of a <100GB collection in ~5years. FTTH connection tho
Maybe i got shit taste and no one wants my files haha
Haha the opposite could be true as well ;)
If you can't open a port, yes.
You need to have port forwarding enabled to upload. Get a better VPN that allows port forwarding :) AirVPN is usually the recommended VPN to use with Soulseek.
Either that or pay for a seedbox (a remotely hosted server than you can run P2P file sharing apps on) and run Soulseek on it.
You need to have port forwarding enabled to upload.
No you do not. Either the uploader or downloader needs an open port, it doesn't matter which.
How is the downloader going to ask the uploader for the file without an open port?
The open port is only to facilitate a direct connection between PCs to upload/download. It is not required for your client to advertise through a tracker, DHT or PeX that you are an available seeder.
Soulseek is a totally different protocol to torrents. It doesn't use a tracker. Files are per-user. When you download a particular file, it only comes from one user. It's like how Limewire and KaZaA used to work (since it's from that same era)
Read this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulseek#Central_server_and_search_engine
It's a tracker. It works on exactly the same principles as torrents.
Here's a screenshot of a search and download I did on a VPN that doesn't allow port forwarding.
There's no tracker. Your link just says that there's a central search and chat room server. The search just points your client to users that have files with that name. It doesn't track anything else.
The server does not know which files you download - that's just between you and the person you're downloading from. You can download files directly from a user (e.g. by searching for a username then browsing their files) without relying on the central server at all.
You don't need port forwarding for downloads, only for uploads.
I'm done discussing this. You're wrong. A simple google search will show you a bunch of posts on Reddit and elsewhere saying the same thing I am.
It's not my responsibility to make up for your decision not to find easily accessible information.
Edit: I stand somewhat corrected, according to what I can find after diving into the slsk rabbit hole a bit, it basically is like torrenting, except each "request" only goes to a single client instead of the swarm, so while the below comment still applies to the speed of making a connection, the downloader won't have gotten it from somewhere else as they'll have been waiting for you.
It is required to initiate a connection from the downloading side though. If your port is closed the only way a connection can be established is by periodic polling by your client... And unless the content you have is really niche, by the time you reach out the downloader probably will have gotten it from someone that was available.
Nope, the port can be open on either the downloader or uploaders side. It doesn't matter which. Only one is needed.
Are you talking about torrents or about Soulseek? Soulseek doesn't use DHT nor PeX.
does uploading work at all if you don't have ports forwarded? i didn't get any uploads before i finished setting up port forwarding.
besides that, i run a ~24/7 instance, share around 500 albums, but only have a few uploads per day. i think no uploads is normal, assuming people can reach you.
You will have uploads for other users with open port.