⏳ In Brief
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SoundCloud’s updated terms now permit AI training on user-uploaded content.
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Artists express concern over the lack of transparency and opt-out options.
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The policy change was implemented in February 2024 but surfaced publicly in May 2025.
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SoundCloud has integrated several AI tools to assist in music creation.
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The company pledges to uphold ethical AI practices and protect creators’ rights.
🎵 SoundCloud’s AI Policy Shift Sparks Artist Backlash
SoundCloud, a leading platform for music sharing and discovery, has come under scrutiny following a quiet update to its Terms of Service (TOS) that allows the company to utilize user-uploaded content for training artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The change, which went largely unnoticed until recently, has ignited a wave of concern among artists and content creators.
📜 Policy Update Details
In February 2024, SoundCloud amended its TOS to include a clause stating:
“You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services.“
This provision grants SoundCloud the right to use any content uploaded by users to train AI technologies, unless a separate agreement exists that states otherwise.
SoundCloud seems to claim the right to train on people’s uploaded music in their terms. I think they have major questions to answer over this.
I checked the wayback machine – it seems to have been added to their terms on 12th Feb 2024. I’m a SoundCloud user and I can’t see any… pic.twitter.com/NIk7TP7K3C
— Ed Newton-Rex (@ednewtonrex) May 9, 2025
🎤 Artist Community Reacts
The revelation of this policy change has led to significant unrest within the artist community. Many creators feel blindsided by the lack of transparency and the absence of an opt-out mechanism.
Composer and tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex commented:
“SoundCloud seems to claim the right to train on people’s uploaded music in their terms. I think they have major questions to answer over this.“
Similarly, the musical duo The Flight expressed their disapproval by removing their content from the platform and closing their account.
🤖 Integration of AI Tools
Concurrent with the policy update, SoundCloud has integrated several AI-powered tools aimed at assisting artists in music creation.
These tools, developed in partnership with companies like Fadr, Soundful, and Voice-Swap, enable functionalities such as remixing, beat generation, and vocal transformation.
Each tool includes a direct “Upload to SoundCloud” feature, streamlining the process for creators.
🛡️ Commitment to Ethical AI Practices
In response to the growing concerns, SoundCloud has emphasized its dedication to ethical AI practices.
The company has joined initiatives like AI For Music’s “Principles for Music Creation with AI,” aiming to ensure responsible development and application of AI in music.
Additionally, SoundCloud has implemented measures to prevent unauthorized AI bots from scraping content from its platform.
- No clear definition of ‘ethical AI’ provided by SoundCloud
- Unclear how third-party AI partnerships are being governed
- Lack of artist representation in policy formation or oversight
- Ethical claims contrast with global debates on generative AI regulation
⚖️ Legal and Ethical Implications
The updated TOS raises questions about intellectual property rights and the ethical use of artists’ work.
While SoundCloud asserts that these changes are meant to enhance user experience and foster innovation, the lack of explicit consent mechanisms has led to debates about user autonomy and data usage.
- Policy changes weren’t actively communicated to users
- Retroactive application of AI training clauses remains ambiguous
- No published audit or review process for how AI models use the content
- Potential loopholes in ‘separate agreements’ not clearly addressed
🔚 Conclusion
SoundCloud’s move to incorporate AI training using user content significantly shifts the platform’s operations. While integrating AI tools offers new creative avenues for artists, how these changes were implemented has led to a trust deficit among the user base.
As the discourse around AI and content rights continues to evolve, platforms like SoundCloud must navigate the delicate balance between innovation and ethical responsibility.
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