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SoundCloud Backtracks on AI and Changes Policies After Artist Outrage

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Soundcloud, after backlash from musicians, artists, and the music-listening community, changed their policies on AI.

SoundCloud has altered its platform policies to require opt-ins for training generative AI models with artists’ music following widespread user backlash, the company announced today in a letter from its CEO.

On Friday, Futurism broke the story that SoundCloud had quietly updated its Terms of Use (TOU) in February 2024 with language allowing it to train AI using users’ uploaded content, which could include uploaded music.

The updated terms — which were flagged by users on Bluesky and X (formerly-Twitter) — included some exceptions to account for music and other content licensed under third parties. But the AI provision was overall extremely broad, and could feasibly grant the music-sharing site the right to funnel much of its vast content library into generative AI models as training material, whether now or in the future.

Though the change was made back in February 2024, it seemed like site users were largely unaware of the change. Artists responded with rage and frustration, taking to social media to express their anger at the company and, in many cases, claiming they’d deleted and scrubbed their accounts.

In response to the mess, SoundCloud issued a lengthy statement clarifying that, despite the provision’s sweeping language, it hadn’t used artists’ music to train AI models. That included generative AI tools like large language models (LLMs) and music generation tools, according to SoundCloud.

Now, it looks like SoundCloud is doubling down on those promises — and changing its policies.

In the letter released today, SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton conceded that SoundCloud’s language around AI training was “too broad.” To rectify that, said Seton, the company revised its user terms, which now bar SoundCloud from using artists’ music to “train generative AI models that aim to replicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness” without the explicit consent of artists.

The new clause adds that should SoundCloud seek to use its artists’ music to train generative AI, it would have to earn that consent through opt-in mechanisms — as opposed to opt-outs, which are notoriously slippery.

Seton also reiterated SoundCloud’s commitment to blocking third parties from scraping SoundCloud for AI training data, and characterized the changes as a “formal commitment that any use of AI on SoundCloud will be based on consent, transparency, and artist control.”

According to Seton, the initial AI policy change was a reflection of SoundCloud’s internal use of AI for features like music discovery algorithms and Pro features, fraud detection, customer service, and platform personalization, among other features. SoundCloud also uses AI to target opted-in users with advertisements based on their perceived mood. It also allows users to upload AI-generated music, and boasts a slew of partnerships with platform-integrated AI music and generation tools.

If there’s any moral here, it’s that language matters, as do the voices of the artists who power creative platforms — especially in an era where data-hungry AI models and the companies that make them are looking to suck up valuable human-made content wherever they can.

Seton, for his part, promised that SoundCloud would “keep showing up with transparency.”

“We’re going to keep listening. And we’re going to make sure you’re informed and involved every step of the way,” reads the letter. “Thanks for being a part of the SoundCloud community and for holding us accountable to the values we all share.”

More on SoundCloud and AI: SoundCloud Quietly Updated Their Terms to Let AI Feast on Artists’ Music

The post SoundCloud Backtracks on AI and Changes Policies After Artist Outrage appeared first on Futurism.

SoundCloud Confronts AI Anxiety While Pledging Artist-First Ethics

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As AI continues to challenge the boundaries of creativity and copyright in the music industry, SoundCloud has found itself in the crosshairs of a growing conversation about trust, transparency and technology.

This past week, a clause buried in SoundCloud’s updated terms of service captured the artist community’s attention. First flagged by Futurism, the clause suggests that music uploaded to the platform could, in some cases, be used to “inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence.”

The revelation is surfacing deep-seated anxieties among independent artists about how their content is being used behind the scenes. But SoundCloud, long considered a cornerstone of artist empowerment and grassroots discovery, is seeking to clarify intentions.

The company responded through a statement and unequivocally denied that its service has trained AI on the content of its users.

“SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes,” a SoundCloud spokesperson told Futurism. “In fact, we implemented technical safeguards, including a ‘no AI’ tag on our site to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use.”

The company emphasized that its engagement with AI has been focused on enhancing user experience through tools such as personalized recommendations and fraud detection—not harvesting creative works to feed generative algorithms. 

Still, the terms, updated in February 2024, arrived just as legal and ethical scrutiny around generative AI in music hit a fever pitch. Labels have been battling with tech firms over training data and artists have voiced concerns about their identities being synthesized without permission.

For now, SoundCloud’s message is one of reassurance, but the industry will be watching closely to see how that message holds up in practice. You can read their full statement below.

SoundCloud has always been and will remain artist-first. Our focus is on empowering artists with control, clarity, and meaningful opportunities to grow. We believe AI, when developed responsibly, can expand creative potential—especially when guided by principles of consent, attribution, and fair compensation.

SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes. In fact, we implemented technical safeguards, including a “no AI” tag on our site to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use.

The February 2024 update to our Terms of Service was intended to clarify how content may interact with AI technologies within SoundCloud’s own platform. Use cases include personalized recommendations, content organization, fraud detection, and improvements to content identification with the help of AI Technologies.

Any future application of AI at SoundCloud will be designed to support human artists, enhancing the tools, capabilities, reach and opportunities available to them on our platform. Examples include improving music recommendations, generating playlists, organizing content, and detecting fraudulent activity. These efforts are aligned with existing licensing agreements and ethical standards. Tools like Musiio are strictly used to power artist discovery and content organization, not to train generative AI models.

We understand the concerns raised and remain committed to open dialogue. Artists will continue to have control over their work, and we’ll keep our community informed every step of the way as we explore innovation and apply AI technologies responsibly, especially as legal and commercial frameworks continue to evolve.

SoundCloud Says Users’ Music Isn’t Being Used for AI Training Following Backlash

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On Friday (May 9), SoundCloud encountered user backlash after AI music expert and founder of Fairly Trained, Ed Newton-Rex, posted on X that SoundCloud’s terms of service quietly changed in February 2024 to allow the platform the ability to “inform, train, develop or serve as input” to AI models. Over the weekend, SoundCloud clarified via a statement, originally sent to The Verge and also obtained by Billboard, that reads in part: “SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes.”

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The streaming service adds that this change was made last year “to clarify how content may interact with AI technologies within SoundCloud’s own platform,” including AI-powered personalized recommendation tools, streaming fraud detection, and more, and it apparently did not mean that SoundCloud was allowing external AI companies to train on its users’ songs.

Over the years, SoundCloud has announced various partnerships with AI companies, including its acquisition of Singapore-based AI music curation company Musiio in 2022. SoundCloud’s statement added, “Tools like Musiio are strictly used to power artist discovery and content organization, not to train generative AI models.” SoundCloud also has integrations in place with AI firms like Tuney, Voice-Swap, Fadr, Soundful, Tuttii, AIBeatz, TwoShot, Starmony and ACE Studio, and it has teamed up with content identification companies Pex and Audible Magic to ensure these integrations provide rights holders with proper credit and compensation.

The company doesn’t totally rule out the possibility that users’ works will be used for AI training in the future, but says “no such use has taken place to date,” adding that “SoundCloud will introduce robust internal permissioning controls to govern any potential future use. Should we ever consider using user content to train generative AI models, we would introduce clear opt-out mechanisms in advance—at a minimum—and remain committed to transparency with our creator community.”

Read the full statement from SoundCloud below.

“SoundCloud has always been and will remain artist-first. Our focus is on empowering artists with control, clarity, and meaningful opportunities to grow. We believe AI, when developed responsibly, can expand creative potential—especially when guided by principles of consent, attribution, and fair compensation.

SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes. In fact, we implemented technical safeguards, including a “no AI” tag on our site to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use.

The February 2024 update to our Terms of Service was intended to clarify how content may interact with AI technologies within SoundCloud’s own platform. Use cases include personalized recommendations, content organization, fraud detection, and improvements to content identification with the help of AI Technologies.

Any future application of AI at SoundCloud will be designed to support human artists, enhancing the tools, capabilities, reach and opportunities available to them on our platform. Examples include improving music recommendations, generating playlists, organizing content, and detecting fraudulent activity. These efforts are aligned with existing licensing agreements and ethical standards. Tools like Musiio are strictly used to power artist discovery and content organization, not to train generative AI models.

We understand the concerns raised and remain committed to open dialogue. Artists will continue to have control over their work, and we’ll keep our community informed every step of the way as we explore innovation and apply AI technologies responsibly, especially as legal and commercial frameworks continue to evolve.”