SoundCloud’s New AI Clause Sparks Controversy: What Artists Need to Know
- 14/05/2025 18:12 PM
- Emma
SoundCloud, a leading platform for music creators, has quietly updated its terms of service to allow artificial intelligence (AI) training on user-uploaded content—raising serious questions about transparency, consent, and creator rights. While the company has issued a clarification stating it doesn't currently train generative AI on user content, the revised language signals a broader shift in the tech industry toward integrating AI into everyday user platforms—often without explicit consent.
SoundCloud’s Updated Terms: The Key Change
In an update dated February 7, 2024, SoundCloud added a clause that grants the platform the right to use user-uploaded audio to “inform, train, [or] develop” AI technologies. This clause appears in the general terms of use and reads:
“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 change, first highlighted by tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex, set off alarm bells among musicians, producers, and AI ethicists alike. Many interpret this language as a green light for SoundCloud to begin using artist-generated music, vocals, and other content as training data for its in-house or third-party AI systems.
No Clear Opt-Out for Artists
Currently, there is no explicit opt-out mechanism available to creators on the SoundCloud platform. Unlike some services that provide toggle switches or permissions for AI-related data usage, SoundCloud's new terms do not offer any granular controls.
While content under third-party licensing agreements—such as those with Universal Music Group and Warner Music—may be protected through separate legal terms, independent artists without such agreements appear to be subject to this new policy by default.
SoundCloud’s Official Response
After significant public scrutiny, a SoundCloud spokesperson issued a statement clarifying that:
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SoundCloud does not train AI models using artist content.
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The updated terms are meant to cover internal use of AI technologies, including:
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Personalized music recommendations
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Content organization
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Fraud detection
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Content ID improvements
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AI tools such as those from their partner Musiio are used solely for discovery and classification, not generative AI training.
They emphasized that SoundCloud has implemented technical safeguards, including a “no AI” tag, to prevent unauthorized scraping or third-party use of content for training purposes.
Why This Matters: The Industry-Wide AI Shift
SoundCloud is not alone. A wave of major tech platforms has revised their terms in recent months to enable AI training:
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YouTube now allows third-party AI training on some user videos.
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LinkedIn updated its terms to allow scraping for AI training.
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X (formerly Twitter) revised its privacy policy to allow external AI model training on user posts.
These updates reflect a growing appetite within the tech industry to turn user-generated content into high-value AI training datasets—often without user consent or compensation.
The Ethical Debate: Opt-In vs Opt-Out
Critics argue that platforms should adopt opt-in models for AI training, where creators are given the choice to allow or disallow their content from being used. Many creators believe their work—especially artistic work like music—should not be absorbed into opaque AI pipelines without credit, payment, or control.
This debate is especially urgent as the legal landscape for AI training on copyrighted material remains murky. Multiple lawsuits are underway, and regulatory scrutiny is increasing.
Implications for Independent Artists
For creators using SoundCloud—particularly those without representation or legal counsel—the terms update presents a potential threat to ownership, visibility, and revenue:
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Loss of control: Artists may unknowingly contribute to AI datasets.
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No compensation: There is no mention of royalties or revenue-sharing from AI training use.
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Brand confusion: Generative models trained on existing content may produce outputs that resemble original songs, blurring the line between inspiration and imitation.
What Artists Can Do
While there is no official opt-out at the time of writing, creators can take a few precautionary steps:
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Stay informed about SoundCloud’s updates and public statements.
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Use the “no AI” tag (if available) to signal your intent.
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Consider alternative platforms that are more transparent or allow full control over AI data use.
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Join creator advocacy groups that are lobbying for clearer legal protections.
Final Thoughts: Transparency Must Lead Innovation
SoundCloud’s move mirrors an uncomfortable trend in the AI era: changing terms first, clarifying ethics later. While the platform insists it has not used artist content to train generative AI, its updated terms leave the door wide open. Without robust opt-in mechanisms or clear compensation frameworks, these updates may erode trust—especially among the independent artists who form SoundCloud’s core.
At Xonhai.com, we believe AI innovation should never come at the expense of creator rights, transparency, or ethical clarity. As the industry races forward, it’s crucial to ensure that musicians and artists are not left behind—or left in the dark.
