Your music might be part of someone’s algorithm
Matt V
May 13, 2025
SOUNDCLOUD
SoundCloud has made a quiet but significant change to its terms of service, now allowing the platform to use user-uploaded audio for its own AI features.
Spotted by tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex, the update lets SoundCloud use your content to “inform, train [or] develop” AI.
However, the company says this only applies to tools built into the platform, not external AI models.
At the time of writing, there’s no obvious opt-out setting available.
However, tracks under existing licensing agreements, like those with Universal or Warner Music, might be exempt.
This move comes as more platforms shift in the same direction.
X, LinkedIn, and YouTube have all updated their policies to allow AI training on user content.
Unsurprisingly, some creators feel these changes should be opt-in, not automatic.
In brief:
SoundCloud’s new terms allow AI use of uploads, but only for internal tools
No clear opt-out exists, though label agreements may offer exceptions
The company denies using content for generative AI and says safeguards are in place
Not your average playlist generator
SoundCloud has since responded. It says it doesn’t allow scraping by third parties, doesn’t use artist uploads to train generative AI, and has safeguards like a “no AI” tag to block misuse.
The company claims its AI tools support creators, powering content recommendations, playlist generation, and fraud detection.
Welcome to the era of accidental collabs with algorithms