SoundCloud updates AI policy following backlash

SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton has responded to backlash over the music platform forcing its artists to let their music be used to train AI. 

In May, Futurism reported that SoundCloud, a music-sharing platform founded in 2007, had quietly updated its terms of service (TOS) in February 2024, forcing users who upload content to the platform to let their music be used to train AI.

The policy read that users "explicitly agree that [their] 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."

In response to the controversy, Seton clarified that “SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models. Not for music creation. Not for large language models. Not for anything that tries to mimic or replace your work.”

“We don’t build generative AI tools, and we don’t allow third parties to scrape or use artist content from SoundCloud to train them either.” 

The statement says that the change in the TOS was to reflect how SoundCloud "may use AI internally to improve the platform for artists and fans. This includes powering smarter recommendations, search, playlisting, content tagging, and tools that help prevent fraud."

SoundCloud's TOS has now been updated to reflect that it will only use AI training on uploaded content with the users' consent, saying, “We will not use Your Content to train generative AI models that aim to replicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness without your explicit consent, which must be affirmatively provided through an opt-in mechanism.” 

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