SoundCloud updates AI policy following backlash: “AI should support artists, not replace them”
SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton has issued a statement after the company received criticism over its Terms of Use, which reportedly included a policy that allows artificial intelligence training on user-uploaded music.
Earlier this month, tech publication Futurism reported that SoundCloud “quietly” updated its terms and conditions in February 2024 to allow AI training on content uploaded to the streaming platform.
The policy read: “You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop, or serve as input to artificial intelligence technologies as part of and for providing the services.”
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Following backlash from users on social media, SoundCloud CEO issued a statement clarifying “how content may interact with AI technologies within SoundCloud’s own platform”.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
He went on to explain that the Terms of Use were updated last February to clarify how “we may use AI internally” to improve SoundCloud for its users, including “powering smarter recommendations, search, playlisting, content tagging, and tools that help prevent fraud”.
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“Our position is simple: AI should support artists, not replace them,” he said. “Any use of these tools on SoundCloud will continue to reflect that.”
SoundCloud has now updated its Terms of Use, replacing its previous policy with one that clarifies how it will only use AI-training on content uploaded to the platform if users opt in and give consent.
The new policy reads: “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.”
Read the full letter here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
