SoundCloud was on the middle of an internet storm over the weekend after critics noticed an replace to the platform’s T&Cs relating to AI coaching.
The coverage replace, which was added in February 2024, said: “You explicitly agree that your Content material could also be used to tell, practice, develop or function enter to synthetic intelligence or machine intelligence applied sciences or providers as a part of and for offering the providers”.
The corporate’s selection of language drew fierce criticism from artists and outstanding AI specialists alike, resembling Ed Newton-Rex, founding father of the non-profit Pretty Educated.
You’ll be able to see why people who’re protecting of music rights are getting more and more involved about this topic.
Music rightsholders are suing a number of gen-AI platforms for alleged large copyright infringement. In the meantime, OpenAI and others are lobbying international political leaders to loosen present legal guidelines so tech firms can practice their fashions on copyrighted materials with out authorized consequence.
This previous weekend, a type of political leaders, President Donald Trump, fired essentially the most senior copyright-related public servant within the US – after she revealed a report daring to recommend that it won’t be solely legally acceptable for each music ever made to be feasted upon by Sam Altman and Elon Musk’s AI tech.
SoundCloud’s quiet February 2024 replace passed off considerably earlier than debates over AI coaching and copyright reached the industry-wide fever pitch we see as we speak.
But the controversial wording of the agency’s AI coverage replace seemingly stunned those that have seen SoundCloud commit to moral practices round AI previously (together with offers signed with Fadr, Soundful, and Voice-Swap final 12 months).
It additionally little question spooked music rightsholders involved that the likes of Spotify or Apple Music would possibly attempt to comply with swimsuit.
At the moment (Might 14), SoundCloud CEO, Eliah Seton, has stepped ahead to sort out what he calls “confusion” created by his firm’s selection of language in its phrases of service relating to AI.
Most significantly, Seton has confirmed that SoundCloud is now updating the troublesome textual content in its Phrases of Use.
Seton says the brand new changes “make it completely clear” that SoundCloud “won’t” use artists’ content material to “practice generative AI fashions that intention to duplicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness”.
The earlier model, concedes Seton, “was too broad and wasn’t clear sufficient”.
He provides that if gen-AI know-how arises sooner or later that presents important alternatives for SoundCloud artists – and requires coaching on their content material – then SoundCloud “might make this chance obtainable to [its] human artists with their specific consent, by way of an opt-in mechanism“.
Moreover, SoundCloud can be making what Seton known as a “formal dedication” that “any use of AI on SoundCloud can be primarily based on consent, transparency, and artist management”.
The important thing change to the language within the phrases of service sees the removing of the next contentious sentence:
“Within the absence of a separate settlement that states in any other case, You explicitly agree that your Content material could also be used to tell, practice, develop or function enter to synthetic intelligence or machine intelligence applied sciences or providers as a part of and for offering the providers.”
SoundCloud is including the next line as an alternative:
“We won’t use Your Content material to coach generative AI fashions that intention to duplicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness with out your specific consent, which should be affirmatively offered by means of an opt-in mechanism.”
In response to Seton, these adjustments can be mirrored on-line “within the coming weeks”.
Critics of the previous coverage may even see including the “opt-in mechanism” to SoundCloud’s phrases as a serious victory.
Ed Newton-Rex, on this op/ed written for MBW this week, stated: “Choose-out mechanisms for generative AI coaching are vastly unfair to musicians, for a heap of causes I’ve talked about earlier than.”
“AI goes to be part of the altering panorama of music. It brings new alternatives, but in addition very actual challenges. That’s why our method will at all times be guided by a single precept: artist-first.”
Eliah Seton, SoundCloud
Seton’s feedback are available in an open letter to SoundCloud artists, which states in no unsure phrases: “AI ought to help artists, not change them. Any use of those instruments on SoundCloud will proceed to replicate that.”
Provides Seton: “AI goes to be part of the altering panorama of music. It brings new alternatives, but in addition very actual challenges. That’s why our method will at all times be guided by a single precept: artist-first.”
You’ll be able to learn Eliah Seton’s letter in full under:
A Letter from our CEO: Clarifying our Phrases of Use
To Our Artist Group,
Over the previous few days, there’s been numerous dialog about our 2024 Phrases of Use replace which was meant to make clear how content material might work together with AI applied sciences inside SoundCloud’s personal platform.
I need to take a second to talk on to you — our artist group — about what’s true, what’s not, and what we’re doing subsequent.
First, let’s be clear.
SoundCloud has by no means used artist content material to coach AI fashions. Not for music creation. Not for big language fashions. Not for something that tries to imitate or change your work. Interval. We don’t construct generative AI instruments, and we don’t enable third events to scrape or use artist content material from SoundCloud to coach them both.
In actual fact, we’ve already put protections in place like a “no AI” tag that explicitly indicators content material on SoundCloud can’t be used for AI coaching. At SoundCloud, defending artist rights isn’t new for us and being artist-first isn’t a slogan. It’s core to who we’re and at all times can be. It’s in our DNA.
So, what occurred?
Again in February 2024, we up to date our Phrases of Use to make clear how we might use AI internally to enhance the platform for each artists and followers. This contains powering smarter suggestions, search, playlisting, content material tagging, and instruments that assist stop fraud.
Our use of AI is concentrated on discovery — serving to followers discover new music and serving to artists develop, beginning with their first followers. That’s core to our mission. Three years in the past we expanded our AI and machine studying capabilities by means of the acquisition of Musiio which considerably improved how we join creators with listeners, gas music discovery and assist rightsholders determine what’s subsequent. Since then, by means of First Followers, our advice algorithm for Artist Professional subscribers, we’ve delivered over 7 million observe suggestions to potential new listeners, serving to artists get heard quicker and get found.
Extra broadly, we use AI to determine rising expertise, personalize the platform expertise, and help real-time customer support, all designed to help human artists and interact actual followers.
AI has been, and can proceed to be, a key a part of how we enhance SoundCloud for the individuals who energy it.
However right here’s the factor, the language within the Phrases of Use was too broad and wasn’t clear sufficient. It created confusion, and that’s on us. That’s why we’re fixing it.
What we’re doing now:
- We’re revising the Phrases of Use to make it completely clear: SoundCloud won’t use your content material to coach generative AI fashions that intention to duplicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness (see detailed phrases under).
- With the panorama altering quickly, if there is a chance to make use of generative AI for the good thing about our human artists, we might make this chance obtainable to our human artists with their specific consent, by way of an opt-in mechanism. We don’t know what we don’t know, and now we have a duty to offer our human artists the alternatives, selections and management to advance their artistic journeys.
- We’re making a formal dedication that any use of AI on SoundCloud can be primarily based on consent, transparency, and artist management.
Our place is easy: AI ought to help artists, not change them. Any use of those instruments on SoundCloud will proceed to replicate that. You’ll see these adjustments mirrored on-line inside our Phrases of Use within the coming weeks which will be discovered right here.
AI goes to be part of the altering panorama of music. It brings new alternatives, but in addition very actual challenges. That’s why our method will at all times be guided by a single precept: artist-first.
We’re going to maintain displaying up with transparency. We’re going to maintain listening. And we’re going to be sure you’re knowledgeable and concerned each step of the way in which. Thanks for being part of the SoundCloud group and for holding us accountable to the values all of us share.
Eliah Seton
CEO, SoundCloud
SoundCloud Revised Phrases of Use as of Might 14, 2025:
By importing your Content material to the Platform, you additionally grant a restricted, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, absolutely paid up, license to different customers of the Platform, and to operators and customers of some other web sites, apps and/or platforms to which your Content material has been shared or embedded utilizing the Providers (“Linked Providers”), to make use of, copy, take heed to offline, repost, transmit or in any other case distribute, publicly show, publicly carry out, adapt, put together by-product works of, compile, make obtainable and in any other case talk to the general public, your Content material using the options of the Platform now and again and inside the parameters set by you utilizing the Providers. We won’t use Your Content material to coach generative AI fashions that intention to duplicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness with out your specific consent, which should be affirmatively offered by means of an opt-in mechanism.
For the avoidance of doubt, neither SoundCloud nor any third social gathering is allowed to make use of, copy or reproduce any Content material delivered to the Platform below separate agreements, which is owned or managed by third social gathering rights holders (together with paintings, photos, logos, audio and audiovisual recordings (and any half thereof), underlying musical works and lyrics, and metadata) for the needs of informing, coaching growing (or as enter to) synthetic intelligence applied sciences with out authorization from the relevant rightsholders. You’ll be able to restrict and limit the supply of sure of your Content material to different customers of the Platform, and to customers of Linked Providers, at any time utilizing the permissions tab within the observe edit part for every sound you add, topic to the provisions of the Disclaimer part under. However the foregoing, nothing in these Phrases of Use grants any rights to some other consumer of the Platform with respect to any proprietary title, brand, trademark or service mark uploaded by you as a part of your Content material (for instance, your profile image) (“Marks”), apart from the appropriate to breed, publicly show, make obtainable and in any other case talk to the general public these Marks.Music Enterprise Worldwide
