SoundCloud, the popular music-sharing platform, made a subtle modification to its terms of service in February 2024, allowing it to utilize user-generated content for training AI models. According to a report from TechCrunch, despite this update, the company asserts that it has not yet employed user content for such purposes and does not dismiss future use.
Marni Greenberg, Senior Vice President and head of communications at SoundCloud, provided a statement to Technology News regarding these changes.
SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes. We have implemented technical safeguards, including a “no AI” tag on our site to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use.
Greenberg further explained that the update of the terms of service was meant to clarify the interaction between content and AI technologies on SoundCloud’s platform. She noted that the company employs AI for various functions, like personalized music recommendations and fraud detection, indicating that its future AI applications will likely follow similar pathways.
When inquiries were made about the potential for users to opt out of their music being used for generative AI training, Greenberg had the following response:
The terms of service explicitly prohibit the use of licensed content, such as music from major labels, for training any AI models, including generative AI. For other types of content uploaded to SoundCloud, the terms allow for the possibility of AI-related use.
Importantly, no such use has taken place to date, and SoundCloud will introduce robust internal permissioning controls to govern any potential future use. If we ever consider using user content to train generative AI models, we would introduce clear opt-out mechanisms in advance and remain committed to transparency with our creator community.
Concerns have been raised about SoundCloud’s transparency regarding these opt-out mechanisms. Tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex, who brought attention to the changes reported by TechCrunch, noted that he received no emails notifying him of the terms modifications. Upon checking, other contributors, including myself, found a lack of notification as well. SoundCloud’s terms indicate that it intends to provide “prominent notice” about significant changes, but does not assure that users will be notified via email.
For reference, here is the complete statement from SoundCloud, as shared with Technology News by Greenberg:
SoundCloud has always prioritized artists. Our objective is to empower them with control, clarity, and substantial opportunities for growth. We believe that when developed responsibly, AI can enhance creative potential, especially guided by principles of consent, attribution, and fair compensation.
SoundCloud has never used artist content to train AI models, nor do we develop AI tools or allow third parties to scrape or use SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training purposes. We have put in place technical safeguards, such as a “no AI” tag, to prevent unauthorized use.
The February 2024 update to our Terms of Service aimed to clarify how content might interact with AI technologies within SoundCloud’s platform. The use cases include personalized recommendations, content organization, fraud detection, and enhanced content identification leveraging AI technologies.
Any future AI applications at SoundCloud will be designed to aid human artists, improving their tools, capabilities, reach, and opportunities on our platform. These initiatives align with existing licensing agreements and ethical standards. AI tools like Musiio are exclusively used for artist discovery and content organization, not for training generative AI models.
We understand the concerns expressed and are dedicated to maintaining open dialogue. Artists will continue to have control over their work, and we will ensure our community is informed as we explore innovation and responsibly apply AI technologies, particularly as legal and commercial frameworks evolve.
