SoundCloud Reverses Course on AI Training Policy Amid User Backlash
16 Sources
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SoundCloud changes policies to allow AI training on user content | TechCrunch
SoundCloud appears to have quietly changed its terms of use to allow the company to train AI on audio that users upload to its platform. As spotted by tech ethicist Ed-Newton Rex, the latest version of SoundCloud's terms include a provision giving the platform permission to use uploaded content to
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SoundCloud backtracks on AI-related terms of use updates | TechCrunch
SoundCloud says it's revising its terms after widespread backlash over a clause related to AI model training. Earlier this year, SoundCloud quietly updated its usage policies, adding wording that many users interpreted as legal cover to allow the company to train AI on audio uploaded to its
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SoundCloud says it isn't using your music to train generative AI tools
Wes Davis is a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020. The music-sharing platform SoundCloud quietly updated its terms of use in February last year, adding language that lets it train AI models on its
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SoundCloud changes its TOS again after an AI uproar
Wes Davis is a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020. Music-sharing platform SoundCloud is saying it "has never used artist content to train AI models," and that it's "making a formal commitment that
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SoundCloud says it's never trained AI using artists' work after getting called out for terms of use change
A 2024 update that slid under the radar says content 'may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to' AI. Following backlash about a quietly added clause to SoundCloud's Terms of Use that says users' content may be fed to AI, the company says it's "never used artist content to train AI
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SoundCloud backtracks on 'too broad' AI terms of service
SoundCloud is updating its Terms of Use again after angering users with language around AI that even the company now describes as "too broad." The details of the change were shared in an open letter from SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton affirming the company's commitment to artists. Specifically,
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SoundCloud latest company to hit trouble with AI clause in T&Cs - 9to5Mac
SoundCloud is the latest company to run into trouble after quietly adding an AI clause to its terms and conditions. The clause appeared to allow the company to use subscriber work to train AI models ... A number of companies have been called out in the past for this, with Adobe one of the most
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Soundcloud changed its AI policy so it can train on users' audio
If you don't want AI to scrape your music to learn, then it might be time to leave Soundcloud. The music streaming platform quietly updated its terms of service sometime last year to allow AI to train on audio uploaded to Soundcloud, TechCrunch reported this week. "You explicitly agree that your
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SoundCloud Quietly Forced Artists to Let AI Feast on Their Music
SoundCloud -- a music sharing platform once so beloved by artists it spawned sub-genres named after it -- updated its terms of service (TOS), forcing artists who use SoundCloud to let their music train AI. It looks like the change went into effect during SoundCloud's last TOS policy update in
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SoundCloud Backtracks on AI Plans After Artist Outrage
SoundCloud has altered its platform policies to require opt-ins for training generative AI models with artists' music following widespread user backlash, the company announced today in a letter from its CEO. On Friday, Futurism broke the story that SoundCloud had quietly updated its Terms of Use
[11]
SoundCloud Just Updated Their Terms of Service After AI Policy Backlash
You might be having a bad week, but AI is having a worse one. First there was the "racism glitch" that beset Grok, and now music platform SoundCloud is facing some serious criticism for a clause buried in its terms of service. The imbroglio began in February 2024, when SoundCloud quietly changed
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SoundCloud faces backlash after adding an AI training clause in its user terms
SoundCloud is facing backlash after creators took to social media to complain upon discovering that the music-sharing platform uses uploaded music to train its AI systems. According to SoundCloud's terms of use, unless a separate agreement states otherwise, users "explicitly agree that your
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SoundCloud CEO admits AI terms weren't clear enough, issues new pledge
SoundCloud is revising its terms of use after facing widespread backlash over a clause that many users believed allowed the company to train AI models on user-uploaded content. The controversy began earlier this year when SoundCloud quietly updated its usage policies, sparking concerns among
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SoundCloud Says It "Has Never Used Artist Content to Train AI Models" After Backlash on Terms of Service Change
Range Music Establishes Composer Division, Hires Jeff Jernigan SoundCloud has issued a statement clarifying that it isn't using artists' content for generative AI music, following considerable backlash over a change some users noticed in the platform's terms of service. In a statement issued to
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SoundCloud Updates Terms of Service Following Backlash to AI Policy
In an open letter published Wednesday, SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton wrote that the company "has never used artist content to train AI models," echoing a statement a SoundCloud representative shared with The Hollywood Reporter last week. "Not for music creation. Not for large language models. Not for
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SoundCloud's New Terms Allow AI Models To Train On Users' Data
SoundCloud changed its terms of use, allowing the company to use content uploaded by users to "inform, train or develop" AI. The music company has clarified that, until now, it has not utilised users' data to train AI models. In addition, it had previously pledged to uphold the "ethical and
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SoundCloud faces controversy over changes to its terms of use regarding AI training on user content, leading to a swift policy reversal and clarification from the company's CEO.
SoundCloud's Controversial AI Training Policy
In a move that sparked widespread concern among its user base, SoundCloud, the popular music-sharing platform, quietly updated its terms of use in February 2024 to include language that appeared to allow the company to train AI models using content uploaded by users
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. The change, which went largely unnoticed at the time, stated that users explicitly agreed their content "may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services"1
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.User Backlash and Initial Response
The policy update was brought to light by tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex, leading to significant backlash from the platform's community
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. Many users argued that such policies should be opt-in rather than opt-out, and expressed concerns about proper crediting and compensation for contributions to AI training datasets1
.Initially, SoundCloud attempted to clarify its position, stating that the company had never used artist content to train AI models and that the update was intended to focus on internal AI uses such as recommendations and fraud prevention
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. However, this explanation did little to allay fears about potential future uses of user content for AI training.CEO's Open Letter and Policy Reversal
In response to the growing controversy, SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton published an open letter acknowledging that the wording of the policy changes was "too broad and wasn't clear enough"
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. Seton announced that SoundCloud would revise its terms to explicitly state that the company "will not use [user] content to train generative AI models that aim to replicate or synthesize [a] voice, music, or likeness"2
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Clarification on AI Usage and Future Plans
SoundCloud has emphasized that it has implemented technical safeguards, including a "no AI" tag, to prohibit unauthorized use of content for AI training purposes
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. The company also stated that its terms of service explicitly prohibit the use of licensed content, such as music from major labels, for training any AI models3
.While SoundCloud maintains that it hasn't used user-created content for model training, it hasn't entirely ruled out the possibility for the future. The company has committed to introducing robust internal permissioning controls and clear opt-out mechanisms should it ever consider using user content to train generative AI models
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.Ongoing Debate and Industry Implications
The controversy surrounding SoundCloud's policy changes reflects a broader debate in the tech and creative industries about the use of user-generated content for AI training. Other platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube, have made similar policy updates in recent months, often facing pushback from users and creators
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.As AI technologies continue to advance, particularly in the realm of content creation and music generation, the incident highlights the need for clear communication, user consent, and transparent policies regarding the use of creative works in AI development. The swift response and policy reversal by SoundCloud may set a precedent for how other platforms approach these sensitive issues in the future.
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