SoundCloud has issued a press release clarifying that it isn’t utilizing artists’ content material for generative AI music, following appreciable backlash over a change some customers seen within the platform’s phrases of service.
In a press release issued to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, a spokesperson for SoundCloud stated the platform “has by no means used artist content material to coach AI fashions, nor can we develop AI instruments or permit third events to scrape or use SoundCloud content material from our platform for AI coaching functions.”
“Actually, we applied technical safeguards, together with a ‘no AI’ tag on our web site to explicitly prohibit unauthorized use,” the spokesperson stated. The corporate stated that “SoundCloud has at all times been and can stay artist-first,” including that it believes AI could be a useful inventive device for artists “particularly when guided by rules of consent, attribution and honest compensation.”
SoundCloud’s assertion comes following vocal criticism from some musicians and music trade advocates on-line after the platform’s up to date phrases of service had begun to make the rounds. The replace stated that customers “explicitly agree that your content material could also be used to tell, prepare, develop or function enter to synthetic intelligence or machine intelligence applied sciences or providers as a part of and for offering the providers.”
SoundCloud confirmed the phrases of service had been up to date in February 2024. SoundCloud stated it up to date the TOS “to make clear how content material could work together with AI applied sciences inside SoundCloud’s personal platform.” These makes use of, SoundCloud stated “embody personalised suggestions, content material group, fraud detection and enhancements to content material identification with the assistance of AI Applied sciences.”
AI music technology is among the many hottest button points within the trade; the key file labels sued outstanding AI music technology platforms Suno and Udio final 12 months on allegations of large copyright infringement. That swimsuit is ongoing.
SoundCloud stated on Friday that “any utility of AI at SoundCloud shall be designed to help human artists, enhancing the instruments, capabilities, attain and alternatives obtainable to them on our platform.”
“Examples embody enhancing music suggestions, producing playlists, organizing content material and detecting fraudulent exercise,” SoundCloud stated. “These efforts are aligned with current licensing agreements and moral requirements.”
These providers would align with among the makes use of the corporate lists on the web site for Musiio, an AI platform SoundCloud bought in 2022. In SoundCloud’s assertion, the corporate stated that “instruments like Musiio are strictly used to energy artist discovery and content material group, to not prepare generative AI fashions.”
The makes use of SoundCloud lists are much less controversial than music technology, although a number of musicians started sharing posts Friday encouraging different artists to think about taking their music off the platform.
Among the many advocates voicing their concern Friday was Ed Newton-Rex, the founding father of Pretty Skilled, a non-profit that requires AI firms to coach their fashions ethically and with permission from the unique content material creators. Newton-Rex advised THR Friday that he was nonetheless involved in gentle of SoundCloud’s clarification, noting that the assertion “doesn’t really rule out SoundCloud coaching generative AI fashions on their customers’ music in future.”
“That is notably worrying as a result of the phrases of service clearly permit it,” Newton-Rex stated. “I feel it’s essential they rule this out and replace their phrases accordingly. In any other case I for one shall be eradicating my music.”
A rep for SoundCloud stated the phrases of service “explicitly prohibits using licensed content material, equivalent to music from main labels, for coaching any AI fashions, together with generative AI.”
For different varieties of content material uploaded to SoundCloud, the TOS permits for the opportunity of AI-related use,” The rep stated. “Importantly, no such use has taken place thus far, and SoundCloud will introduce strong inner permissioning controls to manipulate any potential future use. Ought to we ever think about using consumer content material to coach generative AI fashions, we’d introduce clear opt-out mechanisms prematurely — at a minimal — and stay dedicated to transparency with our creator neighborhood.”
