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SoundCloud is facing backlash for its recent update to its terms of service. After much discontent from artists and users using the music streaming platform, CEO Eliah Seton has written an open letter to the public explaining the confusion that emerged from the platform's February 2025 update to their terms of service.
According to the terms of service from February 2025, it stated that users:
"explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services."
This update was finally making rounds last week, and many users and artists were not happy with it. The majority of the users were not okay with AI using their content to train itself. In response to this, SoundCloud CEO, Eton, added that the new updates in their terms of service further explained how AI will be used "internally" to:
"improve the platform for both artists and fans".
He also added that the language used in the update was:
"too broad and wasn't clear enough... That’s why we're fixing it."
More details from SoundCloud's CEO's open letter to address the backlash against the updated terms of service
The open letter from SoundCloud's CEO, Eliah Seton, was shared on May 14, 2025, with The Hollywood Report. In the letter, he explained how 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. Period. 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 further explained that they mentioned that any usage of AI will be done internally to help improve certain features like search, content recommendations, and playlisting for their users.
The music streaming platform has also made one more change to its terms of service. The letter states:
"...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... if there is an opportunity to use generative AI for the benefit of our human artists, we may make this opportunity available to our human artists with their explicit consent, via an opt-in mechanism."
Eliah Seton stands firm on the view that AI should be used to support artists and not replace them. He further added in his letter:
"Our position is simple: AI should support artists, not replace them. Any use of these tools on SoundCloud will continue to reflect that... AI is going to be a part of the changing landscape of music. It brings new opportunities, but also very real challenges. That’s why our approach will always be guided by a single principle: artist-first."
Not everyone is convinced after all the changes and updates to SoundCloud's terms of service. Ed Newton-Rex, who is the founder of Fairly Trained, a nonprofit music advocacy group, said:
"If they actually want to address concerns, the change required is simple. It should just read ‘We will not use Your Content to train generative AI models without your explicit consent."
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