SoundCloud emphasizes creator requests in takedown policy

soundcloud-logo canvasSoundCloud released a blog post to address questions from its community about takedowns. “There have been a number of incoming questions this week from our community around creativity and content on SoundCloud,” it said.

The audio company has taken heat from artists over takedowns in the past. In yesterday’s post, it explained that it has had fewer takedown requests since it inked agreements with labels, publishers, and other industry groups. SoundCloud secured a licensing deal with Warner back in November 2014, then with Universal in January 2016, and finally with Sony in March 2016. These deals allowed SoundCloud to launch its paid subscription tier. However, it does still have cases where the company has to remove tracks.

“It’s important to note takedowns are at the request of creators,” the company said. “While the agreements we have in place across the industry have greatly lessened the likelihood of takedowns, as a creator driven platform, we respect all creators, and therefore we respect the rights of all creators who request to have their content removed.”

Anna Washenko