Chris
I’ve been using SoundCloud as an…
I’ve been using SoundCloud as an independent artist and producer, but their current monetization policy has made the platform significantly less attractive to me. My track was excluded from monetization because generative AI was involved in the production process, despite the fact that I have the necessary rights to release and monetize my music. What makes this particularly frustrating is that SoundCloud currently accepts AI-assisted music created with certain approved integration partners, while music created using other tools can be rejected from monetization. In my opinion, this is an arbitrary distinction. What should matter is whether the artist has the legal rights to the finished recording — not which production tool was used. The support experience made things worse. I was repeatedly directed toward a copyright dispute process even though there was no third-party copyright complaint against my track. The actual issue was SoundCloud’s AI monetization policy. As a paying artist who actively releases music, I expect clear policies, competent support and equal treatment of legally owned music. If SoundCloud continues down this path, I will simply release less of my catalogue there and focus on platforms with more practical policies for modern music production. Very disappointing experience.


