• Soundcloud, Universal Reportedly Agree To Licensing Deal

    Just as reports of SoundCloud's impending demise started to grow louder, it appears they maligned streaming and discovery service may have taken a major step towards creating a sustainable business model. According to a new report in Music Business Worldwide, SoundCloud is close to agreeing on a new licensing deal with Universal Music Group that could potentially net UMG significant equity in SoundCloud.
  • Soundcloud Could Be in Financial Trouble as Major Label Deals Loom

    SoundCloud could be facing some dire financial consequences, including being "dangerously low on cash," according to reports from Digital Music News. although the company is valued at more than $700 million, two sources indicated to the publication that the digital music platform could be broke in four or five months if it doesn't secure additional funding.
  • Soundcloud Introduces 15,000 Play Limit on API Embedded Tracks

    Amidst all of the pressure from other major streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and TIDAL, Soundcloud has found itself struggling to keep up as it attempts to resolve its ability to monetize the content on its platform without alienating its users. On Tuesday, the service announced a move to cap the number of plays on a third party site like a blog using a Soundcloud customized API. The cap is at 15,000 plays over 24 hours per streamable item, which may sound like a lot, but for a select few number of sites that are able to drive a lot of traffic, this could be pretty devastating.
  • Soundcloud Announces Deal With 20,000 Independant Labels

    Just as news surrounding Soundcloud has intensified over the past few weeks as they try and create a legal platform that will crate monetization opportunities for artists and labels alike, the streaming and discovery service made a major announcement today that could turn the tide in its favor. Soundcloud today announced that it had stuck a deal with Merlin, one of the largest independent label and publishing consortiums in the world with over 20,000 members under its umbrella.
  • Soundcloud Contract with Music Publishers Leaked: Paid Tiers Coming?

    A contract that Soundcloud is reportedly about to sign with major music publishers has just been leaked. Digital Music News got their hands on the contract, which outlined splits and advances between the Berlin-based streaming and discovery service, as well as paid tiers for customers that would increase royalty payouts and create an ad-free experience.
  • Ultra Records CEO Patrick Moxey Backs Sony In Soundcloud Fight

    The battle between Sony and Soundcloud has turned ugly this month as the label has decided to start pull down it's artist's music from the Berlin music service. Among those who have been affected this far include Adele, Miguel, Passion Pit and in the next day or two Madeon. Sony Music recently bought dance music label Ultra Records as its U.S. electronic music branch. Ultra Records CEO Patrick Moxey was a speaker at IMS Engage in Ibiza, a conference for electronic music industry folks and he was asked about the conflict between his label parent and Soundcloud. According to Music Week, he backed Sony and spoke rather candidly about the lack of monetization opportunities found on Soundcloud at the moment - a common theme echoed among labels now.
  • Soundcloud vs Sony: Madeon Slams Imminent Takedown of Account

    The war between Soundcloud and the second largest label in the world, Sony, is getting uglier by the day. It was reported earlier this month that negotiations between the two parties had broken down over "lack of monetization opportunities" and Sony was pulling down music from some of its major artists like Passion Pit, Adele and Miguel. Now the takedowns are spreading to their smaller artists and some are not happy at all. One artist who is about to get his music removed from Soundcloud is French electronic producer, Madeon, and he is not happy at all about the situation.
  • Sony Pulls Adele, Miguel, Hozier, Passion Pit From Soundcloud

    The relationship between the majors and Soundcloud has been complicated. The labels know they need the influential discovery and streaming service to help find new artists and to promote their own music. However they are frustrated at the copyright infringement and lack of monetization opportunities present on the platform. Sony apparently is fed up with Soundcloud as the two parties are at an impasse over licensing negotiations. In response, Sony has pulled down the pages of more than a dozen artists including, Miguel, Adele, Hozier, Kelly Clarkson, Passion Pit, Leon Bridges and MS MR.
  • SoundCloud Partners With YouTube Copyright Enforcer Zefr

    SoundCloud has announced a new partnership with Zefr, a content tracking company that currently works with YouTube to help identify songs on the platform and better facilitate either takedowns or ads being run against it. This means Zefr is YouTube's copyright enforcement manager. The announcement is light on the hard details of what the two companies plan to do together, though Zefr states it will "better understand the sharing of content on the platform." Some users are worried it could mean a stricter copyright enforcement and more ads.
  • Aphex Twin Makes Songs Available for Free Download as 'user48736353001' [LISTEN]

    Over the past week, Richard D. James -- better known as Aphex Twin -- has unloaded a treasure trove of previously unheard music onto SoundCloud under the username "user48736353001." In total, 110 demo songs were eventually uploaded to the account, and James has made them available for free download for a limited time only. Through the user, he left the following note via "Resident Advisor," "***hello humans, hopefully im gonna start making all these tracks downloadable from 6pm next Saturday 7th Feb, [if I can find some internets] - user48736353001."
  • Aphex Twin Releases 21 New Songs for Free on SoundCloud

    Did Richard D. James, known professionally as Aphex Twin, just try and pull a Beyoncé? Last week he supposedly uploaded tracks made by his 6-year old son, who was 5 at the time of their creation. Now he has decided to put onto his account 21 tracks — 42 minutes 57 seconds in total of new music. This is the second part of his Syrobonkers interview with blogger Dave Noyze, which the first segment revealed that his son was making music when he was 2. Though this seems far from a finished, complete album, to have 21 new tracks from Aphex Twin for free on his SoundCloud is a shock to the system after he just released his album via Warp Records "Syro." Before that, he was silent with no music for 13 years, so this much Aphex Twin music — sounds that take time to fully digest — is a shock to the system and is indicative of his wonky, zany style. As per Fact Mag, the tracks were made about 12 years ago on Buckla and Serge modular synthesizers, which Aphex Twin describes as "a f--king racket." This collection is not for the lighthearted and for some casual listening. This is weird, trippy stuff that you would expect from Aphex Twin as he explores the limits of Buckla and Serge modular synthesizers.
  • SoundCloud Confirms Warner Music Group Licensing Deal

    After posting a $29 million loss in 2013, there was a real sense of urgency that something had to give at Swedish music streaming service SoundCloud to create a sustainable revenue stream that would not only pay artists and labels, but also get them out of the red. It appears it is on the road to do that after the announcement that it finally penned the back-and-forth deal with Warner Music Group. The deal marks the first of the three majors to sign with a licensing deal with SoundCloud, which has reportedly been close to signing with the three majors in the past. But after those deals fell through and the recent posting of its 2013 losses, things started to look grim for SoundCloud and its ability to monetize its massive user base.
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