SoundCloud
- Your data trains their AI only if you opt in.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- The policy describes staff access for safety and legal checks.
They collect lots of listening and device data for ads, can share it with partners, and you them if uploads cause trouble.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Account info, listening history, device IDs, cookies, and sometimes location and partner data.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We collect personal data from and about the devices you use, including how you interact with the Platform and information about the device itself, such as the hardware model, operating system, IP addresses, cookie information, device settings, mobile carrier information, mobile device and advertising identifiers, apps installed, browser type, language, battery level and time zone.”
Training
They use it to run the app, personalize music, and show targeted ads on and off SoundCloud.
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Privacy policy
“To help us select which ads to show you on behalf of advertisers, as ads are more effective when they are shown to people who are likely to be interested in the product or service advertised.”
Sharing
Artists, advertisers, service providers, and other users can see public profile and listening activity.
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Privacy policy
“When you listen to Artists, you are providing your public profile and information about your listening behavior to those Artists.”
Kept
You can delete your account in Settings; they may keep some data for years after.
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Privacy policy
“We generally retain personal data for as long as is necessary to provide services to you under your account, i.e. as long as your contract is ongoing and for the sake of legal obligations, for 3 years following the end of the year in which your contract was canceled”
Controls
Settings let you limit ads, cookies, sharing, and delete your account; California users can opt out of sale/share.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“If you do not want SoundCloud to deliver “interest based” or personalized ads for third party products, you can adjust your Settings in the “Advertising” tab”
Fine print
No refunds if you cancel a subscription early; you must cover their legal costs; German courts apply.
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Terms of service
“If you have a Subscription, and terminate this Agreement before the end of such Subscription, we are unable to offer any refund for any unexpired period of your Subscription.”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Turn off personalized ads
Settings → Advertising tab (EU/EEA/U.K. and California: Cookie Manager)
Opt out of sale or sharing of personal data
“Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” on the homepage or in the apps, or dataprotection@soundcloud.com
Delete your account and back up tracks first
Settings → Account tab
Limit who sees listening activity
Settings → Privacy tab
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
They admit that sharing data with ad partners can count as selling or sharing your information for ads.
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Privacy policy
“These activities may be considered “sales” or “sharing” or use of personal information for “targeted advertising” under certain State Laws.”
For example, your listening habits and device ID may be used so other sites show you SoundCloud or third-party ads.
Third-party ad networks can get cookies and device data to target you.
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Privacy policy
“To collect certain personal data such as cookie data and device information, if we engage with third party services such as ad-networks and exchanges that enable us to show you targeted ads.”
For example, an ad network could use your device ID to show you the same ad on SoundCloud and other apps.
If someone sues over what you uploaded or how you used the app, you may have to pay SoundCloud’s legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You hereby agree to , SoundCloud, its successors, assigns, affiliates, agents, directors, officers, employees and shareholders from and against any and all claims”
For example, if a sample in your track leads to a lawsuit, you could be on the hook for their lawyer fees.
Canceling a paid plan does not get you money back for unused time.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“If you have a Subscription, and terminate this Agreement before the end of such Subscription, we are unable to offer any refund for any unexpired period of your Subscription.”
For example, if you cancel Go+ after one week of a monthly plan, you still pay for the whole month.
They can shut your account for repeat rule-breaking and also for other reasons they decide.
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Terms of service
“SoundCloud may suspend your access to the Platform and/or terminate this Agreement at any time if (i) you are deemed to be a Repeat Infringer”
For example, several copyright strikes could wipe your tracks with no refund.
After you leave, they can keep some personal data for about three years for legal reasons.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We generally retain personal data for as long as is necessary to provide services to you under your account, i.e. as long as your contract is ongoing and for the sake of legal obligations, for 3 years following the end of the year in which your contract was canceled”
For example, billing records could stay on file long after you delete the app.
They say they will not clone your voice or music with AI unless you turn that on.
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Terms of service
“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.”
For example, they should not feed your tracks into a voice-clone model unless you opt in.
Your uploads stay yours, but you are responsible if they break the law or someone else’s rights.
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Terms of service
“SoundCloud does not claim any ownership rights in your Content, and your Content remains your sole responsibility.”
For example, you still own a beat you upload, but you are if it uses an uncleared sample.
They build a picture of your music taste from what you play.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“To derive insights and make inferences about your preferences and music tastes based on your listening behavior and activity on the Platform.”
For example, lots of techno streams can lead to more techno recommendations and ads.
Kids below 13 (or 16 in Europe) are not allowed, but they mainly rely on you saying your age.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Anyone under the age of 16 in the EEA and UK, or 13 in the United States and the rest of the world, is not permitted to use the Platform and must not attempt to register an account”
For example, a 12-year-old who types a fake birthdate could still create an account.
If they mess up, they usually will not pay you more than €100 or what you paid in the last year.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“IN NO EVENT SHALL SOUNDCLOUD’S TO YOU UNDER THIS AGREEMENT EXCEED THE GREATER OF 100 EURO OR THE AMOUNTS (IF ANY) PAID BY YOU TO SOUNDCLOUD DURING THE PREVIOUS TWELVE (12) MONTHS”
For example, if lost tracks cost you more than that, their contract tries to cap what they owe.
Disputes are meant to go to German courts in Berlin.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“you hereby agree, and SoundCloud agrees, to submit to the exclusive of the courts in Berlin, Germany for resolution of any dispute, action or proceeding arising in connection with this Agreement.”
For example, a U.S. listener would generally have to sue in Berlin unless local law says otherwise.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- cookies
- Small files a website saves on your device so it can recognise you and remember what you did. For example, a cookie keeps you logged in and can also tell an ad company which sites you visited.
- device identifiers
- Codes that single out your phone or computer, used to recognise you across apps and sites. For example, the advertising ID on your phone lets two unrelated apps know they are seeing the same person.
- targeted advertising
- Ads chosen for you based on what you have done across other apps and websites, not just this one. For example, you look at shoes in one app and see shoe ads in a totally different app the next day.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- consent
- Your clear agreement to something, given by an action like ticking a box or tapping Accept. For example, a pop-up asking if the app may use your location is asking for consent.
- opt in
- Something is off until you actively say yes to it. For example, marketing emails that only start after you tick a box are opt in.
- profiling
- Building a picture of who you are, what you like and what you might do next from your data. For example, an app may guess your income, health or politics from what you watch and tap.
- limitation of liability
- A cap on what the company will ever pay you if something goes wrong, often only what you paid in the last year. For example, if a leak of your data costs you thousands, the most you may get back is a month's subscription fee.
- venue
- The specific court or city where any lawsuit must be filed, which may be far from where you live. For example, a user in Florida may have to travel to a court in San Francisco to sue.
How we got here · grade C · score 45/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 2 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect more than account and tracks: usage, logs, cookies, advertising IDs, apps installed, general location, and data from partners.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
Not stated in the documents.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
They say they will not train generative AI to copy your voice, music, or likeness unless you opt in.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They say they may access content and messages to run the platform, enforce rules, and meet legal duties, including after reports.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They use third-party ad networks, cookies, and device IDs for targeted ads on and off the app, with some opt-outs.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share identifiers and activity with advertising partners in ways that may count as a sale or share, and describe opt-outs.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
They do not claim ownership of your content. You grant limited licenses so they can host it and others can play it; audio licenses end when you remove the track, but comments stay licensed forever.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can delete your account in Settings, but they may keep data for three years after the contract ends for legal reasons.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They infer your music tastes and personalize recommendations. You can limit some sharing in Settings, but they do not describe viewing or editing a full memory profile.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
Not stated in the documents.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
They set a minimum age of 16 in the EEA/UK and 13 elsewhere, and say they do not knowingly collect from younger kids, without describing strong age checks.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
Policies are dated. Terms give two weeks’ notice for big changes. The privacy policy also says continued use after changes means the new policy applies.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can suspend or end your account for breaches, leaving the service in your country, or other reasons they decide. Deleted accounts lose content and they do not give you an activity data file.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is, liability is capped at €100 or a year’s payments, and you must indemnify them for claims tied to your content or account.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Paid subscriptions exist. If you cancel or they terminate you for a breach, unused time is not refunded.
The privacy policy is 15,077 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 42.4); the terms are 12,785 words at a college level.
