• What is copyright?

    We've set up a page with more information on copyright here.

  • Does SoundCloud claim any rights to my music?

    No! We consider ourselves a platform and tool for others creating, collaborating, promoting & distributing music. We do not interfere or in any way make any claims on your or your artists' rights. Please read our terms of use if you need to check our statement on this in detail.

  • Can I use Creative Commons licenses on SoundCloud?

    Yes we have full support for Creative Commmons licensing. You can find the CC settings under licensing in the track-settings.

  • What is Creative Commons?

    What is Creative Commons?

    Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that has released a set of free and voluntary copyright licenses. With Creative Commons licenses, creators have the choice to give up certain exclusive rights normally associated with copyright, while retaining others. There are six different licenses that provide users with different levels of freedom. For more information about the different licenses and how they work, check out our Creative Commons landing page and the Creative Commons page on licenses.

    How can I select a Creative Commons license for my track(s)?

    After uploading a track or set, you can select under which license you would like to release your piece of audio on SoundCloud. You can later change the license via the track settings (click the pen icon above the waveform) at any time.

    If you release all your tracks under a CC license, you'd want to look into the default settings for your licenses here: http://soundcloud.com/settings/extra. No matter how this setting is configured, you can still change the license on individual tracks.

    How can I find tracks licensed under Creative Commons?

    We recently released advanced search features that let you select to search under CC parameters. Learn more about how to use advanced search in this blog post. Additionally, you can explore tracks licensed under CC licenses here.

    How do I use tracks licensed under Creative Commons?

    You can use tracks that you find on SoundCloud according to the terms provided in the license. All Creative Commons licenses require at least attribution, which means you must give credit to the original author. (A link to the track page on SoundCloud is probably smart, also). Tracks that are licensed with a Non-Commercial term means that they can only be used in a non-commercial setting; a No-Derivatives term means that you can't create any work that is based on or incorporates the original work; and the Share-Alike term means that you must release any work that uses the original under exactly the same license.
    If you follow the terms of the Creative Commons license, you do not have to ask for permission from the original creator – in fact, that's the whole point – but many creators like to see projects that use their work.

  • Am I allowed to upload any audio & music file to my account?

    You may upload your originally created audio and/or music files to which you hold all appropriate permissions and rights. If you're not sure if you have all necessary rights, please review our terms of use and community guidelines below:

    http://soundcloud.com/terms-of-use
    http://soundcloud.com/community-guidelines

  • I can't play this sound in my country, what does that mean?

    If a member does not have the licensing rights to release a sound everywhere, they may only make it available within the countries where they have the rights to do so.