We recently updated our Monetization Terms of Service, effective October 31, 2025. 

These updates include new and clarified provisions related to SoundCloud's distribution service fee, eligibility criteria, program termination process, and artificial streaming, among other areas.

Below is a summary of the key changes:

• Update to the distribution fee: SoundCloud’s distribution fee is now 0% (previously 20%) meaning artists keep 100% of their distribution royalties. 
• Expanded eligibility: Some users who were previously categorized as “Existing Report Artists” are now eligible to benefit from 0% distribution fee.
• Third-party payment processing: SoundCloud may now pass along third party payment processing fees to users, rather than absorbing them (as it did previously when a distribution fee was applied).
• Artist Subscription definition: Clarified which subscriptions are included in the definition of “Artist Subscription”.
• Monetization eligibility: Clarified and updated which users and content are eligible for monetization.
• Program termination notice: SoundCloud may now notify users of termination via email, in-app notification, or any reasonable means of communication (e.g., within the user’s SoundCloud profile).
• Rejoining the program: Users who rejoin the monetization program within 30 days of termination will not be required to re-accept the Terms. 
• Artificial streaming: Reaffirmed that artificial streaming is not permitted on SoundCloud and that the company may reset stream counts for tracks affected by automated, artificial, or fraudulent activity. 

Please note: the list above is a high-level summary of the primary updates and is not exhaustive. We encourage all users to thoroughly review the full Monetization Terms of Service for complete details here. In the event of any conflict between this summary and the Terms, The Terms will govern.