Tracks are taken down when they are identified as containing copyright-infringing material.

There are two types of copyright infringement takedowns on SoundCloud — automated and manual.

At the time of takedown for an automated or manual takedown, you will receive notification via email as well as an in-platform notification.  These notifications will provide you with information about what your content matched against or was reported for, and how to file a dispute if you have a valid reason.

Automated takedowns

Automated takedowns occur when our content ID system identifies a track as containing infringing material.

We do not issue strikes for tracks that are blocked by our content ID system.  If you uploaded content you do not have the rights to share and it has been blocked, no further action is needed on your part.  The track(s) will remain blocked on your account, will not count towards your upload quota, and will not be publicly visible.

Manually reported tracks

Manual takedowns occur when we remove a track that a rightsholder has reported to us directly for infringement. A strike will be issued seven days after the takedown if you are unable to successfully dispute the claim.

So why does SoundCloud remove the content in the first place?  

We are required by copyright law to remove content reported to us as infringing.  We understand that this can be frustrating, but we have a deep respect for others' intellectual property rights and must comply with all relevant laws and regulations.