Should I report someone else's content that I think is infringing?
The short answer to this question is no. There are a variety of reasons that you should not report content that you do not own.
First, reporting content that does not belong to you is a violation of our Terms of Use. We view reports of content that you do not own as abusive and there may be penalties on your account, including having your account frozen or suspended.
Second, if the reported content is incorrectly removed, you can be liable for damages (including costs and legal fees) incurred by SoundCloud, the person whose sounds you reported, or any copyright owner or authorized licensee as a result of sounds being removed.
Third, music licensing is complicated. It may not always be clear what is infringing and what is not without being the rightsholder and knowing who has obtained the required licenses and/or permissions. Your report may be for legitimately licensed content.
We understand that these reports usually aren’t malicious and you’re only trying to help, but this is a matter for the rightsholder to resolve. If you see content that you do not own that you believe is infringing, you may get in touch with the rightsholder(s) who can enforce their rights as necessary.