F**K SOUNDCLOUD.
Greetings, esteemed reader.
Today, I come before you not as a mere artist, but as a victim of a most perplexing injustice perpetrated by none other than SoundCloud, the supposed champion of creators and independent music. Allow me to recount this tale of confusion, miscommunication, and downright absurdity.
Video: 30 min of the situation WITH screenshots
The saga began with a notice. SoundCloud, in its infinite wisdom, informed me that certain songs on my account had been taken down for alleged copyright violations. At first, I thought: “Ah, a misunderstanding. I shall resolve this posthaste.” Some of the flagged tracks were private—as in, visible only to me. Others were immediately addressed when I responded, “Yes, I understand, I shall delete these to avoid further issues.” You’d think that would suffice, right? Oh, how naïve of me.
Instead of amicable resolution, SoundCloud doubled down. They claimed a certain label—through their partner MarkScan—had issued takedown requests. Naturally, I, being the conscientious and diligent individual I am, reached out to this label for clarification. What I received in response was not just clarity but a bombshell: the label had issued no such request. None. Nada. Not even a polite “please remove this track.”
At this point, dear reader, I realized I had been led astray. Lied to, even. SoundCloud had conjured a narrative entirely detached from reality, blaming entities who had no involvement whatsoever.
The timeline of events—fully detailed in the embedded video above—is a labyrinth of emails, screenshots, and threads where kind strangers and fellow artists attempted to assist me in navigating SoundCloud’s bureaucratic nightmare. Spoiler alert: their assistance could only go so far when faced with the impenetrable fortress of SoundCloud’s nonsense.
This brings me to the crux of this blog: if SoundCloud has similarly wronged you, I implore you to share your story in the comments below. Have they issued false takedown notices? Played favorites with artists? Enforced one set of rules for some while letting others break them with impunity? If so, we must unite, for I am preparing a follow-up video to document these shared experiences.
In conclusion, while this tale is riddled with the absurdity of SoundCloud’s mismanagement, the underlying message remains serious: creators deserve better. Transparency, fairness, and truth should not be revolutionary concepts in a platform that prides itself on empowering artists.
Cordially (and with just a hint of exasperation),
Sai (@aboywithabag)