Sony Music has decided to remove a great deal of songs from SoundCloud, including music from Adele, Miguel, Hozier and more. Though the record company has yet to offer up an official line of reasoning behind the decision, insiders suggest it's due to a "lack of monetization opportunities."
Billboard reports that other artists affected in the decision include Kelly Clarkson, Passion Pit, MS MR, and Leon Bridges. The artist's SoundCloud profiles currently state that they haven't "shared any public sounds."
Though Sony is currently keeping mum, it comes in the wake of SoundCloud's decision to run a premium, subscription-based service called On SoundCloud. The company had previously offered up their streaming audio service to millions for free, whether their posts were licensed or not.
On SoundCloud's goal is to generate revenue by incorporating advertising into its streams. When it was announced last summer, Sony, Warner Music, and Universal Music Group were all onboard with the deal. Apparently the relationship with Sony has soured, with an insider suggesting to Billboard it's because of a "lack of monetization opportunities."
All the same, a representative for SoundCloud claming more than $2 million U.S. has been paid out to over 100 partners since the end of 2014.
"We are in ongoing conversations with major and independent labels and will continue to add partners to the program," they told Billboard. "We've always put control in the hands of creators, and anyone who makes music and audio can decide when and how they want to share it with fans, allowing artists to essentially broadcast out to the world the availability of new content."
Billboard reports that other artists affected in the decision include Kelly Clarkson, Passion Pit, MS MR, and Leon Bridges. The artist's SoundCloud profiles currently state that they haven't "shared any public sounds."
Though Sony is currently keeping mum, it comes in the wake of SoundCloud's decision to run a premium, subscription-based service called On SoundCloud. The company had previously offered up their streaming audio service to millions for free, whether their posts were licensed or not.
On SoundCloud's goal is to generate revenue by incorporating advertising into its streams. When it was announced last summer, Sony, Warner Music, and Universal Music Group were all onboard with the deal. Apparently the relationship with Sony has soured, with an insider suggesting to Billboard it's because of a "lack of monetization opportunities."
All the same, a representative for SoundCloud claming more than $2 million U.S. has been paid out to over 100 partners since the end of 2014.
"We are in ongoing conversations with major and independent labels and will continue to add partners to the program," they told Billboard. "We've always put control in the hands of creators, and anyone who makes music and audio can decide when and how they want to share it with fans, allowing artists to essentially broadcast out to the world the availability of new content."
