Policies

As described in our Developer Manifesto, we thrive on open dialogue and recognize that SoundCloud can only realize its full potential as the number one audio platform through your apps and hacks. We hope that common sense and good spirit will make up the foundation for building a great ecosystem and therefore we'll try to keep the list of API rules as short as possible.

However, we reserve the right to change the policies and/or terminate your API access at any time if we find it necessary for protecting our users', partners', and own rights.

The current policies for using the SoundCloud API:

  • Read and adhere to our Community Guidelines, Terms of Use, Trademark Guidelines and Privacy Policy.
  • Always make sure to have our users' consent before acting on their behalf.
  • Comply with any requirements or restrictions imposed on the usage of tracks by their respective owners, e.g. don’t download any tracks to host them somewhere else.
  • Make it possible for users to revoke access to their SoundCloud account from within your app at any time.
  • Make it clear in your app that it is using SoundCloud but is not an official SoundCloud application. Please read our guidelines on how to use the SoundCloud name and logos.
  • Web integrations should have a link to Soundcloud.com.
  • Use buttons and logos provided here.
  • For commercial use of the API (including ad revenue) you must ask for our permission.
  • We recommend you to connect one SoundCloud account for each user on your side. If you want to use a single SoundCloud account for letting many users upload tracks you need to ask for our permission.

Trademark guidelines

To avoid confusion for your users and ours, here are some simple guidelines for how to use the SoundCloud name and logos in your application, website or service.
If you have any further questions, please contact us at api@soundcloud.com

Do

  • make it clear that your app is using SoundCloud using appropriate explanation within the description or functionality of your application or site
  • use SoundCloud in a referential phrase such as “powered by”, “connected to” or similar
  • use the latest official and unmodified buttons and logos provided here
  • design your site, logos and titles with unique branding elements that are clearly distinct from SoundCloud
  • ensure that any SoundCloud logos or titles are displayed less prominently than those of your application or site.

Don't

  • imply false affiliation, sponsorship or partnership of your application or site with SoundCloud. For example, calling your app “SoundMan” is fine whilst calling it “SoundCloud for Walkman” is not
  • use official versions of the SoundCloud logos in the logo of your application or site
  • register and employ domains containing SoundCloud, soundcloud or any other misspellings which might confuse the end user
  • use SoundCloud trademarks or logos in a disparaging or misleading manner.

For more information on SoundCloud’s terms of use, please visit http://soundcloud.com/terms-of-use

Have fun coding and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions!

Henrik Lenberg, API Manager
api@soundcloud.com

Last updated: 18/11/2010