Digital Music News reports that SoundCloud is redoubling its efforts to restrict DJ mixes that include unlicensed or uncleared material, according to a source with knowledge of the platform’s strategy. This would presumably include a large swathe of the mixes on the service.
“I don’t think the DJs are going to be happy,” the source told Digital Music News. “Probably piss off a lot of subscribers too.”
SoundCloud recently launched Go, a subscriber-only platform. Users gain access to an “expanded catalog” of 125 million songs. To get major labels on board with this endeavor, the streaming service has been cracking down on DJs and remixers who upload unlicensed versions of tracks from other artists to the platform. Last May, Sony pulled a number of its artists' material from SoundClound, prompting the producer Madeon to complain that the label was holding artists hostage.
According to Digital Music News, SoundCloud currently has a massive user base of 185 million, which dwarfs Spotify (30 million at last count) and Apple Music (13 million). The company has yet to reveal the number of Go users.
Update (5/16 1:38 p.m.): A rep for SoundCloud emailed the following statement to The FADER:
"The story has no truth to it. At SoundCloud, we're on a mission to create a place where all creativity can live. SoundCloud's creator community, including DJs, is incredibly important to us."