SoundCloud will no longer remove DJ mixes due to copyright infringement, its founder Eric Wahlforss has confirmed.
After striking deals with licensing groups, including Germany’s GEMA, hosting mixes on its site will now be “problem free”, Wahlforss said in an interview with Groove magazine.
The streaming service has proved an inhospitable platform for mixes in the past. Since the introduction of a copyright identification system in 2010, SoundCloud has automatically removed mixes that contain any tracks which are listed in a database of restricted content provided by publishers and producers.
DJs and artists could previously only post mixes if they had permission to use the copyrighted tracks. However, the system was prone to mistakes, in some cases removing content featuring the uploader’s own material.
Producer Four Tet previously criticised SoundCloud, calling the company “a total slice of shit”, after the service prevented him from uploading one of his own remixes in error.
Last week, it was reported that Spotify has dropped out of talks to take over SoundCloud. The deal was said to be worth £535 million.
A source reportedly said that the company ultimately walked away because it feared that an acquisition could negatively impact its IPO preparation.
Though Spotify has yet to announce its plans to go public, potential investors are optimistic that an IPO may come at some point in 2017.