Sources say it's not only possible, but inevitable at this point. Boo! Hiss!
It's no secret that SoundCloud has been taking the boa constrictor approach to its streaming content over the past few years. The 185 million user deep platform has slowly been tightening its policies, deleting full mixes or tracks it 'thinks' might be violating copyrights or ripping the rug entirely from under profiles without warning. A source close to Digital Music News claims it's getting worse, though, and eventually (like soon) we might see all DJ mixes completely blocked until they're cleared by the appropriate channels.
We're guessing "appropriate channels" mean gatekeepers under the control of big labels. But that's none of our business …
“I don’t think the DJs are going to be happy,” a source tells the outlet. “Probably piss off a lot of subscribers too.”
Not long ago, SoundCloud unveiled its "SoundCloud Go" subscription tier. It basically delivers what Apple Music and Spotify already do, but with an "extended" catalog because of the massive culture its developed garnering the industry's independent and dorm-room producer culture. Nixing DJ mixes, however, could (and likely will) scrape off that segment entirely, given there's already a huge exodus to places like MixCloud and other rivals.
But, hey, at least it's not Tidal.
Silver linings, everyone …
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