SoundCloud Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy forms part of our Privacy Policy and should be read together with our Terms of Use.

Capitalised terms used in this Cookie Policy, but not specifically defined in here, shall have the meanings given to the applicable capitalised terms in the SoundCloud Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Like most companies, when you visit or interact with the Platform, we and our service providers may use cookies and other tracking technologies for storing information, including pixels (also known as a “web beacon” or “clear GIFs”), local storage, and device identifiers, to help provide, protect and improve the Platform. For example, to save your preferences, personalize content, target ads based on your interests, combat fraud and abuse, and streamline the functioning of and your access to the Platform.

This policy explains how and why we use these technologies and the choices you have. We use “cookies” and “similar technologies” interchangeably to refer to all of these technologies.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer, phone, or other device when you visit websites and are used to record information about your activity, including the pages you view, the content you listen to, ads you click on, your settings, and other actions you take on the Platform.

Cookies can be “persistent” or “session” cookies. Persistent cookies stay on your device for a set period of time or until you delete them, while session cookies are deleted once you close your web browser.

Similar Technologies

We use other data collecting technologies with similar functionality as cookies, including pixels, local storage, and device identifiers. While the specific names and types of cookies we use may change from time to time as we improve and update the Platform, we have provided some basic definitions in order to help you better understand this policy.

How We Use Cookies

While we use cookies to deliver, measure, and improve the Platform in various ways, the cookies we use generally fall into one of the following categories:

Third Party Cookies

We allow certain service providers to place cookies and similar technologies on the Platform for the same purposes listed above, including collecting information about your online activities over time and across different websites and devices in order to provide you with more relevant advertising.

​​Third party analytics are used to track and measure usage of this site so that we can continue to produce engaging content. These cookies may track things such as how long you spend on the site or pages you visit which helps us to understand how we can improve the site for you. From time to time we test new features and make subtle changes to the way that the site is delivered. When we are still testing new features these cookies may be used to ensure that you receive a consistent experience when using the site whilst ensuring we understand which optimisations our users appreciate the most.

You may also encounter cookies and tracking technologies from our third-party marketing service providers.

Additionally, we may work with advertising networks and programmatic exchanges to allow us to serve you ads. These third-party ad networks and exchange providers may use third-party cookies, pixels, or similar technologies to collect information, including your device identifier, IP address, or identifier for advertising. The information these third parties collect may be used to help us in providing you with more relevant advertising that we serve on or off the Platform, and as described above.

As we sell services it's important for us to understand statistics about how many of the visitors to our site actually make a purchase and as such this is the kind of data that these cookies will track. This is important to you as it means that we can accurately make business predictions that allow us to monitor our advertising and product costs to ensure the best possible price.

We use adverts to offset the costs of running this site and provide funding for further development. The behavioral advertising cookies used by our Platform are designed to ensure that we provide you with the most relevant adverts where possible by anonymously tracking your interests and presenting similar things that may be of interest.

Several partners advertise on our behalf and affiliate tracking cookies simply allow us to see if our customers have come to the site through one of our partner sites so that we can credit them appropriately and where applicable allow our affiliate partners to provide any bonus that they may provide you for making a purchase.

We also use social media buttons and/or plugins on the Platform that allow you to connect with your social network in various ways. The social media networks will set cookies through our site which may be used to enhance your profile on their site or contribute to the data they hold for various purposes outlined in their respective privacy policies.

Third-party cookies are covered by the third parties’ privacy policy.

SoundCloud works with reputable advertising partners to show you content and advertisements for products and services that you may like. Advertising partners are divided by purpose, function and websites. By purpose, some Cookies can be subject to your consent or objection whereas others are based on our legitimate interest. Within the Cookie Management Platform, you can navigate to the respective cookie category to see which particular cookies are first party or third party cookies.

Your Choices and Controls

SoundCloud is committed to offering you meaningful privacy choices. You have a number of options to control or limit how we, our partners, and other third parties use cookies. However, note that cookies are important for many aspects of the Platform – if you disable cookies, you may not be able to enjoy all of the features of the Platform. To the extent you opt out of personalized advertising using the mechanisms below, you may still receive advertisements when using the Platform, but they will not be tailored to your interests.

We use a Consent Management Platform (“CMP”) to give you the choice on which Cookies you like to allow and which not. In some countries, subject to the respective laws, it is allowed to set such Cookies by default but you may as well access your profile settings to make a choice of your liking here.

The CMP allows you to consent to the setting of optional cookies by us and our third-party partners. Additionally, third party cookies can be managed according to the purpose for which your data is processed or according to which third-party partners are involved. The CMP also allows us to maintain records of your consent.

Strictly Necessary Cookies and other cookies based on legitimate interest (security and abuse) are not subject to your choice regarding our CMP but are used in our legitimate interest. Such interest has been reviewed against your interest of not using any of your data and leaving such cookies on your devices and it has been appropriately documented why such use of Cookies is deemed necessary for our services. You can however even block these Cookies, for example within the settings of your browser, but this will ultimately disable the use of our service or the most essential parts of it.

As a registered user, you will find the explanation to the relevant cookies in your account under “Privacy” and “Advertising” as well. Here you can view and control your respective choices.

SoundCloud Settings

If you have a SoundCloud account, you can adjust the following settings to reflect your choices:

Users without a SoundCloud account can control whether we collect certain kinds of analytics and usage information through cookies and similar technologies in the Cookie Manager tab.

Users with a SoundCloud account may adjust their settings in the Cookie Manager to be found in the “Privacy” tab, or by clicking here (https://soundcloud.com/settings/privacy).

Browser Settings

To control cookies, you can modify your settings in most web browsers to accept or deny cookies or to request your permission each time a site attempts to set a cookie. You can also manually delete previously stored cookies at any time. Please note that if you choose to block cookies, doing so may impair the Platform or prevent certain elements of it from functioning. Additionally you may be prompted a question by your browser referring to cross-site tracking. This means that you have to agree to sites and services before connecting your usage of one service or the choices you made there with your usage of another site. You may opt-out of this when prompted this question or make a choice within your browser settings.

Device Settings

On your mobile device, disable the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” setting in your iOS phone’s settings, or enable the setting to “Opt Out of Ads Personalization” in your Android phone’s settings. To opt-out of location tracking when using our Apps, you can use the settings of your device. You can disable mobile analytics and bug reporting through these same settings as well. Additionally you may be prompted a question by your browser or our app referring to cross-app tracking. This means that you have to agree to sites and services before connecting your usage of one service or the choices you made there with your usage of another site, app or service. You may opt-out of this when prompted this question or make a choice within your device or app settings.

Mobile Identifiers

On your mobile device, your operating system may provide you with options to opt out of interest based advertising or to otherwise reset your mobile identifier. This is a unique identifier that can be used to identify a mobile device which works in a similar way to a cookie. For example, you may use the "Limit Ad Tracking" setting (on iOS devices) or a setting to "Opt out of Interest-Based Ads" (on Android) which allows you to limit the use of information about your use of apps for purposes of serving ads targeted to your interests.

Updates to This Policy

We may occasionally make changes to this Policy. If they are material changes, we will provide you with prominent notice.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us through the Help Center (https://help.soundcloud.com/hc/en-us/sections/115001107587-Privacy) or at dataprotection@soundcloud.com.

Last amended: February 2022

You will find a link to prior versions of our Cookies Policy and a summary of the change(s) below.