SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a free platform for streaming and distributing music with paid levels for users and artists. The service has the functions of a social network. SoundCloud has been operating since 2008, the owner company is registered in Berlin.

History

2023: Dismissal of 8% of employees

On May 23, 2023, the SoundCloud streaming platform circulated a message about plans for further restructuring, under which the number of personnel will be reduced by about 8%. The move was part of an effort by companies to break even.

SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton spoke about the reorganization. An email on his behalf sent to the corporate network said the downsizing was necessary to ensure profitability and sustain the business in the long term. The layoffs will affect approximately 40 people. In August 2022, the company was already adjusting the number of employees: then about 20% of employees were expelled from the staff.

SoundCloud headcount will be reduced by approximately 8%

This is a complex but important decision necessary to ensure the health of our enterprise and profitability at the end of 2023. In doing so, we secure the future of the company. It is imperative that SoundCloud flourishes and remains an outstanding home for musicians and fans. Ultimately, I take responsibility for these measures, "wrote Seton, who took over as CEO of SoundCloud in March 2023.

According to the company itself, the audience of "involved fans" of SoundCloud reaches 130 million worldwide. Over 320 million tracks from more than 40 million authors and artists are available on the platform. Restructuring is supposed to help optimize financial flows and focus efforts on the highest priority areas. In the current macroeconomic situation, Internet users are forced to save on paid subscriptions, and therefore the income of online services is reduced. SoundCloud expects the reorganization will eventually allow the company to contribute to further transformation of the music industry and streaming services.^[1]

2022: Blocking by Roskomnadzor

On October 1, 2022, the SoundCloud music streaming service was blocked in Russia at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office on September 22. The mobile application at the beginning of October 2022 is still working.

The agency believes that the service violated Article 15.3 of the Law "On Information," which regulates the restriction of access to information with calls for riots, participation in unauthorized actions, extremism, as well as blocking unreliable socially significant information^[2].

Notes