Recommendation SystemVerified
Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, May 11, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.
SoundCloud deployed an AI feature called First Fans that automatically recommends newly uploaded tracks to listeners most likely to enjoy them, even before a song has accumulated any plays. The feature is available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers on the platform.
Details
First Fans uses AI technology built on the Musiio acquisition (completed May 2022) to analyze a track's audio content — detecting patterns, genre, and mood — and match it to around 100 listeners based on their listening history and user activity. This content-based recommendation approach was designed to address the 'zero plays problem,' where a significant share of new music receives no streams. As of May 2024, the algorithm was updated to recommend top-performing tracks to up to 1,000 listeners, and over 3.5 million tracks had been analyzed and recommended since launch.
Products affected
SoundCloud (Artist Plan)SoundCloud (Artist Pro / Next Pro)
Sources & Evidence
News Article
Company Disclosure
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). SoundCloud: SoundCloud deployed an AI feature called First Fans that automatically recommends newly uploaded tracks to listeners most likely to enjoy them, even before a song has accumulated any plays. The feature is available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers on the platform (data as of 2026-05-11) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/6ac0d08d-f7d8-44e5-929d-a93766babeac. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/6ac0d08d-f7d8-44e5-929d-a93766babeac
- Data as of
- May 11, 2026
- Last verified
- Not recorded
Other practices by SoundCloud
RecommendationSoundCloud deployed an AI-driven autoplay and discovery feed that recommends music to listeners based on their listening history, genre preferences, and user activity. The system surfaces tracks in playlists, autoplay queues, and personalized feeds across the platform.OtherSoundCloud updated its Terms of Service in February 2024 to include language stating that users agree their content may be used to 'inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence' as part of providing the platform's services. Following public backlash in May 2025, SoundCloud's CEO issued a letter clarifying that no user content had been used to train generative AI models, and the company revised its terms to explicitly prohibit training generative AI on user content without opt-in consent.OtherSoundCloud integrated DataDome's AI-powered bot and fraud detection platform to automatically identify and block fraudulent traffic, fake plays, fake account creation, and credential-stuffing attacks across its web, mobile, and API endpoints.
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