SoundCloud Acquires Remaining Assets of Nina Protocol

Nearly two months after Nina Protocol announced its shutdown, the free, independent music platform has been acquired by SoundCloud. The agreement enables SoundCloud to inherit Nina Protocol’s editorial archive, genre mapping, and, if artists opt into SoundCloud’s creator ecosystem, their music catalogues.

Musicians who accept SoundCloud’s offer are expected to gain access to advanced distribution tools, direct fan monetization, audience growth and engagement features, and more equitable streaming revenue, allowing them to reach listeners worldwide.

SoundCloud is inviting former Nina Protocol users to join for three primary reasons: to sell music directly to fans while retaining 100% of royalties, to foster stronger fan communities through comments, direct messages, and public playlists, and to leverage SoundCloud’s tools for mastering, promotion, unlimited uploads, and audience insights.

“Nina has always focused on empowering independent artists and documenting the communities that drive music forward,” said Mike Pollard, CEO and co‑founder of Nina Protocol, in a press release. “SoundCloud provides that foundation; without it, Nina would not exist. As we look ahead, we wanted to ensure our artists and editorial content find a home that shares and actively upholds those values. SoundCloud was the natural choice.”

Founded in 2021 by Jack Callahan, Mike Pollard, and Eric Farber, Nina Protocol was a Web3 streaming service and music marketplace built on the Solana blockchain. Initially a distribution platform that let artists upload music directly to listeners via the blockchain while retaining full ownership and revenue, it later expanded to allow artists and labels to create custom hubs for their catalogs. Musicians such as ML Buch, James K, Yung Lean, Purelink, Aya, and Ana Roxanne, as well as labels including Warp, Hyperdub, AD 93, and Stroom, distributed through the service.

On July 6, Components released a report on Nina Protocol’s historical data. According to journalist Chris Good, the platform spent roughly $50,000 over its lifetime, and about 77% of its nearly 37,000 listings remained uncollected. Pitchfork has contacted SoundCloud for comment on the article.

In response to recent criticism, SoundCloud updated its AI policy and terms of service. In an open letter, CEO Eliah Seton stated that “AI should support artists, not replace them,” assuring that artist content will remain unaffected and will not be used to train generative AI models.

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