# Website which steals your Soundcloud music



## dagovitsj (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi!
I just found out that a website which is named [deleted] has linked up all my Soundcloud cues and are offering them free to everyone. 
They have never asked me, and I must say I got a bit astonished and angry.

Is there anything one can do to stop this stealing, or is it something we have to face with the new techology?

Anyone else who has heard about this/experienced that this website has linked up your music without asking?


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jan 1, 2012)

I know this may sound harsh, but if you don't want anyone to steal your music, don't put it on the web. I know... Good luck!


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## germancomponist (Jan 1, 2012)

Ned Bouhalassa @ Sun Jan 01 said:


> I know this may sound harsh, but if you don't want anyone to steal your music, don't put it on the web. I know... Good luck!



+1

Sadly but true.


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## Ed (Jan 1, 2012)

If someone wants to download your SoundCloud music they can just find a program that records the streams. Did you really think they cant do that? 

I dont see whats to be angry about unless they're selling the tracks. 

Youtube doesnt have a download button either but its very easy to download youtube videos, in whatever format you want


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## Reegs (Jan 1, 2012)

I checked out that site and it's a rabbit hole of indexers, which ultimately lead me to a soundclound downloader "app." Soundclound already has their site banned from accessing, but they're using proxies to get around it. I am unfamiliar with Norwegian copyright law, but your best bet is to inform all of the sites along the link paths that they are linking to your copyrighted IP and you'd like the links removed. 

I'm not sure if they all go to the same downloader site, but following a random "download MP3" link down the hole I was able to trace the site above to a set of Canadian nameservers that should point to the infringer's hosting company. Canada has a digital copyright act, recently passed, which could aid if your links travel there too.

PM me if you want a hand tracing the sources.

They will, unfortunately, probably eventually reappear and you'll have to start the process over again.


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jan 1, 2012)

Ha! Those Canucks - can't turn your back on them for a second...


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## rayinstirling (Jan 1, 2012)

I'm so glad I'm a hobbyist :twisted:


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## BoulderBrow (Jan 1, 2012)

I'd be peeved at this, you own the music and just because the technology exists for ripping audio doesn't mean it's acceptable.

I presume they've made their own links of your music and not a direct link to your soundcloud page. 
Might be worth emailing soundcloud to see if they've made an infringement by not asking your permission, or not accepting the terms of your cc license (if you have one) 

There's always the upside of free publicity however!


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## Guy Bacos (Jan 1, 2012)

If you start producing much music and become preoccupied with your music appearing on websites you know nothing about, you will need a full time staff to stop this and for the rest of your life. Worry more about getting your music out there than protecting it from harmful sites, you might end up loosing a total of 24 cents, when Paramount pictures will use your music without your permission, then you will have something to worry about.


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## dagovitsj (Jan 1, 2012)

> if you don't want anyone to steal your music, don't put it on the web.


Yes, you're probably right. 

@ Ed: No, I'm aware that it's very hard to avoid ripping music, but I was thinking more in the lines of what Reegs talks about: "Soundclound already has their site banned from accessing, but they're using proxies to get around it."

@Reegs: Thanks for your help! I think you're right that it will reappear after a short time. So I don't think it's worth the effort.

Conclusion: I think Ed sums it up pretty good - if they don't sell your tracks, perhaps there is nothing to get upset by. And if they do sell them, the "damage" can be limited by placing those tracks in music libraries. English is not my first language, so "angry" was perhaps a bit strong word!


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## dagovitsj (Jan 1, 2012)

@ Guy: He, he! 
@ BoulderBrow: yes, that's interesting. I can mail Soundcloud and hear what they have to say.


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## Guy Bacos (Jan 1, 2012)

dagovitsj @ Sun Jan 01 said:


> @ Guy: He, he!



Maybe you thought I was joking around, but believe me, I know what I'm talking about, I myself have hundreds of pieces floating around the internet without my contentment, and for a while I tried stopping this, even with a lawyer. Just let it go, they'll just keep coming back. But it's your call.


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## Resoded (Jan 1, 2012)

Well well, seems both my soundcloud tracks and my myspace metal tracks are on there too.

I give my music out for free at this point so it doesn't matter in that sense. Though I find it disturbing that my music is put out on places without my consent.

Though as someone mentioned, it's free publicity. I guess it's flattering if someone takes the time to download your music. Who knows, maybe it leads to some sales in the future if these people mature, against all odds, and show some respect.

(On a side note, maybe you shouldn't link to the site)


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## RiffWraith (Jan 1, 2012)

Ned Bouhalassa @ Mon Jan 02 said:


> I know this may sound harsh, but if you don't want anyone to steal your music, don't put it on the web. I know... Good luck!



True. But if you want to try and make a living as a composer, you have no choice.



Ed @ Mon Jan 02 said:


> If someone wants to download your SoundCloud music they can just find a program that records the streams. Did you really think they cant do that?



Dont even need an app. As soon as you click SC's play button, that track is immediatley and automatically downloaded to your HD.

Cheers.


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## lux (Jan 1, 2012)

mp3 grabbing websites do exist from a long time. I never gave them any attention. Its more a technical/robot thing.


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## dagovitsj (Jan 1, 2012)

@ Guy: Yes, I thought you were joking, sorry.
@ Resoded: you mean the link in this thread? Why? So this thread doesn't get tracked or something? I can disable it. done.


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## Pochflyboy (Jan 1, 2012)

I took down online demos for this reason. And to be honest I have never gotten a job from randomly coming to my site and listening. They come from networking... Its really the only way I have ever gotten jobs and I can provide the music upon request then.


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## Resoded (Jan 2, 2012)

dagovitsj @ 2nd January 2012 said:


> @ Guy: Yes, I thought you were joking, sorry.
> @ Resoded: you mean the link in this thread? Why? So this thread doesn't get tracked or something? I can disable it. done.



Because the link leads to a site for illegal downloading of copyright material.


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## Daryl (Jan 2, 2012)

Pochflyboy @ Mon Jan 02 said:


> I took down online demos for this reason. And to be honest I have never gotten a job from randomly coming to my site and listening.


I don't think I have either. Nothing wrong with putting up tasters of tracks, but there is no need to put complete tracks up, IMO. I have had a few inquiries from random people, but none of them have ever had the budget to get close to piquing my interest.

Regarding Soundcloud, to me ears the sound quality is so bad that I don't think any of the tracks would be much use in a professional sense. The other thing I am interested to know, is why are people putting music up on Soundcloud, if they don't want people to listen to it, without paying for it? If you want money, there is always iTunes. At $0.000000000000000000000000000000000000001 per download. :lol: 

D


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## Ed (Jan 3, 2012)

Guy Bacos @ Sun Jan 01 said:


> dagovitsj @ Sun Jan 01 said:
> 
> 
> > @ Guy: He, he!
> ...



Yea, I think the more popular and successful someone gets the more people will "steal" your music. Also, the more people talking about how much they hate you is usually proportional to how successful you are! :D

These days don't worry too much about it and think of it as free promotion, although I guess it is slightly different when people are trying to make money with MP3 downloads and everyone is just downloading it. But if you're a media composer or make your money any other way I think it can only help. The South Park guys have said many times they are thankful for everyone pirating their episodes even though the studio didnt like it (on principle) because it became this underground hit that was passed around.


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## jleckie (Jan 3, 2012)

If WB steals your tune thats no time to worry. 

Its time to get rich.


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## Dan Mott (Jan 3, 2012)

rayinstirling @ Mon Jan 02 said:


> I'm so glad I'm a hobbyist :twisted:



:D +1


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## Folmann (Jan 3, 2012)

I know this may sound harsh too, but if you don't want anyone to steal your music, why do you post a link to a service that does so ... on a forum for composers and musicians ...


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## Bunford (Jan 4, 2012)

Ed @ Sun 01 Jan said:


> If someone wants to download your SoundCloud music they can just find a program that records the streams. Did you really think they cant do that?



Indeed. I believe that even free software such as Audacity can record things like SoundCloud, YouTube etc so nowhere is really 'safe' from pirates/copiers.

The only suggestion I have, and what I do, is that I tend to upload low bit rate quality files to things I know that are in public domain. Find the cut off point where the track sound decent but not good enough for someone to bothr stealing. Then note you can provide download links to the full high quality versions on request. That, or, just provide sample/watermarked edits of compositions when they are in the public domain.


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## Reegs (Jan 4, 2012)

Bunford @ Wed Jan 04 said:


> Ed @ Sun 01 Jan said:
> 
> 
> > If someone wants to download your SoundCloud music they can just find a program that records the streams. Did you really think they cant do that?
> ...



I'll just leave this here in case people haven't seen it.
http://www.voxengo.com/product/beeper/


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## nickhmusic (Jan 4, 2012)

Reegs @ Wed Jan 04 said:


> I'll just leave this here in case people haven't seen it.
> http://www.voxengo.com/product/beeper/



I think inserting beeps, silence etc. is good for some people - and I've seen a fair few music libraries/companies do it that way - or they insert some annoying male voice speaking the company name - but in my position, I actually don't want to put anyone off by squealing a beep or noise into their ear whilst they are taking the time to hear what I'm about...

I like the idea of low bitrate encodes though - but Souncloud already trashes things nicely into a low quality 128K mp3 without my help 

I've investigated SoundCloud's download/rip-ability - and the most you are going to get from a plugin/add-on or pirate website is that low quality file that they transcoded for you - unless of course you allow downloads - in which case people will download whatever source file you uploaded.


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