These policies apply to: anyone who uses our ad products, anyone who matches our definition of an “advertiser” and any content that we consider to be an “ad” (as defined below). As a platform that allows everyone to upload and share their own content, we understand that it can be hard to define what is an ad and what isn’t. If you’re unsure as to whether or not these definitions apply to you, it can’t hurt to stick to these guidelines anyway – it’s less likely you’ll have issues with your content or your use of SoundCloud by doing so.

An advertiser is: any brand, company, organization, or individual that uses the platform primarily to sell, promote, or otherwise communicate products or services to the SoundCloud community.

An ad is: any piece of content with the primary purpose to sell, promote or otherwise communicate products or services to the SoundCloud community. This includes:
- Content uploaded to a user’s profile, where the content is intended to promote a brand, product or service
- Creative assets delivered as part of a paid advertising or sponsorship campaign
- Any content that is promoted on SoundCloud via native advertising

We consider advertisers to be part of the SoundCloud community. We are happy to have you here and hope that you will benefit from being part of the vibrant, diverse, creative community that uses the platform everyday. We have high expectations of all members of the community – as an advertiser, our expectations of you are even higher, given the elevated visibility you will have on the platform. We have two guiding principles that broadly cover these expectations. These principles shape our overall approach to advertising and are at the heart of our ads policies.

One of our core company values is open – it should therefore come as no surprise that we value transparency and honesty, and expect you to do the same. Your presence on the platform, including the content you share and your promotional activities, should never be deceptive, misleading or untruthful – you must identify yourself as an advertiser, ensure that your ads are clearly identifiable as such, and make it clear that your intention is to promote your brand, product and/or service. In short; we require all ads to be legal, decent, honest and truthful.

We aim to create a community where everyone feels respected, and where the safety of our users is paramount. You should never use SoundCloud to promote unsafe or illegal activities, products or services, or to take part in activities forbidden by these policies or our Terms of Use or Community Guidelines.

All prices stated in your ads should be accurate and transparent. Don’t use misleading pricing practices or language which could be misinterpreted by the community. Specifically:

In addition to the above, all ads targeted at European consumers must also:

In addition, all ads must include the following information:

Your ads must not:

Your ads should be understood by the people you’re targeting; use language that the majority of people in the targeted region will understand.

All ads on SoundCloud, including text and images, must be legible and clear. Additionally, display ads mustn’t contain any kind of animation that automatically plays without an individual’s interaction.

There are certain categories of products and services that you can’t promote on SoundCloud at all. This ensures that we can uphold our community values and guiding principles, as well as complying with legal regulations in certain jurisdictions. You cannot advertise the following products or services.

We don’t allow ads for products or services that promote the distribution, duplication or sale of copyrighted content (other than the advertiser’s own content). Additionally, we don’t allow ads for products or services that sell or promote the sale of counterfeit goods or engage in copyright or trademark infringement of any kind. This includes, but isn’t limited to:

SoundCloud does not permit ads for illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia or related accessories. This includes:

This does not apply to:

Ads for adult entertainment products or services are not permitted on SoundCloud. This includes, but is not limited to:

This does not apply to:

SoundCloud prohibits advertising for all tobacco and tobacco-related products. This includes:

This does not apply to:

SoundCloud doesn’t allow ads of any kind for personal care products that create unrealistic expectations or claim unproven health benefits for product being advertised e.g. “this soap will cure cancer”. This also applies to any unregulated dietary supplements or herbal drugs.

The promotion of financial services is limited to regulated retail banks, mortgage lenders and insurance companies. All other financial services are prohibited from advertising on SoundCloud.

Regardless of the legality of weapon sales in your country, we prohibit all ads for weapons and associated products and services on SoundCloud.
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This includes ads for:

Outside the US SoundCloud does not permit any political advertising on the platform. This applies to ads for or by:

This does not apply to:

SoundCloud does not allow any ads for religious organisations or for any specific religion or belief system, or any ad that contains religion as a primary theme. The same applies to any organisation or ad that promotes atheism, humanism or other system based on an absence of faith.

SoundCloud does not allow the promotion of any kind of product or service designed to provide unauthorized access to systems, devices or information. This includes:

You can’t promote goods or services in violation of applicable trade embargoes, trade sanctions and/or export control laws, including any advertising for or by any individual and/or entity that is subject to such sanctions. Please refer to the following webpages for policy and embargo information:

SoundCloud prohibits ads for any product or service that exploits or is derived from any endangered species, as classified by the World Wildlife Federation.

SoundCloud doesn’t allow ads for academic aids, degrees from unaccredited institutions, and/or unauthorized student services. This includes:

This does not apply to:

There are certain categories of products and services which can be advertised on SoundCloud, provided that specific restrictions are adhered to. This includes all of the following categories.

In general, advertising designed to promote alcohol brands, and sale of alcohol in general, is allowed on SoundCloud, provided the following requirements are met.

When targeting the following countries, these specific additional requirements apply:

SoundCloud allows advertising of prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals., provided that (i) advertising of prescription pharmaceuticals is solely permitted in the United States and its territories; and (ii) all such ads must adhere to all relevant local regulations and standards. In the UK, this means such ads must be pre-cleared by the PAGB. In the US, this means that such ads must adhere to FDA and FTC guidelines.

The advertising of illegal drugs is not permitted.

Ads for birth control products, including condoms, is permitted, provided that ads don’t contain overly sexual themes or imagery. For clarity, prescription birth control products may solely be advertised on SoundCloud in the United States and its territories.

SoundCloud allows ads for the following medical products and services, provided that these ads are honest, accurate, don’t make exaggerated claims, and don’t promote the use of products or services in a manner other than that intended by the appropriate regulatory body.

The advertising of specific medical procedures, including cosmetic surgery, is not permitted.

Ads for regulated retail banks, mortgage lenders and insurance providers are permitted, provided that these ads:

When targeting the following countries, these additional requirements apply:

Ads for dating sites and services are allowed on SoundCloud, provided that you clearly state the name of the advertiser in the text of the ad. Ads in this category must not:

Ads for land-based casinos or online gambling establishments are allowed on SoundCloud, but on a restricted basis depending on where the ad is targeted. You are responsible for ensuring that your ad remains in compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations.

Ads for the following are permitted, provided they comply with all local laws and regulations:

This does not apply to:

When targeting the United States, ads for lotteries are only permitted where the lottery is licensed to operate and where the ad is targeted to consumers in that licensed area.

When targeting the United Kingdom, the following also applies:

Remember that ads for anything gambling-related are often restricted by law, and these restrictions can often vary significantly from territory to territory. You are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with the laws of the jurisdiction that you are targeting.

No matter what you are promoting, the following types of content can’t be included in your ads, or anywhere on your SoundCloud profile.

You are solely responsible for all content that you make available on SoundCloud, whether on your profile or as an ad elsewhere on the platform. You must only use content in your ads that you have all necessary rights to use. If your ad features content created by a third party, it is your sole responsibility to obtain the necessary rights and licenses for inclusion within your ad before you make that ad available on SoundCloud.Please note that this policy not only includes content within ads, but also promotional activity on SoundCloud. As a brand, you must not use the content of any other Soundcloud user to promote your product or service without that user’s consent. If you’re interested in pairing your brand with an artist on SoundCloud, please contact our sales team to discuss the opportunity.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any content or activity that (i) promotes, advocates or encourages hatred, stereotypes, discrimination, violence against or (ii) negatively portrays or attacks others based on (including, without limitation) things like race, cultural identity or ethnic background, religious beliefs, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other characteristics associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization. Additionally, we take allegations of fear mongering, abusive or threatening behaviour towards these individuals or groups seriously. Any ad that features themes of hate, abuse, or that may place people at risk of harm will be removed from SoundCloud.

This does not apply to:

Ads mustn’t depict or promote dangerous or unlawful activities which are easily imitable. This includes the use of illegal drugs, restricted goods or other unlawful or dangerous behaviours.

Ads cannot contain content that is predominantly sexual in nature, including nude images, depictions or detailed descriptions of sexual acts, adult toys or products, or sexually obscene language. This doesn’t apply to the use of profanity within ads.

Content with excessive violence or shocking themes isn’t permitted on SoundCloud. Your ads shouldn’t contain graphic depictions of violence – real or otherwise – including self-harm or death. Additionally, any gratuitously violent imagery intended to shock or terrify audiences is prohibited. This includes violence against animals.

This does not apply to:

Your content must not contain any software that results in a deceptive or unexpected user experience, including; spyware, malware, or similar software. Additionally, ads must not link to external websites which contain or promote such products.

Remember that you’re part of our community – don’t break the rules and respect the guiding principles outlined above. These policies are subject to change at any time, without advance notice. Please check in from time to time to see the latest version.We reserve the right to reject or remove any ads in our sole discretion, including ads that violate these policies, endanger the safety of the community or that are contrary to our business interests, guiding principles or brand values.If you have questions about advertising policies at SoundCloud that weren’t covered above, please contact the Policy Team.