What to do when a SoundCloud account holder dies
SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
OverviewWhen someone dies
SoundCloud Help Center
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SoundCloud Legal (Deceased Account Requests)
Emaillegal@soundcloud.com
Timeline
Estate requests: email legal@soundcloud.com with required documentation. Response time: not published. Account options after verification: lock, delete, or transfer ownership. Personal data retained for 3 years following the end of the year in which the account was cancelled per privacy policy. Uploaded audio content is irretrievably deleted immediately upon account termination. Monetization payouts: $25 USD minimum threshold, net 60 payment terms (paid approximately two months after the earning period).
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
Verified Apr 2026
SoundCloud has a bereavement process for deceased community members. Verified immediate family members or those authorized to act on behalf of the deceased's estate can contact legal@soundcloud.com with required documentation. After verification, SoundCloud can lock, delete, or transfer ownership of the account depending on the requester's wishes. The terms of use state: "You may not assign this Agreement...to any third party without the prior written consent of SoundCloud." Upon account termination, "any and all Content residing in your account...will be irretrievably deleted by SoundCloud, except to the extent that we are obliged or permitted to retain such content...in accordance with applicable laws." Account ownership is verified by control of the email address used to create the account.
How to request a transfer
Follow these steps to initiate a transfer of SoundCloud accounts after the account holder's death:
1
DO NOT delete the account immediately if the deceased was a creator. Uploaded tracks are irretrievably deleted upon account termination. Download all original audio files first.
2
Preserve the deceased's uploaded content:
- •With account access: download all tracks from the SoundCloud dashboard. Go to each track and download the original file.
- •Without account access: SoundCloud tracks that were set to "downloadable" by the creator can be downloaded by anyone. Check each track's page for a download button.
- •As a last resort: use the SoundCloud API or third-party tools to download publicly available tracks before the account is closed.
3
Contact SoundCloud's legal team at [legal@soundcloud.com](mailto:legal@soundcloud.com) per the Reporting a deceased community member help article and include:
- •Display name or profile URL of the deceased user's account
- •Your email address
- •A copy of your photo ID
- •A copy of the deceased user's death certificate
- •Optionally, a link to an online obituary
4
After verification, SoundCloud can lock the account (preserving content while preventing changes), delete the account, or transfer ownership to a verified family member or estate representative.
5
Check for monetization revenue. If the deceased was enrolled in SoundCloud for Artists monetization (fan-powered royalties), contact SoundCloud about any unpaid balances. Payouts auto-deposit at $25 USD and follow net 60 payment terms (earnings paid approximately two months after the earning period). The October 31, 2025 monetization terms update removed SoundCloud's revenue share -- effective end of November 2025, artists distributing through SoundCloud for Artists keep 100% of distribution royalties from major platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok, etc.).
6
The privacy policy states personal data is retained for 3 years following the end of the year in which the account was cancelled, then deleted unless legally required to retain it. Uploaded audio content is irretrievably deleted immediately upon account termination.
7
Note: SoundCloud does not have a memorialization feature. The profile remains visible and playable until the account is deleted, locked, or SoundCloud terminates it for inactivity.
Required Documents
- Display name or profile URL of the deceased user's SoundCloud account
- Photo ID of the person submitting the request
- Death certificate of the deceased user
- Link to an online obituary (optional but recommended)
- Account credentials (for direct content download before requesting account action)
Timeline
Estate requests: email legal@soundcloud.com with required documentation. Response time: not published. Account options after verification: lock, delete, or transfer ownership. Personal data retained for 3 years following the end of the year in which the account was cancelled per privacy policy. Uploaded audio content is irretrievably deleted immediately upon account termination. Monetization payouts: $25 USD minimum threshold, net 60 payment terms (paid approximately two months after the earning period).
Frequently asked questions
Uploaded tracks remain on SoundCloud as long as the account exists. However, upon account termination, all content is irretrievably deleted. SoundCloud has no memorialization feature but does offer the option to lock an account, which preserves content while preventing changes. The estate should download all original audio files before requesting any account action.
Yes, with SoundCloud's approval. While the terms of use prohibit unauthorized account transfers, SoundCloud's bereavement process allows verified immediate family members or estate representatives to request ownership transfer. Contact legal@soundcloud.com with a death certificate, photo ID, and the account's display name or profile URL.
Contact SoundCloud at legal@soundcloud.com about any unpaid monetization balances. SoundCloud for Artists uses fan-powered royalties with a $25 USD minimum payout threshold and net 60 payment terms (earnings paid two months after the earning period). As of November 2025, SoundCloud pays 100% of distribution royalties to artists distributing through SoundCloud for Artists (previously 80%). The estate may need to provide a death certificate, photo ID, and letters testamentary to claim outstanding payments.
SoundCloud has no memorialization feature, but the estate can request the account be locked (preserving content while preventing changes), deleted, or transferred to a verified family member. Contact legal@soundcloud.com with the required documentation to choose an option.
Email legal@soundcloud.com with the display name or profile URL of the deceased user's account, your email address, a copy of your photo ID, and a copy of the deceased user's death certificate. You may also include a link to an online obituary. Only verified immediate family members or those authorized to act on behalf of the estate can request account action.
SoundCloud supports GDPR and CCPA data requests through their support chatbot, but these are typically limited to the account holder. Without login credentials, the estate should contact legal@soundcloud.com to discuss data access options. SoundCloud cannot provide CSV exports of account activity data. The best approach is to download original audio files directly if you have account access, or download publicly available tracks that the creator set to "downloadable."
SoundCloud's only means of verifying ownership is the email address used to create the account. The owner of an account is whoever controls that email address. For a deceased user, the estate must therefore either present credentials/email control or contact legal@soundcloud.com with a death certificate, photo ID, and the profile URL so SoundCloud's legal team can override the email-based check after a series of verification questions.
No. Once the account is terminated, all uploaded audio is irretrievably deleted. The executor should first download original tracks (via the dashboard if credentials are available, or via the public download button on tracks the creator marked as downloadable), capture any monetization balance information, and only then decide between locking the account (preserves content while preventing changes), transferring ownership to a verified family member, or deletion. Locking is often the safest first step while the estate is being administered.
After the transfer is complete, the recipient can use the accounts according to the program's standard terms. Document the deceased account holder's details to make this process easier for your executor or family.
SoundCloud Help Center
WebsiteVisit website→
SoundCloud Legal (Deceased Account Requests)
Emaillegal@soundcloud.com
Timeline
Estate requests: email legal@soundcloud.com with required documentation. Response time: not published. Account options after verification: lock, delete, or transfer ownership. Personal data retained for 3 years following the end of the year in which the account was cancelled per privacy policy. Uploaded audio content is irretrievably deleted immediately upon account termination. Monetization payouts: $25 USD minimum threshold, net 60 payment terms (paid approximately two months after the earning period).
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
Verified Apr 2026
