Key facts
- SoundCloud has acquired Nina Protocol, a decentralized music platform.
- Nina Protocol allowed independent artists to sell music directly to fans, retaining 100% of revenue.
- SoundCloud will integrate Nina's editorial archive and "genre map" to preserve its content and surface emerging artists.
- Nina Protocol, founded in 2021, was built on the Solana blockchain and used Arweave for storage.
- Nina Protocol announced its shutdown on May 28 due to an unsustainable business model.
- SoundCloud is providing Nina artists with a migration tool and a complimentary Artist subscription.
SoundCloud announced Wednesday that it has acquired Nina Protocol, a decentralized music platform that enabled independent artists to sell music directly to fans while keeping 100% of their revenue. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it remains unclear if any Nina team members will join SoundCloud.
This acquisition marks SoundCloud's first since purchasing AI music company Musiio in 2022, signaling a move beyond music hosting to become a broader platform for independent artists. SoundCloud will take ownership of Nina's editorial archive and "genre map," aiming to preserve its music journalism, artist features, and cultural commentary, while also helping to surface emerging artists and scenes.
SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton stated that the company's priority is to honor Nina's mission of putting independent artists, scenes, and communities first. He added that the combined entities will help artists build deeper fan relationships, unlock new earning methods, and access tools for sustainable careers.
The acquisition follows Nina Protocol's announcement in May that it would shut down its platform due to an inability to establish a sustainable business model. Founded in 2021 by musicians Jack Callahan, Mike Pollard, and Eric Farber, Nina Protocol operated on the Solana blockchain for fast, low-cost transactions and used Arweave for decentralized storage of music files and metadata.
For Nina Protocol artists, SoundCloud is offering a migration tool to transfer their work and a complimentary SoundCloud Artist subscription through the end of the year, which includes monetization and audience growth tools.