SoundCloud buys Nina Protocol after decentralized music platform shut down

SoundCloud is buying Nina Protocol, a small but closely watched decentralized music platform, in a deal aimed at strengthening its pitch to independent artists. For investors and industry watchers, the move shows SoundCloud still trying to grow beyond a place to upload tracks into a fuller business for artist monetization, discovery and fan relationships.

SoundCloud said Wednesday that it acquired Nina, which let independent musicians sell music directly to listeners while keeping all of their revenue. The company did not disclose the purchase price. TechCrunch reported that it was also unclear whether any Nina employees would join SoundCloud, and that SoundCloud had not responded to a request for comment.

Nina had already announced that its platform would close on May 28, saying it had not found a business model that could sustain the company. The timing makes this less like a classic growth acquisition and more like SoundCloud picking up assets, tools and community connections from a platform that had already begun winding down.

SoundCloud said the acquisition gives it Nina’s editorial archive and its “genre map,” a discovery tool meant to help organize scenes, artists and music communities. In a blog post, SoundCloud said those assets would help preserve Nina’s music journalism, artist features and cultural commentary while putting emerging musicians and scenes in front of more listeners.

Nina Protocol was founded in 2021 by independent musicians Jack Callahan, Mike Pollard and Eric Farber. Its model gave artists digital storefronts outside the usual streaming setup. Instead of relying only on streaming royalties, artists could sell releases directly to fans.

The “decentralized” part means Nina used blockchain-based infrastructure rather than depending only on a company-controlled database. TechCrunch reported that Nina was built on Solana, a blockchain network designed for quick and low-cost transactions, and used Arweave, a decentralized storage system, to keep music files and metadata permanently stored.

SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton said in a statement that Nina had put independent artists, scenes and communities first, and that SoundCloud’s goal is to respect what Nina built while continuing that mission. Seton said the combined effort would help independent artists form stronger fan relationships, find new earning options and use tools for longer-term careers.

For artists who used Nina, SoundCloud is offering a migration tool through its partner site so they can move their work onto SoundCloud. The company also said those artists will get a complimentary SoundCloud Artist subscription through the end of the year, including monetization features and audience growth tools.

The deal is SoundCloud’s first acquisition since it bought Musiio in 2022, according to TechCrunch. Musiio was an AI music company, and that purchase was meant to improve music discovery. Nina adds another piece to the same broader idea: SoundCloud wants more control over how independent artists are found, paid and connected to fans on its platform.

This story draws on original reporting from TechCrunch.