SoundCloud Acquires Nina Protocol After Platform Closure

SoundCloud announced on 22 July that it has acquired Nina Protocol, the independent music platform that allowed artists to build and manage their own digital storefronts. The transaction follows Nina’s May disclosure that it would wind down operations after five years.

In a statement, the Nina team said:

If you’ve been following Nina over the last five years, you know that we built the platform because we believed Big Streaming wasn’t properly serving independent music. Today we’re excited to share that SoundCloud is acquiring Nina Protocol, ensuring the vision, context and community we built together at Nina continues to have a home that is dedicated to pushing independent music and artist sustainability forward.

As part of the integration, Nina’s artist community will gain access to SoundCloud’s creator ecosystem, including tools for distribution, direct fan monetization, audience growth, fan engagement and streaming revenue opportunities. SoundCloud has also acquired Nina’s editorial archive and genre map, preserving its collection of music journalism, artist features and cultural documentation.

Nina Protocol users can transfer their tracks to SoundCloud and redeem a five-month trial of SoundCloud Artist Pro, a service that offers comparable tools. The migration process will also allow users to bring over their music, content, followers and creative work.

Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud, said: “As the platform where millions of artists begin their journey, we’ve always believed that the next movements in music emerge from communities long before they reach the mainstream. That belief is deeply aligned with the mission Nina has championed from the very beginning.”

Seton added: “They built an incredible platform by putting independent artists, scenes and communities first, and our priority is to honour what they’ve created, while carrying that mission forward. Together, we’ll help more independent artists build deeper relationships with fans, unlock new ways to earn, and access the tools they need to grow sustainable careers on their own terms.”

Mike Pollard, CEO and co-founder of Nina Protocol, said: “Nina has always been about empowering independent artists and documenting the communities that drive music forward. SoundCloud built that foundation: without SoundCloud, there wouldn’t be Nina. As we considered the future of the platform, we wanted to ensure our artists and editorial work found a home that shared and actively practised those values. SoundCloud was the natural choice.”