SoundCloud now makes developers apply for API access

Audio streaming company SoundCloud today announced a change to the experience for developers who want to build new apps that take advantage of SoundCloud’s application programming interface (API). Now developers will need to submit an application before getting an API key for each app if the app does not already have one.

The application asks developers to tell the company what a given app does, how it generates revenue, whether the use of the API is for a business, and whether it plays back content.

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Some other companies — including Evernote, Google, PayPal, and Twitter — ask developers for certain information before granting API access. But not every company asks for a great lot of information about each app in the way that SoundCloud is now; rather than providing self-service for developers, SoundCloud is now reviewing every single application.

In a blog post today, SoundCloud said it made the change to “focus on the experiences that will most benefit our creators and listeners. Here’s the broader explanation:

As SoundCloud has grown, we’ve seen our API used in countless innovative ways that support and enhance the SoundCloud experience for our creators and listeners around the globe. At the same time, we’ve also seen a number of apps or services which act on behalf of our users without their explicit permission, or attempt to use creator content in ways that are not permitted by our developer Terms of Use. Those apps or services that operate in this way do not support our creators, listeners or our SoundCloud community as a whole, and take time and energy away from building a platform and community where all creativity can live.

The changes do not affect applications that already have API keys, so long as they still don’t violate SoundCloud’s terms of use, the company said.

SoundCloud was founded in 2007 and has 175 million listeners each month, with more than 135 million tracks.