SoundCloud has acquired Nina Protocol after the independent music platform completed its shutdown. The agreement will preserve Nina’s editorial archive and genre map while giving musicians an optional route for transferring their catalogues into SoundCloud’s creator platform.
Nina announced plans to close in May and gradually withdrew its remaining services before ceasing operations on 15th July. The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
Artists can choose whether to make the move
Music hosted by Nina will not be transferred automatically. Former users can decide whether to use a migration tool and bring their catalogues to SoundCloud, with free Artist Pro accounts available until the end of the year for those who opt in.
SoundCloud says those artists will gain access to distribution, promotion, audience data and direct fan support tools. The platform is also highlighting music sales that allow artists to retain all of their royalties, alongside community features including comments, messages and public playlists.
Nina Protocol was founded in 2021 by Jack Callahan, Mike Pollard and Eric Farber. Built on the Solana blockchain, it began as a way for musicians to upload and sell work directly while retaining ownership, later expanding to include custom catalogue pages for artists and labels.
The platform also developed an editorial identity around independent and experimental music. Artists including ML Buch, James K, Yung Lean, Purelink, Aya and Ana Roxanne released music through Nina, while Warp, Hyperdub, AD 93 and Stroom were among the labels that used it.
The acquisition gives Nina’s archive and scene-mapping work somewhere to remain accessible after the platform itself has gone offline. Crucially, the catalogue migration is voluntary, leaving each artist to decide whether SoundCloud is the right home for what comes next.
