Eric Wahlforss discusses the future of SoundCloud and the challenge of copyright versus artistic freedom
Eric Wahlforss, CTO and Co-Founder of SoundCloud, visited TechCrunch Disrupt to discuss the origins and the future of his company. It’s no secret that SoundCloud is in an interesting space in its lifecycle, taking on massive losses and running into hurdles with monetization and major label partnerships, but Wahlforss seems optimistic.
He discusses the three phases of SoundCloud’s development. It began as a platform for creators to share their work with one another before focusing on growing its listener and audience base. The third phase, he discloses, is about generating revenue through scale — for both the artist and the company itself.
Despite his confidence, Walhforss stumbles over the elephant in the room. When asked what happens to the remixes and mixtapes with unlicensed material, specifically the foreseen abolishment of “remix culture,” Walhforss avoids any definitive answer by simply saying “It’s just very complicated.”
Watch the full interview from TechCrunch Disrupt for additional information on their plans for advertising, a future subscription-based service and more.
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