Maybe you are sick of getting so many emails, or you wish to reduce the amount of your personal data that is online.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Delete Your Own SoundCloud Account
- How to Delete a Deceased Loved One’s SoundCloud Account
- Frequently Asked Questions: Deleting a SoundCloud Account
Perhaps you are done with uploading your own small music samples online and want a different streaming service. Whatever your reason for deleting your SoundCloud account, here are some tips for getting it done.
How to Delete Your Own SoundCloud Account
Users can only delete their SoundCloud account by logging in through the website. SoundCloud accounts can’t be deleted through either the iOS or Android apps at this time.
Step 1: Log in to your SoundCloud account
If it’s been a while since you logged into your account, you may have to recover your password by having a new link sent to your email address. Do you often have to reset your passwords?
Consider using a password manager for your online accounts and minimize having to request password resets.
Step 2: Go to account settings
After logging in, you’ll have to go to the top right of the window where you will see three dots like this (···). You’ll want to click on those dots to open up a dropdown menu. Toward the bottom, you will see “settings.”
Click on that. A new page will load with the “Account” option open. At the bottom, you will see a tiny link labeled “Delete account.”
Step 3: Click “delete account”
After clicking on delete, you’ll have a small window pop up asking about the reason for your account deletion. Select whatever option makes sense to you, and then click delete. That’s it! Deleting a SoundCloud account is a pretty painless process.
SoundCloud is based in Germany, and they comply with German laws on data protection. The company says that they make it a priority to protect your data. For this reason, they will only delete an account if they receive verification from the account owner, which can mean they can delete it if you login. Only after they verify that you are the account holder will they go through the account deletion process.
If you delete your account, all the data associated with your account, including the items you may have uploaded, will be deleted and may not be recoverable. The company will also delete any usage data associated with any sounds that you uploaded.
Some SoundCloud users have reported that they went through the process of deleting an account, but they noticed that the account is still present online. This could be for one of two reasons.
If you try to log back in but you receive a message that says your account is frozen, this means that the account was not really deleted. If this happened to you, contact SoundCloud’s support team. They will assist you with removing your account from their platform.
If you received confirmation that your account was deleted, but it doesn’t seem to be going away, have patience. SoundCloud said that it might be in the queue to be deleted, but it will take “some time.”
The second reason your information may still show up in search results may have more to do with Google’s policies than SoundCloud’s. To speed up loading times, Google “caches” search results. This means that they may have your account information in their search results if enough people clicked on it in the past.
Once you have deleted your SoundCloud account, it may take time for Google to recognize that the account is gone. To speed up the process, contact Google directly and fill out a public removal form.
How to Delete a Deceased Loved One’s SoundCloud Account
Did one of your family members who had a SoundCloud account recently pass away? While deleting your loved one’s SoundCloud account is probably not on the top of your priority list, it is something you may want to do in an attempt to take care of their digital afterlife.
If you are required to perform executor duties, you may be required to delete a SoundCloud account if your loved one was subscribed to a storage plan or had money owed to them via SoundCloud. This is also a good way to protect their personal information as part of our post-loss checklist.
With that said, SoundCloud provides precise instructions on how to report a deceased community member to the company.
Step 1: Send an email to legal@soundcloud.com
When composing an email to SoundCloud’s legal department, you will want to include the following information:
- The deceased user’s Display Name or Profile URL
- Your email address
- A copy of your photo ID (in order to confirm your identity)
- A copy of the deceased user’s death certificate
- A link to an online obituary (optional)
Step 2: Save confirmation that the account was deleted
Once the legal team reaches out with confirmation of the account’s deletion, you should print out a copy of the email as a record for the estate. You can also do the same by taking a screencap of the email.
Frequently Asked Questions: Deleting a SoundCloud Account
SoundCloud does a decent job of providing users with clear, concise instructions on how to delete an account, but you may have a few questions about the process. Here are some FAQs about deleting a SoundCloud account.
What happens when you delete a SoundCloud account?
As we mentioned previously, SoundCloud is a German company and must comply with German laws regarding data protection. The company has a Trust and Safety Team that oversees these actions.
The company policy states that whenever an individual contacts the company to delete the account, the company will always confirm that the request came from the account owner. They do not, however, describe how that confirmation process takes place.
Can you recover a deleted SoundCloud account?
SoundCloud says they “fully delete data” whenever they are requested to do so by a signed-in account holder.
The company policy also says that if the request to delete an account is made, all the data associated with the account (including the sounds you uploaded) will be deleted. The usage data related to the sounds will also be deleted. The official policy says that the data will be deleted and “may not be recoverable.”
Deleting Online Accounts Like SoundCloud
Saving your login information and relevant documentation can make it a much smoother process for anyone who is handling your estate after your death. That’s why end-of-life planning is so important.
Setting up an account with Cake can help with detailing your preferences on how you wish to have your estate handled. Deleting online accounts of all kinds can be easier for loved ones, and can also give you peace of mind.
Sources
- “Deleting your account.” SoundCloud, help.soundcloud.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003563188-Deleting-your-account.
- “Reporting a deceased community member.” SoundCloud, help.soundcloud.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003565508-Reporting-a-deceased-community-member.