SoundCloud Cuts Audio Bandwidth to Save Data, Citing Listener Preferences

SoundCloud is reducing the sample rate of its AAC audio transcodings from 44.1 kHz to 32 kHz, citing analysis showing most listeners don't perceive the difference. The change aims to lower bandwidth costs and improve streaming reliability, especially on mobile networks. The company says it will save over 20% in data transfer without noticeably affecting audio quality for typical users.