Deprecation Notice: MP3 & Opus Transcodings → Move to AAC HLS by Dec 31, 2025

Summary:
We are upgrading SoundCloud’s streaming APIs to use AAC-based HLS transcodings. Existing MP3 and Opus formats will be deprecated.

🚀 What’s new
The streams endpoint now returns:
hls_aac_160_url
hls_aac_96_url (optional, depending on availability)

⏳ Deprecation Timeline

The following fields will be removed on November 15, 2025:
http_mp3_128_url
hls_mp3_128_url
hls_opus_64_url

preview_mp3_128_url remains available.

✅ Action Required
Update your integrations to consume hls_aac_* URLs preferring the hls_aac_160_url over hls_aac_96_url.

Test your clients with the new AAC HLS streams.

🔍 Example Response as of now

{
  "http_mp3_128_url": "https://cf-media.sndcdn.com/trackid.128.mp3?...",
  "hls_mp3_128_url": "https://cf-hls-media.sndcdn.com/playlist/trackid.128.mp3/playlist.m3u8?...",
  "hls_aac_160_url": "https://playback.media-streaming.soundcloud.cloud/trackid/aac_160k/uuid/playlist.m3u8?...",
  "hls_opus_64_url": "https://cf-hls-opus-media.sndcdn.com/playlist/uuid.64.opus/playlist.m3u8?...",
  "preview_mp3_128_url": "https://cf-preview-media.sndcdn.com/preview/0/30/trackid.128.mp3?..."
}

🔍 Example Response after Nov 15, 2025

{
  "hls_aac_160_url": "https://playback.media-streaming.soundcloud.cloud/trackid/aac_160k/uuid/playlist.m3u8?...",
  "hls_aac_96_url": "https://playback.media-streaming.soundcloud.cloud/trackid/aac_96k/uuid/playlist.m3u8?...",
  "preview_mp3_128_url": "https://cf-preview-media.sndcdn.com/preview/0/30/trackid.128.mp3?..."
}

💬 Feedback
Please test the new URLs and share feedback in this issue. Your input will help us ensure a smooth migration.

The issue names no repository files, tests, or entry points, so first locate the client or integration that handles stream URLs. Done would mean the integration consumes the AAC HLS URLs with the stated preference and has been tested against the new response format.