The core friction between Spotify and SoundCloud lies in their underlying data architecture. Spotify runs an institutional catalog supplied by record labels and licensed aggregators like DistroKid and TuneCore. Every song carries rigid metadata: an ISRC code, verified artist identifiers, track duration down to the millisecond, and album publishing credits.
SoundCloud operates as an open distribution platform. Anyone can upload an audio file with custom text. A track that exists on Spotify as "Bicep - Glue" might appear on SoundCloud as "Bicep - Glue (Live Drum & Bass VIP Edit - Berlin Bootleg)". When an automated playlist converter attempts to export playlist data from Spotify and push an import playlist request to SoundCloud, it cannot match standard catalog identifiers.
The migration utility falls back on string parsing. It scans SoundCloud’s open index for fuzzy text matches, track lengths, and artist keywords. If a song exists behind a paywall on SoundCloud Go or sits as an unreleased demo uploaded by a bedroom producer, the automated tool either pulls the wrong live bootleg or skips the track entirely.
