diff --git a/yt_dlp/extractor/soundcloud.py b/yt_dlp/extractor/soundcloud.py
index 87260e05a..d8dbfc0ba 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/extractor/soundcloud.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/extractor/soundcloud.py
@@ -117,6 +117,26 @@ def _call_api(self, *args, **kwargs):
                     return False
                 raise
 
+    def _request_format_info(self, url, track_id, format_id, query, original=False):
+        # _call_api's additional error handling is harmful to original download format requests
+        method = self._download_json if original else self._call_api
+        for retry in self.RetryManager(fatal=False):
+            try:
+                return method(
+                    url, track_id, f'Downloading {format_id} format info JSON',
+                    query=query, headers=self._HEADERS)
+            except ExtractorError as e:
+                if isinstance(e.cause, HTTPError) and e.cause.status == 429:
+                    self.report_warning(
+                        'You have reached the API rate limit, which is ~600 requests per '
+                        '10 minutes. Use the --extractor-retries and --retry-sleep options '
+                        'to configure an appropriate retry count and wait time', only_once=True)
+                    retry.error = e.cause
+                elif original:
+                    raise  # original download format extraction code handles errors externally
+                else:
+                    self.report_warning(e.msg)
+
     def _initialize_pre_login(self):
         self._CLIENT_ID = self.cache.load('soundcloud', 'client_id') or 'a3e059563d7fd3372b49b37f00a00bcf'
 
@@ -224,18 +244,18 @@ def _extract_info_dict(self, info, full_title=None, secret_token=None, extract_f
 
         if not extract_flat and info.get('downloadable') and info.get('has_downloads_left'):
             try:
-                # Do not use _call_api(); HTTP Error codes have different meanings for this request
-                download_data = self._download_json(
+                download_data = self._request_format_info(
                     f'{self._API_V2_BASE}tracks/{track_id}/download', track_id,
-                    'Downloading original download format info JSON', query=query, headers=self._HEADERS)
+                    'original download', query, original=True)
             except ExtractorError as e:
-                if isinstance(e.cause, HTTPError):
-                    if e.cause.status == 401:
-                        self.report_warning(
-                            'Original download format is only available '
-                            f'for registered users. {self._login_hint()}')
-                    elif e.cause.status == 403:
-                        self.write_debug('Original download format is not available for this client')
+                if isinstance(e.cause, HTTPError) and e.cause.status == 401:
+                    self.report_warning(
+                        'Original download format is only available '
+                        f'for registered users. {self._login_hint()}')
+                elif isinstance(e.cause, HTTPError) and e.cause.status == 403:
+                    self.write_debug('Original download format is not available for this client')
+                else:
+                    self.report_warning(e.msg)
                 download_data = None
 
             if redirect_url := traverse_obj(download_data, ('redirectUri', {url_or_none})):
@@ -319,22 +339,7 @@ def add_format(f, protocol, is_preview=False):
                 self.write_debug(f'"{identifier}" is not a requested format, skipping')
                 continue
 
-            stream = None
-            for retry in self.RetryManager(fatal=False):
-                try:
-                    stream = self._call_api(
-                        format_url, track_id, f'Downloading {identifier} format info JSON',
-                        query=query, headers=self._HEADERS)
-                except ExtractorError as e:
-                    if isinstance(e.cause, HTTPError) and e.cause.status == 429:
-                        self.report_warning(
-                            'You have reached the API rate limit, which is ~600 requests per '
-                            '10 minutes. Use the --extractor-retries and --retry-sleep options '
-                            'to configure an appropriate retry count and wait time', only_once=True)
-                        retry.error = e.cause
-                    else:
-                        self.report_warning(e.msg)
-
+            stream = self._request_format_info(format_url, track_id, identifier, query)
             stream_url = traverse_obj(stream, ('url', {url_or_none}))
             if invalid_url(stream_url):
                 continue