DistroKid has been taking down songs from its platform without notifying the affected artists, according to reports shared on social media. The company has now acknowledged that these removals are connected to legal claims filed by Universal Music Group, which sued DistroKid in September alleging the distributor operates an “AI-slop pipeline” that facilitates the distribution of artificially generated content. However, multiple musicians have expressed frustration that their original or properly licensed works are being caught in the takedown process.
Various artists have reported difficulties contacting DistroKid to understand why their tracks were removed or to appeal the decisions. One musician reported that six songs were taken down without any communication beforehand, requiring him to initiate contact with the company to receive an explanation. He noted that one of the removed tracks was a licensed cover and another used a legally purchased beat, yet both were removed. He also pointed out that a third removal involved an alleged sample violation where the supposed source material was released after his original track had already been distributed.
Other creators have encountered similar obstacles when attempting to reach DistroKid support. Several artists described experiencing automated responses before potentially reaching human representatives, with some reporting entire albums removed after years of distribution without incident. One artist noted that an album had been available for 3-4 years and had never received copyright strikes prior to its removal.
DistroKid acknowledged the removals in a statement to The Verge, with Amanda Ferri, the company’s VP of Artist Services, confirming that “a very small number of recordings” had been removed based on UMG’s allegations. Ferri stated that the company disputes the underlying claims in the lawsuit and expressed regret over the disruption to artists. The company indicated it is working to minimize further disruption while preserving artists’ ability to distribute their music.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI