DistroKid Ties Song Removals to UMG Lawsuit Amid Artist Outcry

Artists have increasingly taken to social media to report that DistroKid has removed their tracks without warning. The distributor has now confirmed to The Verge that these takedowns are a direct reaction to claims advanced by Universal Music Group (UMG). The major label’s September lawsuit alleged that DistroKid operates an “AI-slop pipeline.” Despite this, numerous artists insist their original, non-AI music is being swept up in the cleanup.

Independent musician and producer McGwire noted that six of his songs had vanished from streaming platforms. Consistent with reports from other affected creators, McGwire stated he received no communication from DistroKid prior to or following the removals, forcing him to reach out to the company himself for clarification.

Accessing human support appears to be a significant hurdle. McGwire described a “lengthy circular conversation” with an automated bot before finally reaching a live agent. Among the removed tracks was a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” which he asserts was properly licensed, as well as a track built on a beat purchased through a marketplace that had been legally licensed by others.

The most frustrating instance for McGwire involved a track pulled due to an uncleared sample. He noted that the song he allegedly sampled was actually released two years after his own recording.

A primary source of frustration among the artist community is the absence of clear communication and recourse. Nerdcore rapper Insane Ian shared that he “had an original song taken down with no warning, and they wouldn’t tell me why either.”

Rapper King Chase similarly reported difficulty contacting a representative at DistroKid. He informed The Verge that an entire album for an artist he had been collaborating with was removed without explanation. “The album had been up for 3-4 years without incident,” Chase said, adding that there had been “no copyright strikes or anything either.”

In response, Amanda Ferri, DistroKid’s VP of Artist Services, told The Verge that “A very small number of recordings distributed through DistroKid have been removed in response to claims made by UMG. We strongly dispute the allegations underlying UMG’s lawsuit and regret the disruption to affected artists. We are working to minimize that disruption while protecting artists’ ability to release their music.”

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