DistroKid removed some user uploads in response to the scathing lawsuit recently brought by Universal Music Group (UMG), Billboard has confirmed.
The takedowns were first flagged by disgruntled DistroKid users on social media, and The Verge was first to report that the move was made in response to UMG’s September lawsuit accusing the independent distributor of flooding streaming platforms with “mass AI-generated, SEO-optimized, and copyright-infringing slop.”
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Amanda Ferri, DistroKid’s vp of artist services, confirmed the news to Billboard on Monday (Oct. 12): “A very small number of recordings distributed through DistroKid have been removed in response to claims made by UMG,” said Ferri. “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.”
UMG sued DistroKid, the world’s largest music distribution tool for independent artists, for deceptive trade practices and copyright infringement last month. The lawsuit claims DistroKid has been siphoning money from the royalty pool in two key ways: first, by flooding Spotify and other streamers with massive amounts of AI-generated music, and second, by distributing obviously infringing tracks that speed up, remix or sample existing music.
It was not immediately clear which type of music was subject to DistroKid’s takedowns. Some users have complained online that the songs the company had removed were neither AI-generated nor unlicensed. There also have been complaints about slow customer service responses from DistroKid. Billboard reported in October 2024 that the company had downsized its artist relations and quality control departments in the U.S. and moved some of that operation to the Philippines.
Last month’s lawsuit against DistroKid represents a significant new front in the music industry’s effort to crack down on mass-generated AI music. UMG and other major players have already spent years locked in litigation against Suno over the use of unlicensed songs in the AI training process, and various streaming platforms recently announced plans to label AI music on their platforms.
On the other hand, companies like UMG have also taken a strong stance against old-fashioned copyright infringement via independent distributors on streaming services. Before the claims against DistroKid, UMG sued Believe and its TuneCore unit in 2024 for allegedly disseminating phony tracks by artists with names like “Kendrik Laamar,” “Arriana Gramde” and “Jutin Biber.” That case settled in April.