DistroKid Purges Tracks Amid UMG Lawsuit

DistroKid has confirmed to The Verge that it has been removing songs from streaming platforms in response to claims made by Universal Music Group (UMG), as The Verge first reported. The action follows a September lawsuit filed by UMG, which alleges that DistroKid created an “AI-slop pipeline” and accuses the distributor of blatant copyright infringement and deceptive trade practices.

While Amanda Ferri, DistroKid’s VP of Artist Services, told The Verge that only a “very small number of recordings” were removed, affected creators report a lack of transparency and communication. Musician McGwire reported the removal of six songs, including a licensed cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” and a track using a purchased marketplace beat. McGwire also noted a song was removed for an uncleared sample despite the sampled work being released two years after his own track.

Other artists have expressed similar frustrations. Nerdcore rapper Insane Ian stated an original song was removed without warning or explanation. Rapper King Chase told The Verge that an entire album, which had been available for three to four years without copyright strikes, was removed without notice.

Artists have further criticized DistroKid’s support system, with McGwire describing a “lengthy circular conversation” with a bot before reaching a human agent. Ferri stated that DistroKid strongly disputes UMG’s allegations and is working to minimize disruption to artists.