DistroKid removes small number of tracks after UMG lawsuit

DistroKid has removed a very small number of recordings after Universal Music Group accused it of flooding streaming services with automated and infringing uploads.

Amanda Ferri, vice-president of artist services at DistroKid, confirmed the removals to Billboard on Oct. 12. She said the company acted in response to claims made by UMG, while it strongly disputes the allegations behind UMG's lawsuit. Billboard

DistroKid is a distributor, a company that uploads music from independent artists to services such as Spotify for a fee. The model lets artists keep their rights and pay a flat yearly charge rather than share ownership of their master recordings, the original recordings that generate income. UMG is the world's largest major label group, with Universal, Sony and Warner forming the three majors that dominate recorded music.

UMG sued DistroKid in September. The suit alleged deceptive trade practices and copyright infringement. It accused the distributor of flooding streaming platforms with mass AI-generated, SEO-optimised and copyright-infringing material. Billboard

UMG described the system as an "AI-slop pipeline," a phrase for large volumes of cheap, automated tracks built to grab search traffic. It also pointed to tracks that speed up, remix or sample existing music without permission, according to reports on the filing. The Verge

At the centre is money. Streaming services pay out a royalty pool, the shared pot of subscription and advertising income divided by share of plays. UMG claimed DistroKid siphoned money from that pool by driving streams to AI-generated music and infringing uploads.

What makes this stand out is scale. The takedowns are small. The dispute is not.

The Verge was first to report on Oct. 10 that the removals were linked to UMG's September action. DistroKid then confirmed the link to Billboard on Oct. 12. That confirmation is the most direct public statement so far on what was removed and why.

For listeners, this means little changes in the app for now. A handful of tracks are gone. The larger questions about how distributors check uploads, how platforms detect artificial streams and how the royalty pool is shared are still before the court.

DistroKid says it rejects UMG's version of events. No court has ruled on the claims. Allegations remain allegations until tested.