DistroKid is discreetly removing tracks amid UMG’s legal action.

Artists are voicing their frustrations on social media after DistroKid unexpectedly removed their music without any prior notice. DistroKid has confirmed that these takedowns are a direct reaction to claims made by UMG, which filed a lawsuit in September alleging that DistroKid has established an “AI-slop pipeline.” Many artists are reporting that their non-AI creations are being swept up in this wave of removals.

Musician McGwire, who identifies as a “Video Game boy,” shared that six of his tracks were taken down from streaming platforms. Like many others, he experienced a complete lack of communication from DistroKid regarding the removals, forcing him to reach out for clarification. The process to get in touch with DistroKid was frustrating; he first had to navigate a “lengthy circular conversation” with a bot before finally connecting with a live representative. Among the removed songs was a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” for which he claims he had a valid license. Another track featured a beat he purchased from a marketplace, which was also licensed by others.

What frustrated McGwire the most was the removal of a song due to an uncleared sample, as the track he supposedly sampled was released two years after his own. This lack of communication and recourse has left many artists feeling helpless. Nerdcore rapper Insane Ian expressed his discontent, stating that an original song of his was taken down without warning, and he received no explanation.

Rapper King Chase faced similar challenges when trying to reach DistroKid. He reported that an entire album for an artist he collaborated with was removed without any notice or justification. “The album had been up for 3-4 years without incident,” he noted, adding that there had been “no copyright strikes or anything either.”

In response to the situation, Amanda Ferri, DistroKid’s VP of Artist Services, stated 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.”