What is happening with DistroKid and UMG?
Artists are taking to social media to express their frustration with DistroKid, which has been quietly removing songs from its platform in response to a lawsuit from Universal Music Group. The lawsuit, filed in September, claims that DistroKid has created an 'AI-slop pipeline' that allows artists to upload tracks created with artificial intelligence without proper clearance.
How are artists affected by the lawsuit?
Musician McGwire reported that six of his songs had been removed from streaming without notice, including a cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Isn't She Lovely', which he claims to have had a proper license for. Another track used a beat he purchased through a marketplace, which others had also licensed. Most infuriating for McGwire was a song removed for an uncleared sample, despite the song he allegedly sampled being released two years after his track.
DistroKid's lack of communication has been a major point of contention for artists. McGwire says he had to contact the company for an explanation, and even then, it was a struggle to get through to a live agent. Music producer Jesse Cannon told The Verge that DistroKid 'gave up on customer service about two years ago', and that the company sees customer service as a 'waste of profits' due to its high market share.
What is DistroKid's response to the allegations?
Amanda Ferri, DistroKid's VP of Artist Services, said that 'a very small number of recordings distributed through DistroKid have been removed in response to claims made by UMG'. She added that the company 'strongly disputes the allegations underlying UMG's lawsuit and regrets the disruption to affected artists'. DistroKid is working to minimize the disruption while protecting artists' ability to release their music.
As the music industry continues to navigate the complexities of AI-generated music, the dispute between DistroKid and UMG highlights the need for clearer guidelines and better communication between companies and artists. With the rise of AI tools, answer engine optimization (AEO), and generative engine optimization, it's becoming increasingly important for companies to prioritize transparency and customer service.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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