Universal Music Group Sues DistroKid for Copyright Infringement
The major label claims that the popular distributor is “flooding platforms with AI-generated ‘slop’”
Universal Music Group (UMG) has filed a lawsuit against DistroKid, which has stated it distributes “roughly 40%” of “all new music in the world.” UMG’s complaint states that DistroKid “engaged in both deceptive trade practices and blatant copyright infringement.”
The details:
A key basis of UMG’s claims centers on DistroKid distributing AI-generated music.
The complaint specifically mentions that distributing properly labeled AI music is not problematic, but that the distributor is also putting out AI-generated music that is “masquerading” as being made by humans.
UMG is seeking $150,000 per work infringed.
The suit names 1,000 specific recordings that were distributed by DistroKid and used UMG-owned music without permission.
The complaint also refers to that number as “the tip of the iceberg.”
New Industry Focus has reached out to DistroKid for a comment on the lawsuit.
What they said:
UMG: “In reality, DistroKid embraces all of this bad-actor conduct; doing so benefits its growth and corresponding market valuation. The ramifications are felt by legitimate players in the music industry, including artists, consumers, and Plaintiffs.”
“DistroKid is flooding platforms with AI-generated ‘slop’ that siphons revenue and listeners from the legitimate artists and rightsholders. DistroKid likewise proliferates infringing tracks across platforms, and continues that distribution even when it knows the tracks infringe [Universal and other rightsholders’] rights.”
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
This article was written with information sourced from Music Business Worldwide.
We covered it because UMG and DistroKid are major forces in the music industry.
