AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Verge, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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Artists are frustrated with DistroKid for removing their songs without notice, a move confirmed by the company as a direct response to claims made by Universal Music Group (UMG). UMG filed a lawsuit in September alleging that DistroKid created an "AI-slop pipeline," though many artists argue their non-AI work is being caught up in the purge. McGwire reported that six of his songs were removed after he had to contact the company for an explanation, noting there was no prior or post-removal communication. He mentioned one removed track used a beat purchased through a marketplace and another involved an uncleared sample from a song released two years later.

Jesse Cannon, a music producer, told The Verge that DistroKid gave up on customer service about two years ago. He noted that former employees say the company views support as a waste of profits due to its high market share. Many artists struggle to reach live agents, often dealing with bots first. Insane Ian stated his original song was taken down with no warning or explanation, while King Chase reported an entire album removed after sitting online for three to four years without any copyright strikes.

Amanda Ferri, DistroKid’s VP of Artist Services, addressed the situation by stating that a very small number of recordings have been removed in response to UMG’s claims. She disputed the allegations underlying the lawsuit and expressed regret over the disruption to affected artists. Ferri added that the company is working to minimize this disruption while protecting artists’ ability to release music. The update from October 10th, 2026, includes Cannon’s comment regarding the lack of customer service efforts.