UMG sues DistroKid, alleging it distributes AI-generated music masquerading as artist-backed releases and knowingly "proliferates" copyright-infringing tracks (Tim Ingham/Music Business Worldwide)
Universal Music Group is suing the world's biggest music distributor by volume, DistroKid.
Universal Music Group is suing music distributor DistroKid, accusing it of flooding streaming platforms with low-quality AI-generated music. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that DistroKid's practices are deceptive, illegal and harm artists and consumers. UMG claims that DistroKid promotes itself as a legitimate distributor when it is actually a conduit for AI-generated "slop" that siphons revenue from legitimate artists.
The lawsuit cites DistroKid distributing an artist called "Lofi Chill" who released 4,562 tracks in a single year, which is impossible for a human musician. The suit also accuses DistroKid of copyright infringement, including the upload of music that is sped up or remixed, and songs with new vocals over existing recordings. UMG is seeking damages and an injunction to stop DistroKid's unlawful practices.
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