Universal Music Group sues DistroKid over alleged AI-generated copyright violations

Universal Music Group brought a 52-page suit against DistroKid in Delaware federal court, claiming the distributor violates UMG’s copyrights by flooding streaming services with AI-generated tracks that siphon streams and royalties from genuine creators. The complaint asserts DistroKid falsely markets itself as a platform for independent artists yet runs an “AI-slop pipeline” that persists despite notices of infringement from services like Spotify and Apple Music.

Specific examples include unlicensed remixed versions of UMG songs such as a radio edit of “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, which DistroKid allegedly continued to distribute after being told it lacked rights. UMG argues this practice gives DistroKid an unfair market advantage and harms artists, consumers, and digital services. The label is requesting statutory damages, a court order to prevent the deceptive labeling of releases, and a halt to any further infringement of its catalog.