DIY music distribution puts independent artists’ releases in a shared delivery pipeline. As streaming services review large volumes of uploads, a distributor’s handling of its wider catalog can affect the artists who use it.
A lawsuit raises questions about catalog reviews
In September 2026, Universal Music Group sued a major open distributor in US federal court. The company alleged that the distributor delivered nearly 12 million tracks to one streaming service over six months, more than half the tracks the service received during that period. Its complaint also cited an account that released 4,562 tracks in 12 months. The case remains active, and the distributor disputes the allegations.
The distributor confirmed that it removed recordings in response to Universal Music Group’s claims, saying a very small number were affected. Some independent artists said their original music disappeared without warning, including one album that had been available for years. Reinstatement through the counter-notice process takes at least 10 business days, and streaming services may decline to restore the recordings.
AI-generated uploads add to volume
Deezer said fully AI-generated tracks accounted for 44% of its daily uploads in April 2026. By July, the share had passed 50%, with a peak monthly average of about 90,000 AI-generated tracks a day.
Amuse, which operates an open, self-service distribution platform and an invite-only Artist & Label Services division, says it uses filtering and daily monitoring to address spam, fraudulent content and copyright infringement. Based on its platform data, the company estimates that similar filtering at other large open distributors could have prevented at least one million spam tracks from reaching streaming services in the three months leading up to October 2026. Amuse describes that figure as an extrapolation, not an audited industry total.
