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In 2021, DistroKid claimed over 40% of new music was being distributed through their platform, as users were originally drawn in by the low cost and fluid ability to independently release new music. The large share of the market that DistroKid holds causes potential for huge issues when situations like these arise as it allows for the platform to avoid accountability or provide bare minimum compensation to those affected. As demonstrated by DistroKid avoiding signing IFPI’s (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) new anti-fraud standards. Current signees include industry titans like Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony and DistroKid’s rival CD Baby. The ‘Streaming Integrity Initiative’ sets out five baseline practices that distributors should adopt to counter fraud:

1. “Verify rights ownership and customer identities through robust rights verification and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes;
2. Vet content using effective tools and processes to identify infringement, fraudulent activity and AI-related risks;
3. Act by detecting, investigating and mitigating suspected fraud, including acting against repeat offenders;
4. Share intelligence, where legally permissible, to help prevent bad actors from moving across services and platforms; and
5. Measure and continuously strengthen anti-fraud systems to address evolving threats.”

A platform that holds such a large share of the independent distribution market not signing on poses a huge potential risk to independent musicians and bands like POLAT; who are trying to establish themselves amongst a rising of sea of AI generated music that floods playlists and other avenues of discoverability that are vital to growing a fanbase.

DistroKid is also under legal pressure as UMG is suing the platform for deceptive trade practices and infringing on the label’s copyright by pumping out “AI-generated ‘slop’ that siphons revenue and listeners from the legitimate artists and rightsholders.” In court documents obtained by Billboard, UMG’s lawyers argue that “Plaintiffs bring this action to stop DistroKid’s market-disorienting practices that mislead for its own gain at plaintiffs’ expense, and to remedy DistroKid’s massive infringement and continued efforts to build its business on the backs of Plaintiffs and their recording artists.” Further arguing that whilst DistroKid promotes itself as a distributor for independent music it has in recent years become a platform of AI generated songs, which only serve to hurt real artists and overwhelm listeners. The current lack of regulation on AI generated music is the basis for a wave of policy changes and lawsuits such as this from music companies and digital platforms as they attempt to grapple with a wildly developing industry. Though most importantly, the influx of AI generated music has wildly altered the landscape of small independent musicians like POLAT who have to compete with fake acts that clog up discovery channels. Such as the case highlighted in the lawsuit by UMG of an artist called “Lofi Chill” who had “released 4,562 tracks over a year” which is “the equivalent of 20-30 full-length albums every month, a pace no human musician could achieve.” Platforms are implementing changes that will hopefully alleviate some of these issues for real independent artists like POLAT: Spotify has stated that it plans to add labels to AI-generated artists whilst Apple has said it will start to label any songs that were “materially generated using AI.”

Whilst these widespread issues are plaguing the independent music scene; thankfully in POLAT’s case their distribution issue has seemingly been resolved as ‘POV’ has finally been released onto streaming platforms. Though cynically it isn’t unlikely that the band’s viral post had a hand in expediting the resolution. Check it out below: