UMG sues DistroKid for allegedly distributing AI 'slop' music (updated)

Spotify Technology

16/09/2026 14:16

Adds DistroKid comment in paragraph 4 of Sept 15 story
By Blake Brittain
Sept 16 (Reuters) - Universal Music Group UMG.AS sued DistroKid in Delaware federal court on Tuesday, accusing the online music distributor of infringing the label's copyrights and "flooding platforms with AI-generated 'slop' that siphons revenue and listeners from the legitimate artists."
The lawsuit accused DistroKid of bolstering its streaming numbers and revenue with mass-uploaded, bot-generated "spam" music as well as "thousands" of unlicensed versions of UMG recordings.
"At scale, DistroKid’s conduct makes it more difficult for working and emerging artists to be discovered and compensated for their creative labor," the complaint said.
"We strongly disagree with UMG’s allegations and are disappointed that it chose litigation rather than established industry processes to address these issues," DistroKid said in a statement. "We are confident in our practices and intend to defend DistroKid vigorously."
DistroKid is a distribution service that allows recording artists to upload music across online stores and streaming platforms. Spotify, which is not named in the lawsuit, bought a minority stake in the company in 2018.
UMG's lawsuit said that a "massive portion" of DistroKid's music is either AI "slop" or copyright-infringing despite the distributor's assurances otherwise. In addition to alleged AI "slop," the label accused DistroKid of releasing thousands of tracks that are "remixed or speed-altered" UMG recordings, illegally sample UMG music, or otherwise violate its rights.
UMG said DistroKid violated its rights in at least 1,000 recordings by popular artists including The Beatles, Drake, Lady Gaga and Rihanna. It asked the court for monetary damages and an order blocking DistroKid's alleged misconduct.
The complaint also said that DistroKid created many of its AI tracks using the AI music generator Suno. UMG has separately sued Suno for allegedly misusing its music for AI training.
The case is UMG Recordings Inc v. DistroKid LLC, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, No. 1:26-cv-01156.
For UMG: Glenn Pomerantz of Munger, Tolles & Olson
For DistroKid: attorney information not yet available
     
Read more:
Music labels sue AI companies Suno, Udio for US copyright infringement

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington)
((blake.brittain@tr.com; +1 (202) 938-5713))