An independent musician describes their frustrating experience attempting to remove music from DistroKid, a digital distributor. Despite multiple requests and escalations, their music remained available. The post highlights issues with customer support, lack of transparency regarding distribution, and calls for better treatment of artists within the industry.
Independent musicians: this isn’t a rant. It’s a documentation of what happens when you try to take your power back from a digital distributor that profits off your work — even after you ask them to stop.
I unpublished my music from DistroKid.
I demanded it be removed from all platforms in all regions.
I escalated the issue three times.
My music is still available.
Their “support” is a wall of bots and circular redirects.
This post contains 23 screenshots of that wall — and why I’m no longer staying quiet.
The Initial Question: Kuack Media Group
I started by asking a simple, fair question:
“Which streaming platforms under DistroKid distribution are affiliated with Kuack Media Group?”
Their response?
“Our database does not contain that information.”
This was Escalation #1 — and already a red flag.
If they don’t know where they’re sending your music… who does?
“We Don’t Have That Information”? Really?
When I asked which platforms are affiliated with Kuack Media Group, DistroKid told me:
“Our database does not contain that information.”
But here’s the thing: they do maintain a public-facing list of all services and platforms they send your music to — right here:
🔗 DistroKid Distribution List
The Shell Game: Kuack Media Group and Invisible Backend Deals
Yes, DistroKid lists Kuack Media Group as one of their distribution targets.
But when I asked which other platforms in their list are owned by, powered by, or licensed through Kuack?
“We don’t have that information.”
Let’s be clear:
DistroKid delivers your music to companies that syndicate it even further, and they won’t tell you where those rabbit holes go.
That’s not artist empowerment. That’s outsourcing responsibility and hoping you don’t ask too many questions.
Taking My Music Down — Or So I Thought
I then unpublished all my music through my DistroKid account. Their confirmation message said:
“It may take up to a week for tracks to be removed from all stores.”
So I waited.
I gave them the full week in good faith — expecting that they would follow through.
But then I received my first Apple Music for Artists report, since taking my music down from my DistroKid account, and it showed:
My Music Was Still Live
Escalation #2: I Made the demand
Even after being told it would be unpublished, my music remained available on some services.
I forwarded data from Apple Music for Artists showing continued platform activity.
That’s when I made my first direct demand:
“GET MY MUSIC OFF ALL PLATFORMS IN ALL REGIONS.”
I received a templated response, not confirming where or when removals would happen — just more vague promises.
GET ALL OF MY MUSIC OFF OF ALL PLATFORMS IN ALL REGIONS! I unpublished my music in my Distrokid account on 6/9/2025; but, it is still showing as available in regions outside the US.
I waited the week
But then I received my second Apple Music for Artists report, after being assured the unpublish request had been resubmitted, and it showed:
My Music Was Still Live
Escalation #3: I reached out again
Following the instructions to reply to the previous email, should I discover my music was still found on streaming platforms after waiting a week, I restated my demand clearly, including forwarded data from Apple Music for Artists showing continued platform activity:
“Remove my music from all platforms in all regions.”
“Submit the Form Again”
I gave them one last chance.
Their response?
“Please resubmit your request using our customer service form.”
I will not jump through a fourth hoop.
I already unpublished everything. I already requested full takedown — twice. I already escalated — three times.
Final Straw: DistroKid Is Counting on You to Give Up
Let’s be clear:
This is a design feature, not a bug.
They make it confusing. They stall. They delegate to bots. They hope you’ll get tired.
That’s how they keep their catalog bloated and their numbers inflated — on your back.
Artists Deserve Better
This blog post is not just for me. It’s for:
- Artists who’ve tried to pull their music and can’t get straight answers.
- Musicians who don’t know where their art is being sent.
- Anyone tired of being treated like a faceless content dump.
I’ll be sharing this post everywhere. If you’ve had a similar experience, feel free to comment or share your story.
Let’s start documenting the abuse — in numbers too big to ignore.
Hashtags I’ll Be Using:
#DistroKidExposed
#ArtistRights
#IndieMusicMatters
#MusicIndustryScam
#ProtectIndieArtists
Next Steps for Me:
- Linking this blog post on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and BandLab.
- Encouraging other artists to go public with their DistroKid horror stories.
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The post highlights a real issue of indie musician Celestia Quixs facing opaque customer support and delays from DistroKid, a popular digital music distributor, when trying to remove their music, as detailed in a blog post with 23 screenshots showing unresponsiveness despite three escalations.
DistroKid’s inability to provide clear data on affiliations, like with Kuack Media Group, raises concerns about transparency, potentially violating artist rights under U.S. copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 203), which grants creators control over their work’s distribution.
Similar frustrations are echoed in a 2021 Reddit thread (r/musicproduction) where artists reported royalty disputes with distributors, suggesting a systemic issue in the music industry that affects indie artists’ financial and creative autonomy.