Removal of Original Music From Social Media Platforms Without Notice or Justification
I am filing this complaint regarding Symphonic Distribution's unauthorized removal of a significant portion of my catalog from TikTok and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) without my consent, notification, or any cited violation of their terms of service. Approximately half of the songs in my catalog were taken down from these platforms with no prior warning and no explanation. I want to be clear about several key facts: All of my music is legally owned, original work. The majority of my catalog is instrumental and does not incorporate samples or third-party sound libraries. I have the original session files to verify the authenticity and originality of every track. Other artists I've worked with, whose music I can personally confirm is 100% original, have experienced the same issue. What makes this especially troubling is the inconsistency. If these removals were based on a legitimate quality or rights concern, there is no reasonable explanation for why only half of my catalog was affected while the other half remains live. Additionally, most of the removed tracks were never published to major streaming platforms like Spotify, which rules out "abnormal streaming activity" or "improper activity" as a justification. The fact that removals occurred simultaneously across both TikTok and Meta further confirms this was an action initiated by Symphonic, not by either platform independently. The most likely explanation is that Symphonic is using an automated system that flags tracks based on criteria that are neither disclosed in their terms of service nor applied consistently. The result is that original, rights-compliant music is being removed from platforms that are essential to artist discovery and revenue, with no recourse or transparency offered to the affected creators. I have received no communication from Symphonic explaining the reason for these takedowns, no opportunity to dispute them, and no path toward resolution. This is unacceptable for any company entrusted with distributing and protecting an artist's work. I am requesting that Symphonic provide a clear and specific explanation for the takedowns, and implement a transparent review process that notifies artists before any action is taken against their catalog. This complaint also serves as a sincere warning to fellow independent artists: you may be placing your music in the hands of a distributor that can remove your original, authentic work from critical discovery and income platforms without notice, without justification, and without accountability. I encourage anyone considering Symphonic Distribution to weigh this experience carefully. ***Update***: I got a response from Symphonic claiming there was “a notification of ineligibility” but why would both platforms send this at the same time out of the blue? After switching distributors my music was added to all platforms, including UCG protection for all without any friction or baseless accusations of wrongdoing whatsoever. This further proves their ineptitude and shoot first ask questions later approach to takedowns without human review or consideration. This has been an unnecessary disruption wasting both time and money. Do not use this distributor if you value reliability and consistency.