Hi guys,
Does anybody use DistroLock to protect your music, through Distrokid?
“DistroLock provides a free API that allows any music distributor, streaming service, or social network to cross-reference incoming audio with DistroLock’s fingerprint database. And then block unauthorized releases”.
Can I use it together with content id, audiojungle market and elements?
Thanks in advance
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Thanks for bringing this to my attention, as it’s the first time I heard about it. It sounds like a good service indeed, but I have to look into it a bit more so I know all the details.
After a quick look, it seems you can choose to only protect tracks from distribution (by not checking the Audible Magic box), which is very good. I don’t know for sure, but I assume that means that there is no interference with Content ID. It seems you can ALSO choose to protect it elsewhere with Audible Magic, but I don’t know how that works, and there is very little information…
It seems like it’s free, is it? As I have had tracks stolen before, and uploaded to Spotify, this would be a very good service for me, and probably all of us.
Hi, thank you for your reply, Yes it is free, I was wondering if somebody already use it, I have found no information here on forum. Would like to hear from other people about their experience.
Seems like content id gives no protection, also releasing to streaming platforms also not. Anybody can distribute your tracks or register with the content id, even if you have done it before. With DistroLock it should be impossible to do.
Please tell me if you know more.
Any news on this?
I haven’t been able to find much information…
What happens if we click the “Audible Magic” box? They say they are used by YouTube, but does that mean it will interfere with other 3rd party Content ID services?
Very unclear.
Hi, it seems that there is no conflict with content id. I have registered couple of tracks( which were stolen and distributed and registered with content id). If I upload video on youtube it appears only my content id claim from identifyy. Customers also could dispute identifyy claim, no conflicting claims.
As I understood Distrolock prevent distributing by someone else and audible magic detect matches even if the audio has been sped up, pitch-shifted, or otherwise altered. As it says audible magic blocks unauthorized releases.
It is also possible to unlock it at any moment. For now we try couple of tracks and see what happens).
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Nice!
I have tried a couple of tracks myself, but I want to test how it works. I tried uploading on SoundCloud but there was no detection (see below, I did get a detection now).
Have you tried the system to see if it works?
On DistroKid you have to publish before it uploads, so that’s not ideal for just testing…
EDIT
Wait a minute, it worked!
I just got an e-mail from SoundCloud that said the upload was flagged.
I tested one track with just DistroLock, and one with both DistroLock + Audible Magic.
Only the track with Audible Magic was flagged, so maybe DistroLock just protects against other DistroKid releases?
Anyway, it seems to work with SoundCloud at least.
Also, it only seems to work with new uploads, as I got no detections on my previous attempts with the same track (before the fingerprint had entered the system).
So, this is not a way to find old stolen tracks, but probably a good way to protect against new uploads.
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SOME BAD NEWS:
After further testing on Facebook, it seems the audio in videos is getting muted!
This is obviously not good for us… Big problem.
It seems they block use in videos on Facebook, and possibly also Vimeo.
Have you done any testing?
This would make the DistroLock service completely useless for us AJ authors unfortunately.
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Hi, thanks for checking this out. I think Distrolock protects against any other release to a streaming platforms.
Which audio was muted on Facebook? With or without audible magic? From what they are saying lock is only against unauthorised release and not against using music on social platforms.
What would happen if you unlock your track? Is audio still muted?
I think Distrolock is useful if you going to make a release to a streaming platforms via Distrokid and prevent other unauthorized releases?
I don’t know about audible magic, need to try it out.
At the moment we are busy with content id, yes indeed, our stupidity. We did not do it on all tracks, just some of them. For now, we have managed to clean one track from the Korean content id, now learned about our best track was released and registered with content id by a big rapper from Spain, what a nightmare…
Unfortunately both tracks. Also the one with DistroLock only. Did not happen with a track that is just with Content ID.
Will have to do more tests, but unfortunately it looks like it’s unusable for us. If we license our music, it will not work.
There is no notification of use, and if a buyer uploads on Facebook and gets blocked, they have to upload the video again after we unblock, which could take a day. Total nightmare.
I wish they could provide a bit more information than two boxes plus the word “protect”.
A bit annoyed with DistroKid and the incredible lack of information. This could severely impact a business in a negative way. And no way to remove the tracks from the DistroLock system either…
Blockquote
Did you try tracks with Content ID registered? or without?
May be it stays in the systeem, but why they are saying if you unlock than it is no further problem?
Yes, lack of information a bit annoying, and they say one thing , but in the practise it’s different.
I hope I do not have to delete my tracks from the market and elements because of that…
Yes, with Content ID registered tracks. No problem on Facebook.
But, the DistroLock and DistroLock + Audible Magic tracks were both blocked, but I got different types of messages, so one is probably from Audible Magic, and one from DistroBlock.
Again, very little information. One was blocked worldwide, and the other (DistroBlock) in 50 countries. That’s what the messages said.
Oh, yes, so unclear. But if you could unlock it again, isn’t it?
Yes, I have unlocked them now. But maybe it takes a day or so… We will see. Very impractical for licensing anyway, so will have to find a solution that only blocks Spotify, Apple Music etc.
I don’t know if there is a solution against the thieves. Let me please know when it would be unblocked.
Well, it got complicated.
I tested many other tracks that are NOT in DistroLock on Facebook, and I still got some blocks. So, I may have been wrong about the connection between DistroLock and Facebook.
However, it’s still not clear why music is getting blocked on Facebook.
Examples:
Track 1
Content ID - yes
Released - yes
Also available on Facebook/Instragram (via distribution) - yes
Facebook block - no
Track 2
Content ID - yes
Released - yes
Also available on Facebook/Instagram (via distribution) - yes
Facebook block - yes
Track 3
Content ID - yes
Released - no
Facebook block - no
Track 4
Content ID - yes
Released ONLY to Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/Twitch - NOT Spotify, Apple Music etc.
Facebook block - no
No crystal clear pattern here, so I don’t know exactly what causes the blocks.
I did try a track I put in DistroLock again on SoundCloud however, and after I unblocked it, it worked.
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Hi, thanks for trying things out. Indeed it is unclear, no pattern to find. Could it be that somebody else distributed the track that was blocked and even put distrolock? I hope not of course. So there should be a reason why one particular track was blocked.
I will try somethings this weekend and let here know.
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OK, here’s what I THINK is going on (today’s theory):
It has nothing to do with Content ID (AdRev/Identifyy), nor DistroLock.
Simply by distributing tracks to Spotify etc. means the tracks are put in a system that Facebook recognizes. For some reason they are extremely strict with released music, and just block everything.
If you have tracks that are distributed, but NOT in the Content ID system, please try and see if you still get blocks. I might have to write a new track just to test this theory.