ComplaintsforSongtradr Inc

• Initial Complaint

  09/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Songtradr sent me an email that they are the new up-and-coming releasing portal and that they provide good marketing and coverage to the artist with chances for placements in TV and films etc. I am already on Tunecore for more than 13 years and on Distrokid for more than 5 years. In March 2023, I got an email from them that they had seen an unusual streaming activity and that they were terminating my account. I told them I have millions of streams (which can be seen on various platforms) over many years and that I am promoting my streams through multiple social media platforms. But they refused to reinstate my account. My catalog is stuck with them. They have held my royalties and blocked my catalog. Even if I am not able to transfer my royalties until a decision is made- they have no right to hold on to the artists intellectual properties without their consent. Its illegal, inappropriate and unethical. I can read many similar reviews. Since then they have also moved their ***. Please be careful, and advice from fellow artists will be greatly appreciated. I am connecting with authorities and reporting their malicious activities. Justice may be delayed as it takes its due course but I am astonished as to how they can conduct such an operation from ********** and especially LA. I am receiving royalties from Distrokid and Tunecore as usual- but Songtradr has since illegally withheld my albums and singles without my consent- it's copyright infringement and they will have to ultimately make good of the damages and losses they have caused me. As a fraternity, I warn my fellow artists of their inconsistent policies and suspicious conduct. They are acting like labels despite the fact that they are only a release agent. Labels do invest in their artists and they are taking subscriptions from us and openly committing such highway robbery. Its only a matter of time when their complaints will blow out of proportion and they will have to make a big fat settlement. Artists feel free to reach out to me The ATif (I am on Spotify, and Apple Music and with the *** www.theatif.net) and we can file a class action lawsuit to get compensated for our lost time, blocked catalog, and interests/penalties/damages against our lost royalties.

  Business response

  10/02/2023

  Hello Atif, 
  
  Thank you for your feedback/complaint. Unfortunately, the blocking of your account and takedown of music was not decided by Songtradr, but by our distribution partners/stores (DSPs). 
  
  When multiple strikes for artificial streaming are received and communicated to the artist, Songtradr reserves the right to terminate accounts and access to all Songtradr services. We are committed to upholding the integrity of the distribution system for artists, distributors, and other service providers. 
  
  It's important for all artists to be wary of promotional services that guarantee streams, as they are not considered organic streams and will alert *************** Providers. If DSPs see abnormal spikes in streaming activity, or confirm bot streaming activity, they will alert distributors, such as Songtradr, to take down the music until claw back is received.
  
  This isn't a decision we take lightly. Once multiple strikes for a user are received, ********************** is left with no choice but to disconnect the offending parties from our platform. We apologize we're unable to assist further and hope this is not an issue with your new distributor. 

  Customer response

  10/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 20586970
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I never received any strikes, let alone multiple. Whoever this DSPs is, must need to be looked into by the authorities.

  Looks like a perfect ploy to defraud artists.  Was told Spotify reported it, however I was not provided any proof.

  Also told that my royalties will be used to the likings of Songtradr. Its criminal to claim my royalties to be fraudulent and then use them justly earned and paid by audio platforms to Songtradrs use.

  This is violations of my copyrights as they have no right or claim over my legitimately earned royalties and use them for their own benefit. 
  

  Now BBB and every reader of this and media can see the open extortion that Songtradr is playing in broad daylight. 
  

  There are numerous artists all over internet and may be we should band together and bring class action suit to bring Songtradr to payback these royalties with verifiable earning reports along with the damages and reciprocating earning that were lost during their purged time frames.

  One can see in the attachments of my correspondence with Songtradr support team that they gave no evidence of their claims and theyre going to use my royalties without my consent for their own financial gain. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

  Business response

  10/16/2023

  Hello Atif, 

  Regarding the "multiple strikes" for your Songtradr account, we are referencing the 50K+ artificial streams linked to your release(s) (via Spotify algorithms/reports). Unfortunately, your music was taken down and reported to us 1-business day prior to your account being terminated from using our services. We apologize, again, that we are unable to release earnings for this account. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I spent $25 on songtrdr the scam on that was you pay before your able to know if your music track is able to be on a pre-release it was my first time paying to do so after I made payment it declined my track so I asked for my bank to dispute the transaction they threatened me if I didn't reverse the funds I would loose all my money music I made on there website they told me i had 9 days to return the money my bank told me it would take up to 5-7 days to reverse it my bank took 11 days to return the money so when I asked for my money back they said there system won't allow them to dispute the back to me now there saying my money I reversed to them is now there's I'm afraid also there going to threaten me an say now all my royalties is going to be lost I ever see that $25 dollars I reversed back to them there mean *********** bank gave me your website to contact cause my mom said songtrdr was tricking me to keep my money from the jump aftery bank would reverse it

  Business response

  08/01/2023

  Thank you for your feedback ***** and we understand your concern. 
  
  When a user requests for a refund, we first confirm the payment and if it was processed correctly. In your case, you submit for a Pre-Sale release which allows our team to prioritize your release before others. This process was completed, but our distribution team advised that you may have submit duplicate releases, so they could not complete until they confirmed with you first. Although we cannot guarantee that every release will be processed without error, as it is the user's responsibility to submit all the information needed, we do still prioritize those as promised.
  
  In regards to your bank dispute, we did not receive a refund request from you prior to this, so the dispute disabled us from refunding the charge once you initiated this. We then needed to wait until your bank completed the dispute process.
  
   The dispute was completed and your USD$25.00 Pre-Sale charge was refunded today. Please reply back to our support team know if you need further assistance. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  BBB unable to locate business

  More info

  I would leave a zero if I could!I have an entire label on this site with 10 artists and I received this email ****** (Songtradr)Mar 30, 2023, 4:44 PM PDT At this time, all releases have been blocked due to numerous artificial streaming and infringement strikes and you are no longer able to use Songtradr services.Songtradr takes fraudulent activities seriously and is committed to upholding the integrity of the distribution system for artists, distributors, and other service providers.This email is to notify you that we are terminating your account and terminating your access to all Songtradr services. Pursuant to Section 4(e) of our ******************** Services Agreement with you, Songtradr has the right, in its discretion, to terminate your account.All funds will be withheld and subject to review pending potential claw back from DSPs. We will revisit your account after this period and if we have received no claw backs from DSPs, your funds will be used to benefit the music community in a manner of our choosing.We regret the need to take this action and apologize that were no longer able to service you. Songtradr Support ************, ** www.songtradr.com M-F 9:30 - 6PM (PT)I cant even get the money owned to **** have over 550 music placements and tons of businesses keeping my music in rotation at a chain of gyms, and stores.This is Highway robbery!!! No one answers the phones and emails are delayed responses. The worst!My legal team is on it!!!

• Initial Complaint

  12/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was with songtradr for a few years then they shut my account down when my unfinished single sample was making numbers. That's not the reason I'm contacting or making a complaint. Im making a complaint because after termination of my account they are trying to promote my new album which they never had a right to since when I was with them I never distributed it through there service or promoted it with them. They are showing my music and keeping my profile up and making my music and my new album songs and stats available for search and for them to contract them which they do not have to right to. They are illegally promoting and sharing music they have no kind of contract or license to. If any royalties from my album are taken or attempted to be taken this will result in legal action. I think I have been nice enough to let u guys try to steal an unfinished single which y'all don't have rights to that either anymore. Easy fix is take my profile and music down from your site immediately especially the new album since I do not work with you guys or have a contract with you. And again let me say I was not in contract or distributed my new album or any song through you guys. Isn't it illegally to promote or fake copyrighted works u have no ownership to while the owner ( Me) is telling u that's what your doing with my new album that I did not distribute through you or promote through you and was not in any contract with you when it was released. Before it was released my contract was terminated between us I don't understand why your still pretending we work together.

  Business response

  01/17/2023

  Hello, Eran. Your Songtradr account was terminated due to multiple Artificial Streaming strikes against you, as communicated in the email sent to you on November 8, 2022.
  Songtradr is not promoting or distributing your music, and certainly did not "steal an unfinished single".
  We suggest emailing the support team, providing screenshots of where we are allegedly sharing/promoting your music on the Songtradr site so we may take the appropriate action.

• Initial Complaint

  10/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I'm a songwriter and have my songs on a website where people buy them and I make money. I was just notified that I made money and to withdraw it. However, they have a new verification system. I have to take a picture of my driver's license for verification before I can withdraw my money. No matter how hard I try, the picture on webcam is blurry. I've taken about 30 pictures of the license already. I/ve been in contact with the support team who said that it's non negoitable; I can't withdraw my money unless the picture is clear and goes through through. I think that's illegal. I have to get paid. Should I write to the president of the company and/or can you help me..

  Business response

  01/27/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/12/15) */ Dear*******, As stated to you in our Support communications, we informed you that beginning October 2021, all users are now required to Verify their identity and Setup Payments & Tax Documents to withdraw earnings and release new music. We explained that unfortunately, the image provided for your ID does not allow the system to accurately read your information. In addition, the process also asks that the user take a real-time image of themself, which has not been completed. We suggested that if you're having issues with your computer camera, to try using another device. We do not see you have attempted to complete the verification again since our last communication to you in October and you have not reached out to support for further assistance. Until the system can verify your identity, your earnings will remain intact, so we hope to get this completed once so you can proceed as normal. We suggest trying again and contacting support if further assistance is required. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/12/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Becauaw no matter how I try, I can't access my money. There's nothing wrnong with my computer. I must have taken a picture of my driver's license 50 times. I answered the tax information. I didn't take a picture of myself because you have to get an adequate picture of your driver's license first. I'm entitled to my earnings and they are being irresponsible. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/12/28) */ Dear*******, We cannot troubleshoot sensitive details here. Please contact support if further assistance is required. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2023/01/06) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It's obvious they do not want to resolve this. There's no way I'm going to get a clear picture of the driver's license. They are not helpful and to me they are ridiculous. Why don't they let me send a copy of a credit card? I never heard of such a situation. The only thing I will agree to is if they let me withdraw the money due me. They wamt me to continue to try to take a clear picture of my driver's license and they claim that there's something wrong with my computer. That's absurd. Their'resolution is unsatisfactory. I did use my cell phone and it was still bllurry and I told them. I offered to send my driver's license numbers via email, but they rejected that. They can see my picture and my name on the driver's license. Thanks.

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hello, ************************************** I have used ****************** services by SongTradr company from May 2021 to August 2022. I was satisfied in overall while i distributed my music with SongTradr. On August X XXXX SongTradr emailed me that they suspending my account, delete all my music from music stores and platforms which is critical point for my music project and it puts my income as an artist at risk. And after all, SongTradr refuses to send me my earnings (1200$-1500$) with them for previous six months due international sanctions which i understand but in my case the sanctions do not have anything with me personally or my music project. I suggested them to send money to other country because I am not living in Russia anymore but they refused again. SongTradr just stole my money and hiding behind politics. It is basically a fraud.

  Business response

  01/25/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/03) */ Dear******, As stated to you in our Support communications, we informed you that we are suspending your Songtradr account due to restrictions imposed by the ** government. Your location was determined as coming from********** as well as your government issued ID showing as being from the ******************* As a resident of a currently sanctioned country, we are unable to process payments per our payment providers, not Songtradr. No users from the countries listed below are allowed to participate in any of Songtradr's services or submit withdrawals for payment at this time. This is due to across-the-board restrictions placed on payments by our payment services providers due to the government imposed sanctions. ******************************************* If you are an existing user and collecting royalties from Songtradr's services, we apologize that you are unable to withdraw your earnings. Given the sanctions in place, we are unable to pay out any earned revenue at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if circumstances change. As a result of your account being suspended, we are also removing all of your music from all Songtradr services with immediate effect. We know that this is more than an inconvenience and we hope to be able to do business with you again in the future. We love nothing more than seeing our users succeed. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/10/19) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The business did not provide me a solution. They keep sending me empty replies. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/10/25) */ Hello******, Unfortunately, our banking partners are unable to send earnings to******* at this time, which is why we notified users as soon as we found out. Once sanctions are lifted, your earnings will remain intact to withdraw at that time. For now, we located your **** subscription which was charged on April 28, 2022 and have refunded the full amount of USD$19.00 back to your **** account. Funds typically take between 5-10 business days to reflect on bank statements. We apologize we're unable to assist further. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/11/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I need to receive my earnings in ******* as i`m living in ******* now. I am NOT a resident of******* anymore.

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been with Sontradr for about four years. Although my experience has been extremely positive, recent developments are casting a cloud. Back in April, I noticed some irregularities with my revenue stream. Even though my stream count and monthly listeners were up by 15 to 20%, my revenues were down by 40%. after doing further investigating, on April 4th 2022 I went to my ******* artist page and tallied the total stream count for my over 200 works submitted through Songtradr. The total, for that date was ******* total streams worldwide. However, for that SAME date, the total reported on my Songtradr statistics page reported only ******** total streams for a difference of 225,533 total streams! Songtradr support was of no use as they claimed basically ******* always pays accurately and the problem was Songtradr having the wrong totals and they would be updated. Two months later and nothing changed. I have since downloaded EVERY monthly report that I must now do a complete audit in order to verify the findings. I am an Indie artist and not an accountant and can not afford an accountant for this process. This, in turn has seriously affected my creative mindset as I am spending hours deciphering the over 48 haphazard monhly revenue report spreadsheets that were afforded me by Songtradr. If I were some big wig artist, a 20% discrepancy in stream totals (and possible revenue) would probably result in massive legal action. However, as a "little fish" in a massive entertainment "pond", I am at Songtradr's mercy. Any help from someone with Songtradr, other than Songtradr support, would be appreciated and would result in my continued alliance with Songtradr. Except for this one MAJOR problem I have been mostly satisfied.

  Business response

  07/25/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/06) */ Hello ****, Thank you for your feedback. We did try to resolve this with you via Songtradr Support, but it seems that you think we can help to audit your ******* earnings/account. Although we understand why you believe we can help remedy your royalty concerns, we cannot. We, Songtradr, act as the middle man delivering your music to ***s, which does not mean we have access to research/dissect your *** profiles. We receive all reporting and earnings directly from *******, so it's best to contact ******* if you believe that your royalties they've delivered do not match your ******* profile totals. Regardless if Songtradr's dashboard may have delays or glitches that do not exactly match your *** profiles, your *** profiles have the correct information that they then deliver to distributors 90-120 days after each stream. The same goes for all distributors. Contrary to what you might have heard, ******* does not pay artist royalties according to a per-play or per-stream rate; the royalty payments that artists receive might vary according to differences in how their music is streamed or the agreements they have with labels or distributors. To best assist you, please contact ******* directly for more help answering your streaming/reporting concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  04/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I transferred $14.00 from Songtradr and only received $13.00 in my ***** account and both companies claim they didn't take the money.

  Business response

  06/06/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/03) */ Hello Ervin, We can see that you've contacted our Support team on April 6, 2022 and we replied back on April 7, 2022 with the following: "We see your bank (The ******* Bank) charged a USD$1.00 fee. All fees associated have to do with your bank. If you wish to dispute or lower this fee, you will need to contact your bank to proceed." All payment methods involving *** and ****** are handled by third party providers. Meaning, we do not have the ability to adjust bank fees for our users. All bank fees are subject to their agreements with you, so you may be able to speak with them to dispute that fee. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that your fee concerns can be addressed directly with your bank. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/05/09) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The ********* said it did not access a $1 fee as a processed a complaint against them with the ***. Where did my $1 go *** since you stand behind what both these companies are saying? Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/05/16) */ Hello Ervin, In your communications with our Support team, you continue to forward information from a company called *******. Being that your payment profile lists "The ******* Bank" as the recipient, we cannot speak to the terms you may have with *****. Per our records, which you can clearly see from your dashboard, the recipient (The ******* Bank) takes a USD$1 bank fee. Please do not ask ***** to help, as they are not the recipient on file.

• Initial Complaint

  03/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I received royalties from Songtradr for a license opportunity for $132.12, which I withdrew on 3/2/22 into ****** account with email *****************************. It is now 3/17/22 and I haven't received a payment to my ****** yet. Songtradr states that this process takes up to 7 days. After looking into a solution here, I suddenly received a notification requesting verification to withdraw funds. This comes 2 weeks after withdrawing funds. I contacted them via email after a week and haven't gotten a response yet.

  Business response

  04/22/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/15) */ Hello ******, According to our records, all withdrawals have been completed to your ****** account using ***************************** (details below). If you're concerned with not receiving your earnings, please contact ****** for more information. - USD$100.00 withdrawn on March 21, 2022 and delivered to ****** on March 21, 2022 (same day). - USD$32.34 withdrawn on March 28, 2022 and delivered to ****** on March 28, 2022 (same day). Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/04/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

• Initial Complaint

  02/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On the 12th of ****** ***** ******* was withdrawn from my Songtradr Account, I inquired about a withdrawal which was made without my approval. - The response that I received was not in any way informative or helpful. - Not Sure why they would give me info on the person who illegally withdrew my money but It seemed to me that there must be some internal fraud going on at Songtradr. - I attempted several times again to contact Songtradr and they finally gave me an email associated with a ****** account which ****** themselves did not help to retrieve my stolen money. - Every time I attempt to contact Songtradr I get generic answers from what seems to be an automated BOT called "*****" every single time. - On the 29th of December I made a withdrawal of my ******* **** earnings ********* directly into my bank account to safeguard my earnings and since this time I have yet to receive my money and we are February XX XXXX. I would like for Songtradr to reimburse me ******** + ******* ********* and I want my account Deactivated. THANK YOU.

  Business response

  04/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/31) */ Hello ****, Although we understand your concern, we cannot help users if their accounts are "hacked" or used by someone else without their permission. We can not refund completed withdrawals, as we no longer have access to those funds. You will need to contact ****** to dispute the withdrawal made by ******************** on August 11, 2021. Once they can confirm your Songtradr earnings, and any other details needed to prove your earnings, they should be able to help with locating the offender and proceeding from there. Note: We're unsure why the Two-Factor Authentication feature is now deactivated, as this could happen again and we cannot help on our end if the withdrawal is completed. We suggest keeping your security feature activated to avoid similar situations in the future. To proceed with your recent withdrawal From December, you will need to activate your Two-Factor Authentication feature Once you have reactivated this, email our team so we can unblock your withdrawal and get the money transferred into your bank account.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩