Benn Jordan hits out at removing of music from streaming

Benn Jordan‘s music, underneath his alias The Flashbulb, has been taken off streaming platforms, allegedly attributable to “streaming fraud” – and he’s not completely happy.

Talking to his viewers through his Gumroad web page, Jordan recounts the expertise of discovering his music faraway from digital streaming platforms (DSPs): “Final Friday (10 February, 2024), I randomly pulled out my cellphone within the studio to reference one in all my soundtracks for a composing collaboration. ‘Huh. My cellphone is bugging out,’ I complained.

“Then I observed dozens of notifications: varied listeners letting me know their emotions concerning my removing of all of my music. ‘What… the… fu?’

“And similar to that, poof. I used to be erased from Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, YouTube Music, and just about in all places music is bought or streamed. I logged into TuneCore (my major digital distributor since 2007), and with out warning or any communication, they eliminated a complete of 23 albums.”

Taking to Twitter, Jordan posted screenshots of his TuneCore artist web page and a dialog with TuneCore, which claims Spotify had “recognized and eliminated a excessive quantity of streams” from his royalty calculation attributable to “proof of irregular streaming exercise” on his releases. It additionally claims to have carried out “an extra inside investigation” and confirmed the proof.

On what fucking planet is it okay to ban an artist with 1.6 million annual listeners with none communication?

Is that this actually what occurs once you criticize the best way streaming platforms deal with musicians?

You had one job, @TuneCore. pic.twitter.com/PZJYtRNXg4

— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) February 10, 2024

“An ‘inside investigation’ has confirmed ‘proof’ of streaming fraud on Spotify,” Jordan writes on X/Twitter.

“Subsequently, The Flashbulb and my different music has been completely faraway from all platforms. 23 albums nuked in a single day with no warning or communication.

“Give me a fucking break TuneCore.”

An “inside investigation” has confirmed “proof” of streaming fraud on Spotify.

Subsequently, The Flashbulb and my different music has been completely faraway from all platforms.
23 albums nuked in a single day with no warning or communication.

Give me a fucking break @tunecore. 🤬 pic.twitter.com/AmCiybhYj4

— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) February 12, 2024

After TuneCore’s CEO, Andreea Gleeson, responded to tell him his enquiry can be dealt with after the weekend, Jordan responded: “I assume the man who deletes 23 albums with out warning or communication works weekends and the help employees that offers with the artist(s) and label affected doesn’t.

“Good factor my 300k month-to-month listeners don’t take heed to music on weekends.”

I assume the man who deletes 23 albums with out warning or communication works weekends and the help employees that offers with the artist(s) and label affected would not. 🤷🏼

Good factor my 300k month-to-month listeners do not take heed to music on weekends. https://t.co/16IQBgt34V

— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) February 12, 2024

Jordan has offered MusicTech with a folder of his correspondences with TuneCore, alongside together with his streaming historical past throughout a number of platforms together with Spotify. One merchandise talked about that the removing of his music may quantity to $500,000 value of losses.

He later mentioned that TuneCore’s help had “lastly” reached out to him and accused him of fraud, and he’s now having to fulfill with authorized counsel in consequence.

Gleeson has responded to the backlash: “Thanks for the candid suggestions and completely agree that we want extra and deeper weekend help. That is one thing we’re actively engaged on increasing.”

Jordan additionally tells MusicTech: “Whether or not that is malice associated to my Spotify criticism or just negligence, that is dystopian for causes a lot bigger than myself or my lack of revenue. Whereas being erased from existence and gaslit is amongst one of many worst issues that may occur to an artist, if there was one battle I used to be born to battle, it’s this one.

“I’ve tens of millions of listeners and my music is on over 300,000 lively playlists. These listeners pay a price to take heed to this music, and now it appears to be unavailable even when they downloaded it. The streaming music trade is so damaged that it could actually not present the straightforward transaction it spent billions of {dollars} making an attempt to interchange.”

The “Spotify criticism” Jordan alludes to contains quite a lot of video essays posted to his YouTube channel, comparable to How Cash Laundering W/ Spotify Works, and Why Spotify Will In the end Fail. In his correspondence with TuneCore, he states that he has “by no means been concerned in any sort of streaming fraud. In truth, I’ve accomplished intensive journalism to reveal it.”

MusicTech has reached out to TuneCore for remark.

Jordan is providing his whole discography for obtain at a ‘pay what you need’ price ticket. “Pay what you need. Critically,” reads the message on Gumroad. “When you’re broke, pay the minimal and benefit from the music. When you’re beneficiant, this can actually assist me out as I’ve simply had a good portion of my revenue lower off and could also be getting into an costly authorized battle.”

Learn extra at The Flashbulb Gumroad web page.