Observatory of disputed decisions

Why an observatory

Platforms and distributors now detect, label and block tracks, yet there is no appeal procedure common to them all and no public record of what happens when an artist challenges a decision. By bringing these cases together, the observatory can show what no single case can reveal. We look at which platforms explain their decisions, which respond, how long they take and what evidence they ask for.

The cases we collect

We collect accounts of decisions you dispute, whether your track has been labelled as AI-generated, blocked on submission, taken down or demonetised. You can also tell us about any other decision relating to the provenance of your music. For each case, we ask which platform or distributor was involved, when the decision was made, what happened, whether you appealed and, if so, what the outcome was.

You do not need to have succeeded in your appeal, or even to have challenged the decision yet. A decision you have not yet challenged matters to us as much as an appeal that has gone unanswered.

Review, consent and publication

We read every account before publication, and nothing goes online automatically or without your consent. When you submit your account, you decide whether we may refer to your case and whether your name may appear with it. We never publish your email address and use it only to contact you if we need to clarify anything.

We publish findings from these cases in aggregate, by platform, type of decision and response time, both in News and analysis and in this section.

The limits of the observatory

The observatory does not provide legal services or act as an intermediary with platforms, and we do not challenge decisions on your behalf. If you are preparing an appeal, the Artist's guide explains who to contact in your situation and what evidence to gather.