During the January, 2021 wave of artist removals—often referred to as the "2021 indie music purge"—many independent creators were having their music taken down without clear explanations, evidence, or a path to appeal.

At the same time, public communication from major distributors like DistroKid painted a very different picture.

While artists were trying to understand why their work was being flagged, removed, royalties withheld, or tracks demonetized, public-facing messaging failed to reflect the severity of what was happening behind the scenes.

We’ve also updated the Evidence section of this petition again to include additional documentation and examples that further illustrate these patterns across platforms and distributors.

This disconnect is part of a larger issue.

Independent artists are expected to operate professionally, follow platform rules, and build legitimate audiences—yet when enforcement actions occur, they are often applied without transparency, consistency, or accountability.

This is exactly why the Artist Rights & Platform Accountability Act exists.

We are not asking for special treatment.
We are asking for clear standards, due process, and accountability in systems that currently operate without them.

Artists deserve answers—not silence.