In cases where Rapture Music Group identifies any rights infringement and/or violations of DSP Terms of Use post distribution, Rapture will act in the following manner:
- Notify you and identify the specific assets related to the potential violation.
- Indicate the specific type of violation.
- Withhold all relevant royalties until evidence is provided that no violation was committed
Please find below the various types of violations which Rapture identifies and what actions are required on your part if you do not contest the violation. If you contest our findings, please follow the procedure outlined here to file an appeal.
ARTIST IMPOSTURE
Artist imposture involves presenting the artist(s) in a misleading way. This can include slight modifications to the artist's name or other deceptive tactics designed to create confusion.
Action Required: Remove corresponding content unless the uploading account can provide ample evidence that they are the legitimate artist or rights holder. This may include requesting identification, proof of original creation, confirmation via official social media accounts, or other documentation that verifies their claims. If you/your client cannot provide such proof within 3 working days, we will take down the associated releases. Please note this may lead to fining your account $10 per release.
Withholding Policy: Revenue will be withheld until the uploader can conclusively demonstrate they are the real artist or have the proper rights to the content.
QUESTIONABLE OWNERSHIP
There is reason to suspect that the account may not be the legitimate rights holder of the content being uploaded. While the metadata associated with the content may appear accurate, the uploader's identity or rights to the content are in doubt.
Action Required: Investigate the account's releases thoroughly and request documentation that proves the uploader's rights to the music. Independently locate confirmed, official DSP or social media accounts of the artist, and ask the client to add some distinctive text or mark on their profile. Once Rapture receives this confirmation, the text/mark can be removed. If you/your client cannot provide such proof within 3 working days, we will take down the associated releases. Please note this may lead to fining your account $10 per release.
Withholding Policy: Revenue will remain withheld until the uploader can provide evidence confirming their ownership or rights to the content.
SOUND RECORDING FRAUD
The audio file does not match the provided metadata. This can include situations where the audio file is completely unrelated to the claimed track or where misleading metadata is used to misrepresent the content.
Action Required: We will verify the accuracy of the audio file against the provided metadata by checking for any discrepancies, such as different artists, tracks, or albums than those claimed. Further, we will request the uploader to provide proof of ownership and correct any discrepancies in the metadata. If you/your client cannot provide such proof within 3 working days, we will take down the associated releases. Please note this may lead to fining your account $10 per release.
Withholding Policy: Revenue will remain withheld until the discrepancies are resolved and the uploader provides evidence that the audio file matches the metadata.
NEEDS REMIX/SAMPLE LICENSE
A track includes at least one component (such as vocals, melody, or a sampled section) of a copyrighted song without obtaining the required licensing permissions from the original rights holders. This applies to all forms of derivative works, including remixes, mashups, etc. Alterations like speeding up, slowing down, or creating lo-fi versions also necessitate licensing from the relevant rights holder. Without proper licenses, such adaptations can result in copyright infringement.
Action Required: Please ensure that you have the necessary licenses for any copyrighted elements used in the track, and forward the documentation to Rapture for review. If you/your client cannot provide such documentation within 3 working days, we will take down the associated releases. Please note this may lead to fining your account $10 per release.
Withholding Policy: Revenue will be withheld until proof of proper licensing for all sampled or derivative elements is provided.
ARTIFICIAL STREAMING
We’ve detected that the streams for a track seem to have been artificially generated, such as through bots or other fraudulent methods, rather than coming from genuine listeners.
Action Required: We will reach out to you to identify the cause for the artificial streams.
If we believe that you/your client knowingly engaged in artificial streaming and/or this is a repeat incident after you had previously warned them about retaining stream boosting services, we will terminate your account immediately and take down all your content.
If you believe that you/your client were fooled by a marketing/playlisting service pretending to legitimately boost their streams, please be warned that such services are almost always a scam to always first check with you before using such a service (you can enquire with Rapture whether the service is known to be a legitimate one or not). If you/your client can confirm that you have ceased their campaign, we may leave the related releases live on the impacted DSPs.
If you/your client claims that you were added to a playlist without your knowledge and/or against their will, and that you are unable to have your tracks removed from these playlists, please notify Rapture and provide the ISRCs of the related tracks and the playlist(s) URL(s).
Withholding Policy: Aside from extreme cases where Rapture has cause to believe that you/your client willfully engaged in artificial streaming, Rapture will only withhold the royalties of the violative releases from the DSP(s) that has/have been targeted for artificial streaming. Royalties from other DSPs and/or for other releases will not be withheld.
INAPPROPRIATE FOR UGC DSPS
The audio file does not meet the specific guidelines set by User Generated Content Digital Service Providers (UGC DSPs: Facebook Rights Manager, Snap, TikTok, Twitch and YouTube Content ID). These platforms have detailed requirements for the content they accept, including how it interacts with their content identification systems. For example, some audio files, such as royalty-free beats, can create fingerprints that may inadvertently cause copyright claims on similar sections of other recordings.
Action Required: We will remove the audio file from UGC DSPs immediately unless you/your client can provide proof that their recording complies with all UGC DSP requirements. If you/your client cannot provide such documentation within 3 working days, we will take down the associated releases. Please note this may lead to fining your account $10 per release.
Withholding Policy: Royalties generated on UGC DSPs will be withheld unless the asset is deemed appropriate for these DSPs.
CID VIOLATION (YOUTUBE SPECIFIC)
The track is engaging in parasitic behavior by exploiting the popularity of unrelated third-party content to gain views and claims. This practice directly violates YouTube Content ID's Monetization Policy, as it misuses the system to gain unjust benefits rather than representing genuine User-Generated Content (UGC). Even if the content is related (e.g., a compilation of similar music tracks), it must be true UGC and not a manipulated attempt to leverage the popularity of other content. These cases are unlikely to be liable to appeal.
Action Required: We will take down the related assets from YouTube Content ID unless this has already been done. Further, we will warn you about these violations and ask you to familiarize yourself with YouTube Content ID's Monetization Policy and to abide by it.
Withholding Policy: Royalties earned from YouTube Content ID from parasitic behavior will be withheld.
FRAUDULENT ACCOUNT
An account that consistently violates guidelines or engages in suspicious activities may indicate that the user is not a genuine artist or rights holder. This casts doubt on the legitimacy of all content associated with the account.
Action Required: We will examine all content uploaded by the account for unlicensed samples or suspicious metadata. Further, we will verify that you/your client can provide valid proof of ownership or rights for the content. Based on our findings, we will decide whether to continue working with you, request additional documentation, or remove your content. If you/your client cannot deny that significant portions of your catalog are infringing and/or that a few of their assets have engaged in significant rights or DSP Terms of Use violations, we will terminate your account and take down the associated releases. Please note this may lead to fining your account $10 per release.
Withholding Policy: Revenue will remain withheld unless the account is cleared of suspicion.
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