Understanding Violation Codes in Distribution Reports
Effective October 2025
As of October 2025, your Distribution Reports and CSV exports include a new column: Violation Codes.
This update shows how royalties are calculated and why revenue may be withheld.
Violation Codes identify which revenue lines were flagged for issues like copyright conflicts, metadata manipulation, or streaming anomalies.
What's Changing
New Column: Violation Codes
A new column appears at the end of your CSV exports. It contains a short code (2–3 letters) that flags any sale line where revenue has been withheld due to a violation.
Removed Columns: Opening Balance and Closing Balance
These fields are no longer used in royalty calculations and have been removed.
How Violation Codes Work
If a sale line in your report contains a Violation Code, the revenue for that line has been flagged and is not included in your payout.
Violation Codes are applied during Trust & Safety review. In some cases, flagged lines may be reinstated if the issue is resolved.
This data helps you:
- Review and identify withheld revenue
- Filter by violation type or affected asset
- Analyze patterns across your catalog, artists, or clients
Each sales line contains only one Violation Code. If multiple issues are detected, the most serious category is used.
Violation Code Reference
| Code | Description | Common Examples | Revenue Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| QO | Questionable Ownership – Doubt exists that the account is the legitimate rights holder. Metadata may appear accurate, but the uploader may not have rights to the content. | A user uploads tracks from The Beatles, ABBA, and Carlos Santana with no indication of ownership. | Withheld from all DSPs |
| ARI | Artist Imposture – Metadata is manipulated to deceive listeners into thinking content is by another artist. Slight changes to spelling or naming conventions are common. | A song is uploaded under the name "Beyoncè" to mislead listeners into thinking it is by Beyoncé. | Withheld from all DSPs |
| SRF | Sound Recording Fraud – The audio file does not match the metadata or is unrelated to the claimed track. | A track labeled "Blue Monday" is actually "Let It Be" by The Beatles. | Withheld from all DSPs |
| NL | Needs License – A copyrighted component (vocals, melody, sample, etc.) is used without a license. Applies to remixes, karaoke, lo-fi edits, sped-up/slowed-down versions. | An artist uploads a sped-up version of a well-known song without proof of permission. | Withheld from all DSPs |
| CON | Content Violation – The content violates DSP or platform guidelines, such as hate speech or self-harm references. | — | Withheld from all DSPs |
| ART | Violative Artwork – Artwork violates copyright or DSP guidelines around decency, hate, or other restrictions. | Use of cartoon characters, logos, or graphic content in cover art. | Withheld from all DSPs |
| FA | Fraudulent Account – The account has a pattern of repeated violations and is no longer considered trustworthy. | A user with a history of infringing uploads. | Withheld from all DSPs |
| UGC | Ineligible for UGC DSPs – The audio triggers conflicts with UGC content identification systems (e.g., TikTok, YouTube, Meta). Often caused by overly similar cover versions or reused royalty-free beats. | A royalty-free beat causes false claims against unrelated creators. | Withheld from UGC DSPs: TikTok, Meta, YouTube CID, Snap |
| CID | CID Violation – The content abuses YouTube Content ID to claim unrelated material, violating monetization policies. | A track falsely claims videos of a cartoon or Bob Marley compilation it is not part of. | Withheld from CID only |
| AS | Artificial Streaming – Streaming data indicates potentially non-organic activity, such as bots or paid streams. | A song experiences a sudden spike in streams without any social engagement or fan growth. | Withheld from some DSPs (ad hoc) |
What You Need to Know
- Any line with a Violation Code has already been excluded from your payout.
- These flags appear directly in your downloadable CSV.
- If a violation is cleared, the associated revenue may be reinstated in a future statement.