There are a few different reasons why an Amuse account could get frozen. What they all have in common is that the account would have been involved in activities that go against our, or the streaming services’, policies and Terms of Use. Here are the three most common reasons:
1. Abnormal streaming activity:
This is sometimes also called fraudulent streaming. Abnormal streaming activity can be the result of one of these things:
- Paid promotion through a third-party service. This usually means that the artist has paid to have their release(s) added to playlists with fake listeners.
- Systematically putting the song on repeat for a very long period of time.
Please don’t ever do either of these things, since that can result in your account getting frozen and your releases taken down. The stores take these matters very seriously. If they find a release has been fraudulently streamed, they often withhold all royalties for that release (meaning you won’t get paid for the normal streams either).
2. Infringement/ samples/ remixes:
If the user has intentionally uploaded releases that infringe the copyright of someone else, they’ve actually broken international law. This means we will be forced to shut down the account. Some examples of this are stolen beats, unapproved samples, unauthorised remixes etc.
Always make sure you own all the rights to all the releases you upload with us. Don’t take any chances - ask us anytime you’re unsure. If you upload something you don’t have the rights to, all your releases will be taken down.
3. Fraudulent Pro payments:
If the user has paid or tries to pay for Amuse Pro with a card that was reported stolen or fraudulent, we will receive a notification and will proceed to freeze the user. This could also result in the deletion of their releases and cancellation of their Pro subscription.
What does a frozen account mean?
When an account is frozen, the user won’t be able to upload any more music. They will still be able to login to view their historic releases and account information. If the user has paid for Pro, refunds won’t be issued since they have breached our Terms of Use.
What's the difference between frozen and deactivated?
When an account is frozen, it's still possible to log into the account and to withdraw royalties from it. However, if the account is deactivated, it's not possible to login or access the account at all. In some cases of serious copyright infringements, it can lead to the account being deactivated rather than simply frozen.
What happens with outstanding royalties?
In the case of copyright infringement, the user's royalties will usually stay frozen on the account in case the original rights holder comes to claim them.
In the case of fraudulent streaming, the stores themselves often withhold royalties and don't pay them out to Amuse or the artist. The artist can still withdraw any existing royalties from the account if there are any, even when the account is frozen.
In both these cases, the decision to freeze an account is permanent and can’t be reversed, since both these things breach our Terms of Use as well as the terms of the stores.
Do you have a frozen account and need more information?
For details about why the account got frozen, or for a status update on your royalties, please reach out directly to our Support team here. If in doubt, always reach out!