Over 5,000 independent artists are demanding Spotify reinstate their music after the platform removed approximately 750,000 tracks due to alleged "artificial stream" violations. The mass removal has affected artists across all music distributors, not just DistroKid, in which Spotify holds a minority investment.

According to Spotify's terms and conditions, third-party promotional services that offer streams for payment are prohibited and can result in music removal. However, many affected artists claim they never used fake streaming services, yet their music was still taken down.

Buffalo-based artist Dylan Toole created the "Restore Our Music" petition, which has gained over 5,100 signatures. Many signers report having their entire catalogs removed, even tracks with minimal monthly plays.

Some positive developments have emerged:

• Several removed tracks are gradually being restored
• DistroKid has introduced a counter-notification form for appeals
• Some artists, like Dylan Toole, have had their full albums relisted

However, others continue to face challenges:

• Heavy Salad reports no response from Spotify or DistroKid after two weeks
• Many artists remain unable to get their music back on the platform
• There's no clear timeline for resolution of disputed removals

The situation highlights ongoing tensions between streaming platforms and independent artists over promotional practices and stream verification. While Spotify aims to maintain platform integrity, many artists argue the sweeping removals have unfairly impacted legitimate musicians.

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