If someone has registered your work as their own, you must act fast to “freeze” the royalties. You should first gather time-stamped evidence of your creation, then file a formal dispute with your Performance Rights Organization (PRO) and the Copyright Office. Audiobulb acts as your frontline defense; as your administrator, we can help flag fraudulent registrations and ensure that your legitimate claims are asserted globally, protecting your 100% royalty share.
1. Step-by-Step Recovery Plan
If you discover an unauthorized registration or “stolen” audio, follow this exact order:
Phase 1: Gather Your “Paper Trail”
Before contacting anyone, prove you were first. Evidence includes:
- DAW Project Files: Original sessions (Ableton, Logic, Pro Tools) with creation dates.
- Dated Demos: Emails to yourself or early uploads to SoundCloud/Dropbox.
- Copyright Certificates: If you haven’t registered with the U.S. Copyright Office (or your local equivalent), do it now. It is your strongest legal weapon.
Phase 2: Open a PRO Dispute
Contact ASCAP, BMI, or PRS immediately.
- Request a “Work Dispute”: Most PROs have a specific department for “Conflicting Claims.”
- The Freeze: Once a dispute is opened, the PRO will typically hold all royalties for that song in an escrow account until the conflict is resolved. This prevents the “thief” from cashing out.
Phase 3: Issue a DMCA Takedown
If the song is live on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music, you don’t need a lawyer to start.
- Contact the DSP or Distributor: Every major platform has a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) portal.
- The Result: The platform will usually remove the song while they investigate. If the other party cannot prove ownership, the song stays down.
2. Common Types of Publishing Fraud in 2025
| Type of Fraud | What Happened | How to Fix It |
| Claiming Authorship | Someone registered your song with their name as the writer. | Open a “Conflicting Claim” with your PRO. |
| Ghost Splitting | A collaborator registered 100% of the song, leaving you out. | Submit a signed Split Sheet as proof of ownership. |
| AI Scraping | An AI model was trained on your song without permission. | Use a specialized “AI Takedown” service or legal counsel. |
| “Slop” Re-uploads | Someone slowed down your track and re-uploaded it as “Lo-Fi.” | File a DMCA Takedown for “Infringing Audio.” |
3. The Role of Audiobulb in Fraud Prevention
At Audiobulb, we don’t just collect your money; we protect your legacy.
- Audit & Defense: When you join our administration service for $19.99/year, we monitor your work. If our system detects a duplicate registration or a “Black Box” conflict, we step in to assert your claim.
- Sync-Ready Verification: Our Sync Pitching Service requires a clear “Chain of Title.” This vetting process often catches errors or fraud before they become legal problems.
- Global Leverage: It’s hard for an independent artist to fight a fraudulent claim in another country. Audiobulb uses its global network to fight for your royalties in every territory simultaneously.
4. When to Hire a Lawyer
While PRO disputes and DMCA notices handle 90% of cases, you should hire an entertainment attorney if:
- The song has earned significant money (over $5,000) that you need to recover.
- The “thief” is a major label or a well-known artist.
- The infringer has sent a “Counter-Notice” to your DMCA takedown.
Summary
Don’t let the anger of theft paralyze you. The music industry is built on data, and the person with the best Paper Trail almost always wins. Register your works early with a professional administrator like Audiobulb, so you have a digital fortress around your music from day one.
Your Next Step: Think someone might be using your music without permission? Join Audiobulb for $19.99/year to get your catalog professionally registered, protected, and pitched for sync.