Protecting Artists, Royalties, and the Future of Music

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Fighting fraud is more than stopping bots and bad actors. Behind every bogus stream is someone who gets paid less. It’s about standing up for artists, rights holders, music businesses, and the industry itself. 

That’s why Trust & Safety is core to every division across Downtown. We invest heavily in building the teams, systems, and tools that protect music and the people behind it. Our teams across FUGA, CD Baby, Curve, and beyond regularly collaborate to align on best practices, co-develop tools, and stay one step ahead of bad actors. This isn’t just smart business. Protecting the work of artists matters. 

In-House Innovation

Fraud isn’t static, it’s constantly evolving. To stay ahead of it, we need tools that move as fast as the problem does. That’s why in-house innovation is at the heart of our approach. 

The fact that Downtown is as much a music company as it is a technology company, is a big advantage. The people gaming the system aren’t in studios making music, they’re behind screens exploiting it. Stopping them means building smarter, faster tech-driven tools of our own. 

Owning the process gives us the flexibility to adapt quickly, respond in real time, and evolve with our clients’ needs. Our systems catch suspicious activity early, often before it leads to takedowns or penalties from platforms. Our fraud detection processes have been validated by major DSPs, which helps us build trust with both platforms and the artists we serve.

Industry Action

Fighting fraud isn’t something any one company can do alone. It’s a shared problem that needs a coordinated effort. We helped launch the Music Fights Fraud Alliance in 2023 to help create a united front against streaming manipulation. With DSPs, distributors, and rights organizations working side-by-side, taking the first real steps toward building an industry-wide response to streaming manipulation. It’s still early days, but it’s been a helpful step forward. 

We know there’s still work to do. Trust & Safety is an ongoing commitment. We’re not claiming to have it all figured out and bad actors aren’t going to stop trying to game the system. But we’re not going to stop pushing back and finding ways to stay ahead of fraud and strengthen the systems that support real creators. We’re investing in this work because a fairer music industry is worth fighting for.

Helping shape a safer marketplace where artists and labels can thrive means building the tools to protect creators, but also sharing best practices. We recently kicked off FUGA Notes, our ongoing lecture series that opens up conversations, fosters transparency, and encourages collaboration across the industry. The more we can open up, the stronger we all get.

In 2025, we’re doing even more. We’ll continue improving our tools, investing in Trust & Safety, and strengthening our Know Your Customer (KYC) practices across all of our platforms. Strong KYC practices also help us meet the high standards of compliance expected by digital service providers, which rely on us to be the first line of defense. By vetting new creators before they start distributing music, we reduce the risk of bad actors slipping through and engaging in artificial streaming or copyright infringement.  It also protects our business, partners, and clients from financial and reputational harm, ensuring only trustworthy creators have access to our systems.

Alongside these internal efforts we’re also going to work closely with our fellow members of the Music Fights Fraud Alliance. Sharing data, insights, and best practices across businesses strengthens our collective defenses and makes it even harder for bad actors to exploit the system.