Re-distribution issues (after some years)
Hey everyone,
I’m hoping someone with experience in music distribution, licensing, or BeatStars/YouTube beats can help me understand my situation.
Back in early 2020, I recorded and released several original songs using instrumentals I found on YouTube. Now I’m trying to redistribute them in 2026 (I took them down a few years ago) and two of the beats I used are coming back as “Copyrighted” by two other artists (both around 2021).
The songs were released by me in 2020 and are the exact same recordings I’m trying to distribute today. They are not remixes, not new versions, and not derivative works. I’m simply re-releasing the same masters that were already released years ago, which TuneCore distributed.
So tuneCore flagged these two tracks and claimed they contain third-party samples. They are now requesting:
A master use license
A derivative work license
Documentation proving I have the rights to distribute the instrumentals
The problem is that I no longer have any contact information for the producer, and I’ve been unable to reach them.
What I do have:
- The original upload dates from 2020
- Proof that my songs were released in 2020
- Evidence that these are the same recordings, not new creations
What I don’t have:
- The formal written license
- A contract
- Any recent communication with the producer
My questions are:
Has anyone successfully dealt with a situation like this?
If the producer has disappeared and cannot be contacted, what options do I have?
Has anyone gotten TuneCore to accept alternative evidence when a formal license wasn’t available?
If I legally used the beat under the terms that existed in 2020, should I still be able to re-release the same recording today?
I’m not looking for legal advice, just trying to understand how distributors typically handle situations where older recordings were created using “free for profit” beats and the original producer is no longer reachable.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.