Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/18/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  CD Baby sent us a notice that we had irregular streaming patterns associated with a release distributed via your CD Baby account. They then took the song down from *******. We contacted *******, and ******* said that it was CD Baby that took it down and not them. We have asked CD Baby to put the song back, and they have not responded for over a month. We also paid for legitimate promotion on other blogs and websites.*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************** We entered the song into the *** competition, which became a semi-finalist **************************************************** We entered the song into the Unsigned Only competition for 2025 ******************************* also paid Spotify for the promotion of the song, which cost us 250$ CAD. We use the ******* songs to help promote the band and get us gigs. ******* streams don't pay, but the gigs do.We would like CD Baby to please put the song back on *******. They should not be penalizing Artists if some random bots start to stream our songs. We paid for the legitimate promotion of the song.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2025

  Hi ******* I just followed up with you via email at ************************************* here is a copy of that message. 

   

  Hi, *******
  
  Thanks for getting in touch with us. Removing content from a digital partner is never a decision we take lightly. However, the quantity of identified artificial streams violated the terms of service of many digital partners, including *******. For that reason, we made the decision to remove the release to avoid further complaints or financial penalties.
  
  You may have come across, or been informed by representatives of *******, that an appeals process exists. In practice, these appeals do not result in listings being restored.
  
  We understand that these streams may have occurred without your permission. You may choose to re-release the content as a new submission. Keep in mind, this will require a new UPC and new ISRC codes.
  
  If you choose to go this route, please keep the following things in mind:
  
  This will not reinstate your previous stream count
  We cannot guarantee that the release will go live at *******
  We cannot guarantee that it will not be taken down again
  Refunds will not be offered
  
  To get started, please create a new submission from your account dashboard. During the sign up flow, select ******* as the only platform for distribution. Please know that any indications of artificial streaming on this new version will result in immediate removal, and the potential removal of your entire catalog from ********
  
  Thank you, and we appreciate your understanding while we navigate these industry changes alongside you.
   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/26/2025

   
  Complaint: 23484599
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is not fixing the issue. The artist should not be penalized if artificial streams occur without their knowledge. We have spent hundreds of dollars to promote the song legitimately. We even gave money directly to ******* for promotion. We contacted ******* and their support told us they never asked for the content to be taken down. It was the sole decision of CD baby. This opens up a grave problem where independent artists can be held for ****** by targeting their content with artificial streams. We believe this is what happened to us. We were contacted by a random person on Instagram telling us to give them money or they would have us taken down. We ignored their message and deleted it from Instagram. We never paid for any artificial streaming and have instead paid for legitimate promotion through blogs and online magazines and direct ******* promotion. Please put our song back on ********

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/16/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid CD Baby for the digital distribution of my album, "Bicho Solto Pagode" (order #*******), influenced by their advertised promotional pricing. However, after payment, I was subjected to persistent and aggressive upsells for additional services. It became apparent that the initial promotional price was a "bait-and-switch" tactic, designed to pressure me into purchasing more expensive features under the implicit promise of expediting the album's ********** date, my album has not been launched or distributed to digital platforms.According to CD Baby's own terms and conditions, I am entitled to a full refund and cancellation if an album has not been launched. I formally submitted a cancellation request, but CD Baby has neither launched the album nor processed my request. All attempts to contact a human representative have been unsuccessful, met with silence or automated responses.This situation represents a clear breach of contract on CD Baby's part. They have failed to deliver the paid service, engaged in deceptive sales tactics, and are now refusing to honor their own refund policy.I demand the following immediate actions: * Immediate Cancellation of order #*******. * A Full Refund of all amounts paid for the distribution of "Bicho Solto Pagode" under this order.I expect CD Baby to address this issue promptly. If this matter is not resolved satisfactorily, I will pursue all available avenues for redress, including consumer protection authorities and public dissemination of my negative experience.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/16/2025

  Good afternoon! Thanks to the quick intervention of this company, CDBABY contacted me and refunded my money. Thank you very much!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  CD Baby uploaded my album to Apple/iTunes under a different artist's name -- not a different artist sharing the same name, but an artist with a completely different name. ***** responded in a couple of hours to inform me that because CD Baby is the distributor, only they could fix this with *****. However, there's no way to contact a human being at CD Baby, and when opening a ticket with them (*******) they informed me that they may take "6 months or more" to respond. Or more?How can you enter into a one-sided agreement with people and state you won't communicate with them? Now I'm not able to share the music with anyone for who knows how long? A year? If ever.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/25/2025

  Hi Ian. I just reached out to you via email at [email protected] here is a copy of that message. 

   

  Hi, Ian.
   
  Thank you for reaching out to us. I apologize for the delay in response. I see that your release is now listed on the correct page: 
  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/vhs/1820954118
   
  Take care. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/25/2025

   
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  I have a friend at Apple who was able to escalate this instead, so CD Baby didn't have to address it. Although I don't assume most people have friends at Apple to try this workaround, at least CD Baby responded in less than a month. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Ian Kent

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/06/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I first tried to contact CD Baby on 4/7/2025 to try to opt out of CDB Boost, as I was unable to do so online. After navigating a few layers of AI chatbot responses, they finally said they've sent my request to support. After not receiving any response within a couple weeks, I had no choice but to release my album through DistroKid. I then send another support request to CD Baby, requesting that my distribution through them be canceled. Again, I never heard any response. That is, until 5/15/25, when I received the following letter from them for all of the support requests I had sent:"Hello. This is a reply to an email you sent some time ago. We apologize that we have so far been unable to send a personal response. We know this is less than the service you deserve and expect from us.Based on the age and the subject of your ticket, we think your concern may have already been resolved or we know it's too late to help. If not, or there is still something we can do for you, please let us know by filing a new support request via the help center.If you have already filed another support ticket via the help center while you were waiting for this reply, thank you. Please do not file another. That will further delay your reply."As requested, I sent yet another support request.I still have not received any response.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2025

  Hi Dan. I just followed up with you via email to [email protected]

  Here is a copy of that message: 

  [email protected]

   

  Hi, Dan.
   
  Sorry for the delay in reply. We are processing your refund now and you should see that reflected in your PayPal account in the next 1-14 business days. 
   
  Best wishes, 
  
  George W.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/30/2025

   
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 23434812, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Dan Wenzel

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/30/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  An email request for assistance was sent to CDBaby customer service on April 2nd, 2025. Ticket number is # *******. I am seeking assistance to resolve a problem with my music, which has disappeared from *******. ******* recommended I get a hold of my distributor, who is CDBaby. It is almost June 1st and there is no response to me from CDBaby. This lack of response is unacceptable and is preventing me from resolving an important issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2025

  Hi *******. I just sent you a message to **************** Here is a copy of that message. 

  Hi, *******.
  
  Thanks for getting in touch with us. Removing content from a digital partner is never a decision we take lightly. However, the quantity of identified artificial streams violated the terms of service of many digital partners, including *******. For that reason, we made the decision to remove the release to avoid further complaints or financial penalties.
  
  You may have come across, or been informed by representatives of *******, that an appeals process exists. In practice, these appeals do not result in listings being restored.
  
  We understand that these streams may have occurred without your permission. You may choose to re-release the content as a new submission. Keep in mind, this will require a new UPC and new ISRC codes.
  
  If you choose to go this route, please keep the following things in mind:
  
  This will not reinstate your previous stream count
  We cannot guarantee that the release will go live at *******
  We cannot guarantee that it will not be taken down again
  Refunds will not be offered
  
  To get started, please create a new submission from your account dashboard. During the sign up flow, select ******* as the only platform for distribution. Please know that any indications of artificial streaming on this new version will result in immediate removal, and the potential removal of your entire catalog from ********
  
  Thank you, and we appreciate your understanding while we navigate these industry changes alongside you.
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We submitted our first single over 3 weeks ago and CD baby still has not synced the ******* and Youtube ****** **#'s though they were created immediately. We planned to submit our next single next week but because the ** is not shown in CD Baby we risk the creation of a second ****** profile. The bigger issue is that there is no way to contact a human at customer support. You can request assistance with the ****** support email and it seems to go in a black hole with no response. the live chat is just a bot that searches the website, no real solutions offered. The phone number for assistance just goes to a voicemail and tells you to email customer support. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/04/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The art file they are planning to use for the album released for messed up in conversion. Its a very easy fix as we have and offered to provide a proper file in their requested format. However, there is no way to do this online and no one will respond to the support email and ticket. ******* is the ticket number.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/06/2025

  Hi I just sent a follow up email to you at *************************************************

  Here is the text of that message. 

   

  Hi, 
  
  Thanks for getting in touch with us. I have unlocked the submission for you now so you can update the art. 
  
  Here is how to access the art uploader for your submission:
  Log in to your account at *************************************Click on the tab Album & Singles at the top of the page
  Click on the "view/edit" button to the right of your submission, under "Albums & Singles"
  In the first section of the Title Overview page, click the little camera image and it will take you to the uploader.
  Click in the large X and upload your cover art.
  Save at the bottom of the page once the image is uploaded.
  
  Remember, your cover art must be:
  Either 3000 x 3000 pixels (preferred) or 1400 x 1400 pixels
  PNG, GIF, JPG, or JPEG file type
  72 - 300dpi (300dpi is the best)
  Less than 25mb
  RGB color scheme (not CMYK)
  Unique to this particular title. We cannot accept artwork that has been used for another title.
  Uploaded image must match your physical album cover artwork.
  
  Once on the Title Overview page, click on the "Submit for distribution" button and it will be put in the queue for inspection.
  
  You can read about the full process here.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/12/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Cd Baby has locked me out of my account for no reason . When I call to find out whats happening I get AI Bot and instructed to submit a request form and a real person will respond . That never happen and I have two songs thats being streamed and purchase via cd baby and I cant track revenue or control anything .. Ive reached out several ways and cdbaby will not respond yet keeping my music

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  Hi, *******. I just replied to you via email at ********************************** 

  Here is a copy of that message: 

   
  Thanks for getting in touch with us. I am following up about your Better Business complaint. There are no blocks on your account and I am happy to help you log in. 
  
  First, go to **********************************************;. Click the "Forgot password?" link on the login page to have your username or password reset instructions emailed to you. The link will expire in 72 hours, or as soon as it is clicked.
  
  Make sure to check your junk or spam folder if you don't see the email in your inbox.
  
  If you still can't log in after resetting your password, please clear your web cache and make sure you are typing your full new password, and not using any saved passwords. You might even have to delete your saved password for our site (cdbaby.com, members.cdbaby.com) before trying your new password. If that doesn't work, try logging in in an incognito tab on ****** Chrome.
  
  If you continue to have trouble from there, please confirm as much of the following information as you can:
  
  Account holder:
  Email on file:
  Username:
  Artist name:
  Album name:
  Physical mailing address on file:
  Phone Number on file:
  
  If there are multiple possibilities and you're not sure which one is correct, list all possibilities so I can match the information to what's on your account.
  
  Once you have provided that info, I can assist you with resetting your password.
   
  
  ****** *.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/11/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We submitted our album almost 4 weeks ago and had trouble uploading an image so I reached out to customer support. Now, over 4 weeks and 3 help desk tickets later, there has been absolutely no response. After a lot of research and trial and error, we fixed the issue on our end with the photo, but now our album has been sitting in the inspection queue and hasnt been approved for release. We are supposed to release 4/19 and now it looks like that might actually get missed which is extremely unprofessional, esp since they already took our money and there is nothing we can do bc there apparently isnt a customer service department anymore. Just an AI chatbot. This is terrible business practice and is going to do us a lot of harm if we miss our release date.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2025

  Hi. I can confirm that we have approved your release now and that has been sent out to our partner sites. 

  Take care. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contacted CD Baby on two occasions about an album that was uploaded and distributed and corrections that needed to be made their website help center I have yet to receive a response or even anything other than a ticket number the fact that I cant speak to a live person is ridiculous. I asked for one track on an album to be corrected as the upload was incorrect and I am still waiting nearly a month later for even an acknowledgement of my issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/07/2025

  Hi *****. I just reached out to you via ************************************* 

  Unfortunately we cannot change the audio on your project. Please refer to my message which I have included below. 

   

  Hi, *****.
  
  Thanks for getting in touch with us.  Sorry, but we are not able to make that kind of change on a finalized release. Your option would be to cancel and resubmit this as a new project with your desired changes. 
  
  You can review what changes are possible at the below *********** Link: 
  *****************************************************************************************************************
  
  Best wishes,