Finding your own recording on Spotify under somebody else’s name is alarming.

Do not panic and do not immediately start arguing with the uploader publicly.

Document the infringement first.

Confirm it is actually your recording

Listen carefully.

Determine whether it is:

  • your exact master;
  • a sample;
  • a cover;
  • a remix;
  • an interpolation;
  • a similar but independent recording.

These situations involve different rights.

Save evidence

Before reporting anything, record:

  • Spotify URL;
  • artist name;
  • release title;
  • release date;
  • visible label information;
  • screenshots;
  • ISRC if available.

Keep copies in case the release disappears later.

Gather proof of your own rights

Useful evidence includes:

  • original WAV master;
  • project/session files;
  • original release information;
  • ISRC;
  • contracts;
  • producer agreements;
  • dated distribution records.

If you represent a label, make sure you can demonstrate that the label actually controls the master.

Contact your distributor

Tell your distributor what has happened.

Provide both the legitimate release and the allegedly infringing release.

A good report is specific.

Avoid simply writing:

“Someone stole my song.”

Explain exactly which recording you own and where the unauthorised copy appears.

Report the release to the platform

Streaming services provide copyright-reporting processes.

Follow the platform’s official procedure and provide accurate information.

A copyright complaint is a legal assertion, so do not use the process merely because you dislike another artist or think a song sounds similar.

Check other platforms

An unauthorised distributor may have delivered the recording to multiple DSPs.

Search:

  • Apple Music;
  • YouTube Music;
  • Amazon Music;
  • Deezer;
  • TikTok;
  • other major services.

Document every instance.

Check your artist profile

Sometimes the problem is not stolen audio but incorrect artist mapping.

Another artist with the same name may have been placed on your profile.

That usually requires a profile-correction request rather than a copyright claim.

Monitor what happens next

Keep a record of:

  • report date;
  • ticket numbers;
  • responses;
  • takedowns.

If the infringement reappears, this history can become useful.

Final thoughts

Move quickly but methodically.

Identify the audio, save evidence, prove your rights and use official reporting channels.

The cleaner your catalogue records are, the easier it becomes to demonstrate which recording is actually yours.