DISTROKID Returned My Money... But I Won't Keep It.
Vložit
- čas přidán 28. 06. 2020
- Twitter DMs Conversation: drive.google.com/drive/folder...
►Support my videos on Patreon! -- / danvasc
►New here? Subscribe! -- goo.gl/jNhUpM
►Check my original music with FEARLESS, my metal band!
• FEARLESS - Tale With N...
►Get my albums and merchandise at:
www.danvasc.com
►Follow me!
INSTAGRAM: / dan_vasc
TWITTER: / dan_vasc
FACEBOOK: / danvascofficial - Hudba
You are amazing! You rooted out a scam, publicizing the scam, then when the scammer tries to pay you off, you use the money for something really good and a need that needed met. You are an honorable man with tremendous integrity! Stay true to your heart!
"the most effective way to make enemies is to speak the truth."
Dan Vasc 2020
Can confirm. Sadly.
So fucking true man I love that saying
Dan, we need shirts with this, and you can use the proceeds to further give to the cancer foundation☺
He said this right as I read this comment what the hell
@@potatogamer1578 I was about to write the same thing lol
“State and law do not create morality!” I cannot love that statement enough.
You're a class act, Dan. Much respect.
I’m glad to see that you have such amazing moral compass! As the parent of a child with cancer, I want to thank you for donating to the money to help these children. I’m sure that the families of these kids are so very thankful for your generosity. We need more people in the world like you!
Sending healing energy for your Child .
I've also had a Son that fought Child hood cancer
🎗
Dan! You are educating the naive, eliminating ignorance, and logically confronting stupidity. Facts matter! Thank you for being as intelligent as you are musically talented! You continue to impress the world on SO many levels.
It's true isn't it . He does.
This guy is fucking awesome: Philosophically and intellectually sound, logical, truth seeking, freedom loving, easily-offended ignoring, personal responsibility-respecting, stands for his prinipals AND he makes awesome music! Fuckin love you man.
Ditto❤😊
Dan Vasc for President ❤
Well said!!!
No need for cursing.
@@kylestephens1421 language police???
I'm only seeing this 3 yrs. after it happened, but I want to thank you for donating that money to the children's cancer clinic .That is so kind and generous of you! GOD BLESS YOU DAN!!!
Damn. Distrokid got Dan Vasc so mad he's literally discussing morality vs legality. Love it.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
really fun show xDD
Amazing young man.God bless you
Thanks so much for taking the time to give us an update.
Your integrity is inspiring!
Love how grounded you are. Very pleased there was a positive outcome
Dan, the time you dedicated to this problem alone, is heart wrenching.
Your unshakeable dignity and English verbal skills are utterly admirable.
You have an extraordinary view of exact justice. Turning evil into good on your own terms that benefits innocent children suffering through no fault of their own---- is genius!! I am inspired, impressed, and in awe of your facilitation of moving positive energy, money and kindness forwarded into the lives of all concerned❤
"Morality is comprised of self-evident principles that cannot be created, only recognized." Man, I absolutly admire your voice, the dedication it takes to train and maintaine it and the energy you show in your videos, but this puts you in my book of truly beautyful people. Short, to the point and sharp. ❤
I went to read the google drive files and I gotta say I am in love with the way you write and express yourself. Every phrase and paragraph is cooler than the previous one and you never let go of a sense of class and self-respect while writing Distrokid. It is incredible, you are incredible.
You are a special man a BIG heart and so much love and compassion! The donation for the children with cancer was amazingly SPECIAL❤ THAT ❤😊was a big win in my heart! Thank you Dan. Love you more now if it’s even possible, then before! ❤❤❤ many blessings on your singing and life
Dan, you are amazing!! Love the talks with the fans. LOVE your voice. And love the way,you put Distrokid in their place. Much love❤
Those DM's honestly were creepy. I learned more about the music industry from these two videos dealing with DIstrokid than I ever wanted to know (and I already knew the industry was a wretched hive of scum and villainy). Thanks, Dan, for being the man you are. We need more people like you in this world.
The world needs more people like you. Mad respect to you and your community.
You're not only an amazing singer, but very intelligent. I'm so happy they gave you the money back, but most important I'm so proud of you for giving that money to a worthy cause. To me, that tells me you have a kind heart. Thank you for being you!
Your not only a fantastic singer but your integrity is admired and what a lovely funny guy you are. Breath of fresh air ❤ subbed.
What a wonderful human being you are. You stood up to those thieves, and now your making that donation with the 'returned money'. You a true gentleman with morals and decency. (and that voice 😍) Love it! Support from the UK! X
Damn yep support from world wide agreed
"The most effective way to make enemies is to tell the truth". Wow, Dan. Isn't THAT the truth :) When someone takes something that doesn't belong to them, it is theft....period. What you speak about is absolutely right, Dan. Because it is legal, doesn't mean you should do it. Morality is something that needs to be brought back into our culture. It is severely lacking by some. Greed, dishonesty, and hate needs to end. You and Dimash Kudaibergen are at the very top of my favorite entertainers because of that reason. It is the message you relay with your music that is so powerful and that needs to be heard and shared. God bless you for your convictions and ethics, Sir.
Damn, I read through these DMs and it's very inspiring to see that you respectfully stood your grounds. Inspiring !
I applaud your moral compass and your tenacity. Your donation to the children’s cancer center is so admirable! You are truly a man among men! Peace and love to you always!
Damn, those DMs with Phil Kaplan are savage. Props to you for sticking to your guns Dan and standing up for all artists and also to Phil for finally owning up and getting personally involved in this resolution.
I mean the dude didn't own up to anything. He just paid him the money with apparent hopes of damage control.
@@TheIrishTurtle Just the cost of doing business.
Distrokid claims on their website to have over 1,000,000 users. So even being less than generous and saying they all have the basic, entry-level tier at $20 p.a that is still AT LEAST $20,000,000 coming in annually to the company.
Dan's ~$4,000 IS a lot of money but compared to their minimum income of $20,000,000 p.a it is nothing. It is 0.2%. That can be waved away as a rounding error by a savvy accountant.
First, you were raised well and this is by no means a trite observation. You have your parents and family to thank in such enormous ways as to exceed even your capacity for humility. In other words, your upbringing was a gift from God. Second, as the grandmother of a cancer kid, I recognize that your act of generosity will not be forgotten long past your life, all the while hoping it is a hundred years' duration. God bless you and thank you.
"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty". It's very inspyring to see that you are not just a pretty face and voice. The fact that many people think that legal = right always diturbed me tbh. Thank you for your video
You are exactly what an artist should be... a message of hope. You rock Dan Great job
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Your a good man Dan and you didn't take that bullshit lying down. People wouldn't rally behind just anyone. Its your quality of character and what you bring to the world that inspired others to support you in this endeavour.
I cannot get over how incredibly well spoken you are, Dan. Another very informative video and I appreciate the update :)
This. As a relatively well-educated native English speaker, I'm always impressed by how well Dan conveys his messages. While I have a pretty solid vocabulary, and a firm grasp of grammar/syntax, I can't speak as articulately as him. His voice is certainly his 'gift', whether he's speaking or singing.
Dan should legit make video essays about things he cares about in-between the covers. He's obviously super-intelligent, well-spoken, and with a good moral compass, and even though the issue doesn't directly concern me, I immensely enjoyed the balls and competence in how he handled the two DK videos.
What? He can barely form a fucking sentence.
@@noname-ng6sj bruh 💀 u on every comment hating on him
@@noname-ng6sj *says the guy who barely can speak his own language*
Holy fucking shit i actually love you man!(as a person so no one gets confused!) i watched the previous video just before watching this one, i had avoided it previously as i thought it was clickbait maybe someone paying you to make distrokid look bad or something... But boy was i wrong! Having seen both videos i notice a few things among others:
1. You are an amazing and patient man!
2. Your morality levels are over 9000!
3. Your are well spoken! (Im a little jealous but that means i have to put in more work with how i speak!)
4. You are GENUINELY generous! I mean you in line with your morals would not keep the money you were owed and instead gave it to charity because it was given to you as a PR stunt to make them look good, i have never known anyone to stick so strongly with their morals yet alone be this generous.
I so rarely see people like this, so i am definitely subscribing and keeping up with your videos, i actually think i have a new favorite you-tuber. I really do hope you get to buy your mãe an amazing home as she has raised an awesome son, i also wish you the best in your future dealings as an artist!
😊
Thanks for the update Dan. You are fearless and a man of integrity ❤
Seems like DistroKid's biggest issue was their complete lack of transparency. If they legally have to withhold some amount for tax purposes then they should have made that EXTREMELY clear far far earlier. This was their mistake and what makes me lose trust in them.
Their customer service does tend to be complete shit in general. Most of the time I just get copy and pasted answers as well. Apparently they are working to improve this so I hope they succeed.
Dan, thanks so much for bringing these issues to the public.
Hey Boom Kitty, what did you choose as another distributor to replace Distrokid?
Depending on the laws of their home country they could potentially be brought to charges (They being distrokid). Disclosing financial withholding is not just standard good-business practice but also legally required in many countries.
I don't know, every time I contacted the support I actually got great responses, not just copy paste stuff. But it saddens me to see that other ppl have such bad experiences with them, actually makes me lose some trust as well.
They made that clear, you just can't fucking read.
On the front page "artists keep 100% of their money" and later withheld money, which is not 100%
Thank you! Thank you for being you and paying it forward. I am loosing faith in humanity and this video popped up at the right time to remind me there are still good people.
You standing up for your own morals and ideas of what's right is such a breath of fresh air.
Most "influencers" right now just attempt to avoid conflict and controversy in any way possible, leading to more and more abuse. Thank you. We need more people like you! 🤘
"The State and the Law are not capable of creating morality"
I love you man
Wow, 300k subs, and here we are, watching you today at almost 1 million subs! It's great to see your fanbase growing and to see your support system grow. You have fans because of your SKILL and also because of your integrity.
Agreed. They were showing their "good side" by returning the monies. But there is no good side to their actions of stealing. Amazing they got away with this immoral action. Sorry you and other talents went through this. God bless and you have an epic day!!
Dan Vasc for president!!! The world needs more of you, all of you
I really adore and admire this man, truly. Regardless of his talents, Dan as a person is such an inspiration. Love ya bro
Being an independent artist myself, I CANNOT thank you enough for spreading the word about this issue. big ups to you for your honor and transparency.
It's nice to see someone actually sticking to good morality rather than what is just easy or convenient. keep it up bro! 🤘
I second that!
Literally a legal thing. They would have to cease operations if they don't do this. You guys are all fucking insane.
@@noname-ng6sj Alright, explain why are people insane? This is legal but it's immoral. And nobody fucking cares if that's legal. And even then they still haven't addressed any of the problems.
@@shale1337 When people says this is a "legal thing" they don't mean that Distrokid is uses a legal loophole to get the money. They mean that the US government forces the company to hold money for taxes. If that's the case (which I'm not 100% sure, cause I'm not US lawyer) then what is immoral is calling it thieving.
@@shale1337 Nope. It's not immoral to follow laws in order to keep your business. Holy shit. You are certified NUTS.
There's no way you're an adult. Learn something about the world. I live in a country that has a tax treaty with the US; AND I HAD TO PUT IN MY TAX INFO 6 TIMES IN 2 MONTHS. How on earth do you not fucking do the bare minimum to _get paid_?
"I made the sound, you amplified it."
Dan Vasc 2020
Hi Dan, I'm a new sub and I've been binge watching your videos all week. Your voice is amazing and you are a fantastic performer. Love the emotion you convey when you perform. I also enjoy your sense of humor...and appreciate your ethics and morals. I'll watch some extra videos today, I would have done so anyway. Yes, you got this. We all knew you would. Your contractors will probably all subscribe before they finish the wall!
Legit constantly watch your "toss a coin to your witcher" cover all the time
His witcher songs help me chill out aswell as focus while i game
I play it on my Echos throughout the house
I love that cover its one of the best covers on here. So much passion and emotion in it.
Nicely done, dude.
Very nicely done.
sei ovunque porco dio! XD
a trick : you can watch series at Kaldrostream. Been using them for watching a lot of movies these days.
@Israel Alvin yup, I have been watching on KaldroStream for since december myself :)
Woes to you, Christian Airts.
Christian Airts woes to you!
You that are paying taxes to the Cristo Canaro...
Hey man... I just wanted to say that you really impressed me. You’re not only smart and well spoken but your moral compass is right on point. I’ll be honest I was not familiar with you or your music before this whole ordeal but you’ve gained a fan. Not only of your music but of you as a person. The music world and world in general needs more people like yourself. Thank you 🙏🏻
If I may ask, I’m a musician myself who (sadly) recently joined distrokid a short while ago before I knew any of this. I’m not at all worried about surrendering the sign up fee, I just want to do business with an honest company. You mentioned that you do business with some other distributors. Who would you recommend?
Thank you for the kind words, friend. I've been using Soundrop for my catalog that was previously with Distrokid. So far a very pleasant experience.
So cool of you Dan, to reply to his request for direction. Nice to see.
you are a lovely person Dan and your music is incredible - new fan here!@@DanVasc
I'm tardy to the party here as I only discovered you a week ago. Since then I've been watching all of your videos and came across this Distrokid debacle. I was so impressed with you, your talent and (sorry but I'm female) your amazing looks. Now watching these Distrokid videos, my regard for you has gone through the roof. Your character, your intelligence and your amazing grasp of English is beyond impressive. How wonderful of you to donate the money to cancer kids. My husband died of cancer and i know your father did too. You have a beautiful heart. I'll be a lifelong fan.
You could teach a lot of politicians how to be. ❤ Blessings, Dan Vasc
Your description of legality vs. morality is spot on. You are a man of deep morality and dignity, which makes me even more of a fan. Thank you.
um brasileiro com esse talento incrível, ainda tenho fé no meu país...sem precisar apelar pra vulgaridade alguma. Parabéns Dan
Dan is hitting the barrier of law and justice. Justice is the fulfillment of the needs people and society; law is the codification of that process. Unfortunately, thieves, politicians, and general scumbags wish to hijack this process for profit and fame. Props to Dan for calling out the thieves.
WOW. That is AWESOME! I am so incredibly proud you have found a worthwhile charity to contribute to. Oh, my god, you are an amazing person. Subscribing/like/comment is not enough for how I feel about you and what you stand for, your productions, and all that goes on behind the scenes. Thank you for being an amazing human being.
Love how organised and articulate you've been through all this! No issues at all with the foundation you chose :)
Although it happened a time ago, I am totally 100000% on your side! I am the same when it comes to things like that, where others say "just let it go" - NO! If everybody accepts any kind of "wrongdoing" from others than we can also give away our free will (not my best english but I hope you get what I mean) . So thanks for beeing like you are 🥳
All I want to say is your voice is awesome. It's something you can close your eyes and loose the world's problems for a time. Thank you
You are so well spoken... Such a breath of fresh air!
Thank you for being awesome!
Dan is the man that does all the covers, but we all know he's better than all the others!!!!!, best wishes and keep safe 😷😷😷👌👍
Don't say that. I'm just a regular guy, deeply flawed. As I said, you did this. Not me.
@@DanVasc ive been here to see you get so many fans, you did that 😁X
@@DanVasc very humble down-to-earth. Is the way to be my friend I respect that totally the way you do covers is very good I enjoy everything you do always stay humble keep up the great work my friend
@@DanVasc Alexander the great . Maiden.
@@DanVasc salve irmão!
I recently found your channel and I have to tell you that not only am I in awe of your talent, I am very impressed with your morality. Your parents raised you right. Now, a question - how did you learn English so well???
It's an ethics issue, something that's an apparently foreign concept to many these days, whether it's Distrokid or an individual. I'm so impressed with your ethics, Dan. Nobody is perfect, but it's refreshing to see someone try so very hard to walk that line while resolving an issue like this was. Respect deserved. The final blow to this fiasco was treating the cash returned under false generosity as if it was kinda "blood money" and finding an honorable way to invest it that produced something positive & beautiful out of something negative and disgusting (making lemonade out of lemons per se). You're definitely nobody's fool & not one to be trifled with. Well done.
"The most effective way to make enemies is to speak the truth"
What a great line. And so true!
As a survivor of cancer myself, thank you immensely. I understand what they have to go through and frankly I don't think I'd wish it on my enemies.
Wow. As a creator (I'm an Indie Author), I have see this stuff done in the publishing world too and it sucks. It takes noise to change things and I'm glad you have the fans (including me, btw) to actually get the noise up. I'm not surprised they wussed out and changed the website, that's sadly pretty standard. And it was hitting more indie musicians, the noise you generated would help them too.
Bravo for the donation. That's a very worthy cause. It shows you have your morals and priorities straight and I salute you on that.
I've been watching your vids for only a week and I'm totally smitten with your courage, your presence, and now, your morals. Damn, I'm glad I found your work. (yeah, granny loves metal and covers!!)
Thank you so much for the update Dan! Wow, it's really sad to see the response had no acknowledgment of the arguments brought forward. It makes me seriously reconsider my current sponsorship with them....
Appreciate you Dan.
It should btw be possible to not hand over 30% with the right paperwork. I'm trying to work it out together with some of my fellow musicians.
Looking at your name I’m guessing you’re Dutch as well. I believe for us it’s still just one form and you should be good. The US-Dutch tax treaty clearly says royalties arising in one of the states (US) that are beneficially owned by a resident of the other state (NL) shall be taxable only in that other state.
Did you ask an accountant about this? They’ll probably charge you for the hour (of course) but then you’re set for all US royalties.
Are there any specific issues that you guys are running into right now? I used to work in music publishing for quite some years so I might be able to point you in the right direction.
@@koningskeizer Interesting, yes I'm Dutch. Good analyses, hehe. I'll continue in English though for the others watching.
So to be honest I don't know if this regulation affects people from The Netherlands (or the EU). I have a couple of thousand in my Distrokid account for which I'm very hesitant to withdraw now. I don't know if the form was filled out properly and whether the tax treaty with The netherlands indeed doesn't withhold 30%. I'm hesitant because I have a Canadian friend from who 30% was withheld. I can't imagine The Netherlands having a better tax treaty with the US than Canada?
I might be wrong, but you get my hesitation to 'try' it, haha.
Hey, fellow Dutchie here. Have you got any new info regarding this issue? Would love to get everything set up right and forget about it.
@@JesseAbbey I actually do, follow this link for the correct info: distrokid.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044282254
Try with Amuse, check the page
Freaking amazing video. I actually cheered when you got into your explanation or morality and legality. You are awesome! Keep up the great work and keep making EPIC music.
Way to go Dan! Your are amazing and your voice............🥰 Amazing Grace made me tear up. How you sing it, wow. There's only a woman who sang it (in (1998?) and never heard anyone sing it like her but you, Dan, sing it.......powerful!
You have a pure heart and I'm praying you will be blessed huge for it!! ❤
As someone who went through chemotherapy, I know how devastating it can be, especially if you're just a kid. Beautiful gesture. Great job, Dan!
God bless you Dan! Ty for exposing these scammers. I'm glad to hear you got your money back. I think it such a beautiful gesture what your doing with the money. It shows me what kind of person you are and shows you truly care about people and their needs. Thats why so many people love you. You have so many subs and we all will back you! Again, God bless you❤
Legal Plunder: "When a portion of wealth passes from the person who has acquired it, without his consent and without compensation, to someone who has not created it, whether this is by force or fraud, I say that there has been a violation of property rights and that there has been an act of plunder." - Frédéric Bastiat
OH and... "Here take this money and be quiet so you can't sue the pants off of me cause of LEGAL PLUNDER!"
Giving that money to charity is a beautiful thing and makes a statement all its own, well played!
Dan, you are not only a talented musician, but also a man with a huge heart! Theft remains theft and whether it is legal or not. People like you make this world a better place! Thank you for everything you do!!!
I would have kept the "Donation" from the CEO, and put the Company on Notice to disclose to me the power-of-attorney or agreement they had to withhold earnings, and the IRS form 1099 they used to report the tax withholding within 30 days. I would have then sued them for 3 times the annual payout I was initially entitled to in addition to the full accounting which they alleged was a withholding. I would claim the "Donation" was not a settlement to their adverse possession of my property (The withheld earnings) because I would have written evidence that it was a "Gift", and therefore no consideration as a "payment" for the debt. You also should have the right to take them to International Trades Court.
YOU are a GOOD and DECENT man, Dan Vasc! May you receive many blessings for 'sticking up the little guy' and for donating that money to such a well-deserved organization.
Thank you for being such an inspiring and wonderful human being.
That was such a beautiful and noble thing rhat you did. So proud to be a Dan Vasc fan!
Well Dan, in my book you went from "This guy does some amazing covers" when i saw you a few years ago to.. well i don't know what to call it, but i think you are doing a fantastic job. It takes some balls to go this hard and public and kept it so civilized. How you stayed so well worded in those conversations i don't know, i would have been a lot less nice i think.
I found you after your version of Amazing Grace, which I found definitely amazing!. Reading what you believe in, the issue here and what you did, I am even more impressed. You not only have an astounding voice but your delivery is inspiring. Glad for how you dealt with this company and what thy did, how you used the money. That also is inspiring. I wish you much luck with your continuing career.
Much respect dude. We need more social media personalities with strong principles.
Well, if I admired you before, I can't even express how much more I do now.
Good for you! I'm glad you got to the bottom of things and brought this issue to the forefront for other independent artists that deserve the money they make from their hard work!!
Way to rise above the circumstances, and set a proper example. Honestly, you have my respect. In addition to having a good moral compass, you have another quality many people lack these days.... Integrity.
wow!! you almost bought me to tears!! what a great person. thank you for your helpful advice, gave you a thumps up.
Thanks Dan for the video! And now what are you thinking to do? you stay with distrokid or will you look for another distribution platform?
Dan can't answer you.
YouNeedToAskAnAccountant
@@NB-TB id stay they got him 12 million watchers
Treta punk, com um gesto nobre, parabéns my brother, plantar o bem gera frutos maravilhosos!!!Abs
Thanks Dan, we are all glad you shared this with us; may you continue to be blessed sir!!
Thank you for doing this for all of us. I respect you. God keep blessing you, with more and more.
Of course DK isn't going to acknowledge that they "returned" your money. That would be the equivalent of admitting to theft. Notice how they didn't once reference how they hadn't "withheld" money from you before, either. Nor did they make any mention of changing any companies they use for their financials. The entire dm conversation was absolutely, unequivocally, 100% a PR stunt to make DK look better given the situation.
it 100% was!!! and (imo) their website was barely changed it’s still misleading
As I understand it, they don't have that money. The IRS does. They have to pay it due to laws regarding international tax, or at least that's what there saying. If that's true than they are still misleading people by saying you'll keep 100% of your earnings but they don't get the money it goes to the IRS. Still wrong on there part but they aren't really stealing it for themselves in that case. If that isn't whats happening and the owner is just blatantly lying then they could be in serious legal trouble.
@@ProdDom-yx2nh taxes could be considered "not earnings" and their claim would still be true. I wouldn't advertise that way, but I'm not a bargain-basement distributor, either.
Honestly! I had no idea about the Tipalti change until I was forced to sign a tax form in a different way than I normally do... the same type of tax form I use for Patreon. What was not made clear to me is that my tax ID was required if they didn't ask my birth date... I've been using my birth date to claim treaty benefits for years with other companies. Turns out that's the one thing that was not asked on the form and I didn't realize it because my information auto filled and the birth date was in fact asked on previous forms. IT'D HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE A HEADS UP OF THE CHANGES BEFOREHAND THOUGH. Worst part is it lists my tax treaty country on the form... why even bother to ask that if it's just going to be rendered invalid anyway???
The amount of tax ignorance in this thread is incredible. Its not theft kid, it's taxes...
I think you're an amazing guy and its awesome that you're donating the money to a worthy cause. Blessed Be Dan and I look forward to your next video.
You have a great gift of comedy in communication! 😄 It's hard to not laugh through the whole thing.
Thanks for the first video and follow up video, both were recommended to me by YT. I'm not a fan of your music\covers, but I'm a fan of your personality and honesty.
Verdadeiros herois não usam capa, Dan. Um abraço de Portugal! E obrigado por estes dois vídeos.
Youre such a great man with a beautiful mindset and heart!!!
Such a shame it went this way, but how beautiful it is what you do with your money now ..❤
Stay safe!🙏
Glad I found this video and your page. You're a leader who admirably serves the community - hard to find selfless people like this, kudos!
Dear Dan,
What a gift from God to humanity you are! You are a man of honor, marked by integrity. You are lover of Truth. I greatly respect your passion for Truth and your commitment to share it for the good of others. Clearly indicative of a strong moral compass with a desire to protect. You have heart and courage. All this makes you a giant of a human being. I believe that is the core of your power that uses your talent in such a way that makes you a phenomenal artist. It comes from your core where your honor is.
I found you performing Amazing Grace. I have been a Christian for my whole life, and I have never before heard my favorite song sung with such power and passion as it justly deserves. You did this. I listen to it every day now, and I am enthusiastically following all your other work as well. What a Godsend to find such a giant of a human being with such extraordinary talent. God is already using you in great ways, and I eagerly watch how you shall continue. Be blessed as you do bless! I love you♥️🙏🏻♥️🕊️
It is very rare nowadays that I see such kindness in people as you show! Your parents should be (and probably are too o.c.) very proud of having raised a person with so good values still at heart! I'm not very religious but I will send a prayer to God to ask him to take care of you and your wellbeing! I wish you great success! And I'm sure you will find it! You have now been elevated to a person for others to look up to. You have become a great role model for the younger people and for all that I sincerely, from the deepest of my heart wish you all the best for the future! 🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️ kindest reg. From Ole Dahl, Norway.
Much respect to you for bringing this to light. For them to treat their artists that way and only owning up to you after you brought it to light shows how they really are.
thank you bro, was just trying to submit there, but after this, no way. you are, the man
I know this video is 3 years old, but it just made me a super fan! I came across your Amazing Grace cover and I was blown away. Been taking a deep dive of your other videos, and I've been thoroughly enjoying every single one of them. Thank you!
Dan, Thank you for standing up for the artists! You are a noble man (in addition to being a great performer -- love your covers). The Distrokid practices you described are truly despicable; we would have to search far and wide to find something worse than robbing artists. It is much easier to screw someone far away, and someone that looks small. I am glad you used your 322k extra muscle power to show that you can fight back.
I'd like to point out a few technicalities:
Ignoring the non-existent customer service, what you described is actually not legal. It is not legal in the US to have a hidden clause deep in some documents and advertise contradictory information. That's why any time the smallest change in banking rules is made, a notice is mailed to every single bank customer. You can see how quickly they reverted the 100% statement on the front page -- the reason for that was that what they had there was actually quite illegal. I am not sure that "whatnot" makes it legal now, but it probably covers it a bit, and as we all know lawyers love to find "flexible" unenforceable contracts.
Regarding the withheld tax claimed by Distrokid... Even if it was true (which is possible) the handling appears quite suspicious: Tax withholding is highly regulated, there is obligatory reporting and Distrokid would have to give you a clear statement as to what they withheld. They can only withhold money after arranging a schedule with the IRS. Similarly, the IRS would have a record crediting those tax payments to your name. Given the apparent absence of any records, it may be worth a bit of investigation.
When dealing with a problem like this, there are a few steps people can take, and the more people do it, the better chance is that it will be addressed.
1. File a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov) That is the federal agency in charge of enforcing the truth in advertising law.
2. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) Organization that investigates and exposes business fraud
3. File a complaint with Econsumer (econsumer.gov) International version of the above
There are other avenues including class actions, but ordinary folks with limited resources should do the above, preferably all three of them. That's where I would start.
Thanks you again for calmly articulating the problem, and putting up a good fight for everyone else!
Cheers