Horus Music Limited

Payment Discrepancy Pattern

Multiple artists documented receiving royalty payments substantially below industry standards between June and September 2025. One user reported earning £0.0008 per Spotify stream versus the typical £0.003 expectation, representing a 73% reduction.[28] When questioned, Horus support responded they “couldn’t comment on what other distributors provide” without addressing the fundamental calculation disparity.[28]

A second case documented payments “95% below industry standard” with thousands in potential lost revenue.[28] The artist noted:

“My earnings have been significantly lower—at least 95% below what’s typical in the industry. When I reached out to Horus Music for clarification, their support team was initially friendly, but they became abruptly curt and dismissive once I asked for more detailed insights.”

A third user compared earnings with another Horus artist and found inconsistency, stating “while their income was below industry average, it was still significantly higher than what I’m seeing,” suggesting non-transparent payout algorithms potentially favoring certain accounts without disclosed criteria.[28]

Three independent reports from September 2025 document this pattern with reduction rates between 73-95%. All users received dismissive responses when attempting resolution. One artist noted support “tend to avoid addressing the issue directly, claiming that their data is reliable, which is simply untrue.”[24] Payment processing operates monthly on the 15th through PayPal or Convera with initial 90-day holds plus 2-3 month DSP delays, resulting in 5-6 month waits for first payments.[72]

Account Termination Without Appeals

Seven documented cases between October 2020 and April 2025 show account suspensions without substantive evidence or functional appeals processes. One verified December 2021 case involved proof-of-ownership demands for self-produced music:

“After only a few releases, proof of ownership is demanded without justification and without evidence. Unfortunately, as a musician who makes his own beats, one can only submit a file and a written guarantee including a signature. But this is not enough for Horus Music, they demand invoices that cannot exist because music was produced by themselves. The case is now being settled legally.”

An April 2025 user reported being “banned for no reason a year ago” while subscription charges continued. Upon cancellation attempts, music was removed but no refund issued despite unjustified termination.[23]

Another severe case involved artificial streaming accusations in April 2025:

“When your songs start getting streams, they suspend your account. Also they keep your releases on the platforms without taking them down. They want to steal your royalties as much as possible. Using the excuse of ‘artificial streaming’ is ridiculous. I’ve been in the music industry for over 5 years.”

The user attempted contact three times across all listed email addresses with zero response, ultimately filing DMCA takedowns to reclaim content.[46]

A November 2020 case involved withholding “thousands of £s” for over 4 million streams with claims of “illegitimate” activity without providing evidence.[135] Across all documented cases, zero successful reinstatements occurred. The company provides no published appeals process or timeline for dispute resolution. Resolution rate: 0% across seven verified cases spanning five years.

Support Response Inconsistency

Customer service quality varies dramatically by region and issue type. Horus advertises direct phone support Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00 GMT and claims “personalised support” through multiple channels.[71] Approximately 50-60% of users across 40+ reviews report email responses within 24 hours for routine queries.[140]

However, 40-50% document multi-day delays or complete unresponsiveness. One April 2022 user stated:

“I have been paying Horus for about a year and now finally we are about to release the album. I am worried now since there have been no responses to my support requests.”

The artist received no reply to support requests despite paid subscription status.[126]

A May 2023 case involved complete account deletion: “My Horus Music account was deleted and so were my songs and they don’t even answer my emails.”[126] Another September 2020 case required four separate contact attempts across phone and three emails to resolve a £40 payment calculation error, with support failing to acknowledge the mistake until repeatedly prompted.[135]

Technical support proves particularly inadequate. One classical music artist resubmitted a release five times before correct formatting was accepted, with Horus providing no guidance while competitors explained solutions directly.[135] During website technical failures in October 2020, users received no warning with only “a small quote on their website saying they were making some changes and tracks may disappear for a while.”[135]

Phone support operates exclusively during UK business hours, excluding significant global timezones. No published Service Level Agreement exists. Email response times range from 24 hours to complete silence lasting weeks or months. Average resolution time for payment disputes: undocumented due to lack of successful resolutions.

Platform Technical Infrastructure

The backend system “MyClientZone” receives consistent criticism for outdated design and performance issues. Users describe it as “unprofessional” and “put together with a modular system.”[18] One September 2024 review documented:

“The interface is a frustrating wheel of doom for every page change. There’s excessive CAPTCHA verification at every turn—ironically, I defy ChatGPT to successfully determine what counts as a motorcycle.”

The same user struggled for multiple days attempting to change a registered email address through the platform.[21]

Stream analytics display significant delays with one user reporting no data appearing after two months despite other distributors showing results within days.[18] The platform implements automatic account deletion for inactivity without artist consent, with users reporting account removal after extended periods without login.[29]

Official marketing claims “unlimited releases” but undisclosed fair usage policies limit distribution to 5 albums, 7 EPs, and 24 singles annually.[66][135] This contradiction appears nowhere in primary marketing materials. Subscription billing continues during disputes with unclear cancellation confirmation processes, resulting in charges even for suspended accounts.[23]

Upload processing speeds vary inconsistently with some users reporting fast delivery while others document weeks of delays for releases stuck in review.[135] The company provides no API or automation tools, restricting all operations to web portal access only.

Distribution Coverage Gaps

Horus claims distribution to “over 200 platforms” or “150+ stores” including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music, Deezer, TikTok, and regional services.[17][92] However, specific platform rejections occur without clear policy justification.

One artist reported Horus refused to distribute to Instagram and Facebook Content ID, claiming it “goes against their policy” despite the release being entirely original and accepted by competing distributors for identical content.[23] Multiple December 2022 cases document systematic rejection of techno music from YouTube Content ID with explanations limited to “Techno tracks are common beats used everywhere” and “Youtube is very Strict.”[126]

An Arabic-language music manager reported systematic rejection stating:

“Horus Music reject music in this language for unclear reasons. It could be racism, who knows! The worst part is I can submit the same music to Ditto Music and it gets accepted.”

All releases were original compositions.[126]

One independent investigation by a label owner claimed verification of only 20 direct platform partnerships out of 200 claimed stores, with Pandora allegedly confirming blacklisting in the USA.[136] This single source lacks corroboration but suggests potential aggregator relationships rather than direct deals. Horus created unauthorized SoundCloud accounts for artists in one October 2020 case, uploading content without permission and blocking the artist from their own account.[135]

Platform coverage appears strongest in Asian markets with confirmed partnerships including NetEase, Tencent, JioSaavn, and Wynk.[30] TikTok distribution functions reliably with no documented systemic issues.[92] The company offers publishing services through Horus Music Publishing and Anara Publishing for sync licensing beyond basic distribution.[121]

Positive User Experiences

Approximately 60% of 262 Trustpilot reviews rate service positively with 5-4 star ratings.[140] Users with 5+ years’ experience report consistent satisfaction with fast email responses and helpful phone interactions.[135] The subscription model at £20 annually with zero per-release fees compares favorably against competitors charging per-release or higher annual rates.[60][63]

YouTube Content ID inclusion generates positive feedback for automatic monetization of third-party usage with 100% royalty retention for premium plan subscribers.[62][64] Artists confirm receiving expected Content ID revenue without commission deductions for legitimate accounts not flagged for fraud.[62]

Asian market artists particularly report strong distribution performance with effective platform partnerships in India and China.[30] The company successfully penetrated regional markets with localized support including an India-based phone line.[73] One user praised fast distribution processing and transparent dashboard analytics for routine releases.[126]

The 2017 Queen’s Award for Enterprise recognized 180% growth in overseas sales over three years, validating operational scale in international markets.[112] Founder Nick Dunn built the company without external venture capital, maintaining independence since 2006.[108][112] The organization employs 11-50 staff globally with offices in UK and India, providing actual human support rather than automated systems.[20][108]

Refund and Cancellation Policies

Payment terms specify a 14-day cancellation window exclusively before distribution begins.[110] Once first release goes live, refunds become unavailable regardless of service quality issues or dispute circumstances.[110] Labels explicitly cannot receive refunds under any conditions.[110]

Multiple cases document continued billing during account suspension periods without clear cessation logic. One April 2025 user reported charges continuing for a year after unjustified ban with refusal to reimburse despite no service access.[23] The December 2021 case involving proof-of-ownership disputes resulted in Horus refusing refund demands, escalating to legal proceedings with unreported outcome.[18]

Automatic renewal processes lack clear confirmation mechanisms with users reporting uncertainty about cancellation success until next billing cycle.[23] PayPal transaction processing for certain regions converts to unintended currencies (one user reported SEK instead of GBP) causing conversion losses without prior notification.[27] The company uses WorldPay for subscription billing separate from PayPal/Convera withdrawal processing.[110]

Official marketing emphasizes “no hidden fees” with all extras including YouTube Content ID, UK chart registration, Shazam, and SoundCloud fingerprinting included in base pricing.[63] However, video distribution to VEVO reportedly incurs undisclosed charges not listed in FAQ documentation.[30] Additional services for playlisting, mastering, and sync licensing exist with pricing not transparent upfront.[65]