The Truth About Artificial Streaming — And Why It Hurts Artists

Spotify is taking a firm stance against artificial streaming, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring a fair and transparent ecosystem for artists. In a newly launched Spotify for Artists Masterclass, available at https://youtu.be/U5qC6u2MYtw, the platform directly addresses the complexities of artificial streaming and its damaging effects on the music industry.

Artificial streaming, defined as fake plays generated by bots or click farms, can inflate stream counts, mislead fans, and ultimately divert crucial royalty payments away from legitimate artists. Spotify emphasizes that less than 1% of streams on its platform are determined to be artificial, a testament to its ongoing efforts to combat this issue.

The Masterclass features insights from industry leaders, including Andreea Gleeson (CEO, Tunecore), David Martin (CEO at Featured Artists Coalition), and Bryan Johnson (Head of Artist & Industry Partnerships, International at Spotify).

Key takeaways from the Masterclass include:

• Spotify’s Proactive Measures: Spotify actively combats artificial streaming using advanced detection technology, manual reviews, and collaborative efforts through the Music Fights Fraud Alliance.
• The Harmful Impact on Artists: Artificial streams undermine the integrity of the streaming landscape, distorting data, and unfairly reducing royalty payouts for genuine artists.
• Education is Paramount: Spotify stresses the importance of educating artists about the dangers of artificial streaming and how to identify and avoid fraudulent services promising “guaranteed streams” or playlist placements.
• Severe Consequences for Offenders: Artists found to be involved in artificial streaming face strict penalties, including loss of royalties, removal from playlists, and potential fines for their labels or distributors.

Quotes from Industry Leaders:

• Andreea Gleeson, CEO, Tunecore: “It’s very, very important that we protect the ecosystem because we want as much of the royalty pool to go to artists with legitimate listeners and make sure that they’re the ones that are benefiting from all their hard work. We want to eradicate fraud. That is our mission and we’re gonna get as close to it as possible. Ultimately, our goal is to get more money in the pockets of real artists with real fans. This is something we take seriously at every level all around the world and our efforts are working.”
• David Martin, CEO at Featured Artists Coalition: “If anybody is guaranteeing that they can get you on playlists or they can boost your fans, I would say avoid that. I would say do your research. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably too good to be true.”
• Bryan Johnson, Head of Artist & Industry Partnerships, International at Spotify: “This is something we take seriously at every level, all around the world, and our efforts are working. To be crystal clear: You can’t buy your way onto a playlist. Any service charging you money to get on a Spotify playlist, including non-editorial ones, is a scam. Our policy is that when we detect any artificial streams, those streams do not earn royalties. They are fully removed from royalty calculations and do not dilute the royalty pool in any way.   Labels and distributors will be charged per track when significant artificial streaming is detected on their content.”

Spotify is committed to fostering a fair and transparent platform where genuine artists can thrive and connect with real fans. The Masterclass serves as a crucial resource for artists and the music industry to understand the risks of artificial streaming and work together to protect the integrity of the music ecosystem.