Spotify Playlist Promotion is Fraud

In the fiercely competitive world of music streaming, artists dream of the day their tracks land on Spotify’s coveted editorial playlists. These playlists, curated directly by Spotify’s editorial team, can skyrocket careers, delivering authentic exposure and genuine streams. But the industry has become infested with deceitful third-party playlist promotions claiming to provide “personal” and “curated” playlist placements. These offers are enticing, especially for artists unsure of how to genuinely access Spotify’s editorial picks. Unfortunately, these promotions often involve tactics amounting to outright fraud.  Read more about similar topics in our artist resources.

The Deceptive Trap of Playlist Promotion

Artists eager for recognition are frequently targeted by companies promising instant exposure on seemingly popular playlists. These services claim their placements are “organic” or curated by genuine listeners, but in reality, they’re frequently populated by bots designed to artificially inflate stream counts. Some may call this “playlisting.” This practice, known as streaming fraud, manipulates Spotify’s algorithm, deceiving the platform into paying royalties based on fabricated listening figures.

Streaming Fraud: What You Need to Know

Streaming fraud isn’t merely unethical—it’s criminal. Spotify pays artists based on the legitimacy of their streaming data. When bots generate artificial streams, Spotify is defrauded into paying royalties for listens that never genuinely occurred. Disturbingly, many artists remain unaware that the playlist promotion services they paid for are using bots. Nonetheless, ignorance doesn’t shield artists from accountability. Spotify and law enforcement hold the artist ultimately responsible, as the fraudulent streams directly benefit them financially.

Real Consequences: The Michael Smith Case

A North Carolina man, Michael Smith, perpetrated a fraudulent scheme over seven years, utilizing artificial intelligence and bots to manipulate streaming platforms. He fabricated hundreds of thousands of fake songs under fictitious band names and employed programmed bots to amass billions of streams, fraudulently accumulating over $10 million in royalties.

Smith’s operation involved creating thousands of fake email and streaming accounts, and he constantly rotated different songs to evade detection. His scheme enabled him to stream his songs over 600,000 times in a single day, generating substantial revenue without any genuine listeners.

A federal indictment detailed Smith’s actions, which not only enriched him but also negatively impacted legitimate artists who depend on accurate streaming numbers for royalties and audience growth. He now faces multiple criminal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, each carrying a potential 20-year prison sentence. Read more about this case in this blog article we wrote in 2024.

The Serious Risks of Playlist Promotion

Artists must remain vigilant. Even services branding themselves as “organic” can be deceptive. Real promotion cannot promise exact stream counts, placements, or instant growth. Genuine Spotify promotion relies on building authentic connections with real listeners, which typically occurs gradually through advertising through trusted platforms, social media engagement, and collaborations. Additionally, the term “organic” when referring to marketing is traffic from channels that are not advertising. If you are paying for a service that gives you plays through Spotify playlists they claim people stream or they advertise, it’s not organic because it is essentially advertising. Companies that throw around the word “organic” are red flags.

Protect Yourself and Your Career

Before paying for promote, artists must meticulously vet promotional companies. Ask detailed questions about their methods, and beware of vague or elusive responses. Legitimate promoters provide transparent reporting and are able to tell you what they do and how they do it. When a major company hires a consulting agency to advertise their product, the agency is going to run ads through services like Google Ads, Meta Ads, Amazon Ads, etc. No agency is going to hide that that is what they do, because that’s what the company hiring them wants. So, why would a music marketer need to hide how they work? Playlist promotion services promising rapid, guaranteed exposure frequently exploit desperation for quick success, leaving artists vulnerable to serious legal and financial consequences.

Conclusion

The promise of quick fame via playlist promotion may be enticing, but shortcuts rarely lead to lasting success. Spotify’s crackdown on streaming fraud means artists must be vigilant and skeptical of promotional services that seem too good to be true. Remember: authentic growth takes time, genuine engagement, and transparency. Anything else isn’t promotion—it’s fraud. If you want to learn more about topics like those discussed in this article, check out the free tips like these in our dozen of resources.

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