Digital streaming giants Spotify has opened up on the truth and dangers of stream farms and how it affects artists.
Spotify has addressed and revealed the truth behind artificial streaming otherwise known as the use of stream farms whilst shedding light on how such practice harms the artists.
Following the recent trend of artists calling out the practice in Nigeria the new approach by the digital streaming giants indicate that their concerns as artists have been heard and recognized.
Artificial streaming otherwise known as fake plays from bots or click farms pr stream farms remains a serious issue in the music industry. Spotify in their latest masterclass for addressed this issue head-on.
Spotify clarifies the complexities of artificial streaming, its negative impact on artists (inflated stats, misled fans, lost royalties), and how creators can protect themselves.
Many artists are unknowingly targeted by services promising “guaranteed streams” or playlist placements, which are often red flags leading to penalties and hindering genuine fan connections.
David Martin, CEO at Featured Artists Coalition revealed, “We’re seeing artists get contacted on social media frequently. Often they’re getting DMs and then if they actually were to research those companies, they don’t exist or they don’t have a footprint. ‘It is: we will guarantee you this, we will guarantee you these fans, we will guarantee you this reach. We will guarantee you these streams’. That’s always a red flag. 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.”
Spotify actively combats artificial streaming using advanced detection, manual reviews, and collaborations like the Music Fights Fraud Alliance.
Speaking on how such actions will be combatted Bryan Johnson the Head of Artist & Industry Partnerships, International at Spotify revealed, “We know how frustrating it can be if you’re caught up in any of this. That’s why we’re investing heavily in tech and resources to detect artificial streams, and enforcing policies as quickly as possible to deter bad actors from doing it in the first place. This is something we take seriously at every level, all around the world. And our efforts are working.”
He added, “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. Those streams do not count toward public stream numbers, monthly listener count, or charts. Labels and distributors will be charged per track when significant artificial streaming is detected on their content. This charge may then be passed on to the artists whose tracks are detected as artificially streamed.”
Watch the video below:
