🇺🇸 5. Spotify artificial streams warning

Some artists receive a notice from their distributor or see a message in Spotify for Artists about artificial streams. This article explains what it means and what you can do.

What Spotify means by artificial streams

Spotify defines an artificial stream as a stream that doesn't reflect genuine listening, for example plays created by bots or scripts. Spotify detects these streams and does not pay royalties for them. Depending on the case, a song can also be removed from playlists, and distributors can issue warnings or remove music.

How DailyPlaylists works

• We do not sell streams, followers or guaranteed playlist placements.

• When you submit a song, independent curators listen to it and decide whether to add it to their playlist. They can also decline.

• Curators manage their own playlists on Spotify. We check Premium Curators against our criteria, including real listening, before approving them.

What to do if your music is affected

1. Check your data in Spotify for Artists: look for sudden spikes, streams from unexpected countries or unknown sources, and note which playlists they come from.

2. Contact your distributor or label. Spotify works with them on these cases. Share how you promoted the release, including any services you used.

3. Report suspicious playlists to Spotify, so they can investigate.

4. Tell us if the playlist came from a DailyPlaylists submission. Send us the playlist link via the chat at feedback.dailyplaylists.com and we will review the curator.

Sources

• Spotify Support: Artificial streaming and paid 3rd-party services that guarantee streams

• Spotify for Artists: Artificial streaming