As part of our commitment to transparent and fair music streaming, we want to inform all artists and labels about the importance of avoiding artificial streaming practices on Spotify. Artificial streaming refers to any method used to boost play counts / streams / views in ways that don’t reflect genuine listener intent, such as using bots, scripts, click farms, or paid playlist placements. Such actions are violations of Spotify’s policies and can result in severe repercussions for the artists and labels involved.
Why This Matters
Artificial streaming can harm the music ecosystem by redirecting revenue away from hardworking artists, misrepresenting listener data, and diminishing the value of genuine engagement. Spotify dedicates extensive resources to detecting and removing artificial streams to uphold the integrity of their platform and protect artists’ interests. Starting in early 2024, Spotify will begin enforcing a new policy that applies penalties to distributors and labels involved in artificial streaming. If intentional, artificial streams are detected on specific tracks, Spotify may impose charges on the distributor or label responsible.
What This Means for Artists and Labels
We are dedicated to protecting the earnings and integrity of genuine artists. As such:
- Non-Violating Artists Will Not Be Impacted by Penalties for Violating Tracks
We commit to ensuring that any penalties applied by Spotify for artificial streaming on specific tracks will only affect those directly responsible. Non-violating artists or labels who are not associated with such tracks will not bear any financial impact from these penalties. - Education and Transparency on Artificial Streaming
We provide all our artists and partners with Spotify’s Artificial Streaming Education guidelines as part of our onboarding process. Here are some articles that will educate you about the dangers of Artificial Streaming:
2.1. Spotify for Artists: Artificial Streaming Education
2.2. All you need to know about artificial streaming
2.3. Artificial streaming and paid 3rd-party services that guarantee streams
2.4. What Is Artificial Streaming? The Latest Episode of The Game Plan Explains
We encourage all artists and labels to familiarize themselves with these guidelines to understand how to identify and avoid artificial streaming practices. - Clear Communication on Policy Enforcement
To maintain transparency, we communicate directly with clients about any artificial streaming penalties. It’s important to note that Spotify’s penalties are applied to us as your distributor and are not charges directed at individual artists or clients. Our goal is to provide accurate information and avoid any misunderstandings about the nature of these penalties.
Potential Consequences of Artificial Streaming
If Spotify identifies artificial streaming on a track, potential actions could include withholding royalties, flagging or removing the content, or applying financial penalties. Repeated offenses or flagrant violations can lead to more serious repercussions, including the removal of an artist’s catalog from Spotify entirely.
Our Shared Responsibility
As a partner committed to supporting genuine music promotion, we encourage all artists and labels to work only with reputable marketing and playlisting services and avoid any entities that might use artificial streaming tactics. By promoting authentic engagement, we create a fair and sustainable streaming environment where everyone’s hard work is respected.
If you have questions about artificial streaming or our commitment to fair play, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Let’s work together to ensure that genuine music and honest artists thrive on Spotify and beyond.