Stop Playlist Scams

[ASouthworth]

There is a widespread Spotify playlist scam that has been running for at least a year, and i've seen it result in artists getting their music pulled from the platform when they've done nothing wrong. 

Basically the scam is a playlist company will add songs by 2,000 artists per day to their playlist, pumps bots to all the songs on it (maybe even some followers) hoping the artist will see the spike in streams and check it out in Spotify for Artists. The playlist has contact information or a website link on it, and they're hoping someone falls for it and hires them for more fake promo.

The playlist company is adding songs without the artists permission, and sometimes artists get banned even though they never initiated this.

Here are some ideas for how Spotify can fix this problem:

1. Make it impossible to put URL's or email addresses in the playlist descriptions
2. Provide some option for artists to report the playlists and have their songs removed from the playlist
3. Create better detection algorithms that punish the playlist creator and not the artists on the playlists
4. Switch to a user centric payment model that makes bots non-viable
5. Impose limits on the Spotify API that make it costly for bad actors to scale these types of bot attacks

[erikstearns]

But, if they get a portion of the royalty from streaming, why would they
shoot themselves in the foot like that?

[erikstearns]

Yup. The same happened to me.

[Bradmandu]

Hey there I just had a similar problem happe n to me. One of my tracks was removed for artificial streams. To dispute it with Spotify, I need to find out what playlist the  track appears on. Do you know how to obtain this information?

Thanks!

[iphiswell]

yes i did check in my spotify for artists. There you can see the playlists. Then with the website "artist tools" you can paste the link of the playlist and if there is one or several huge peaks of streams thy are artificial for sure. Thats what happened to me so i reported to spotify plus my distributor. let's cross our fingers. and let me know if it worked for you! regards, iphis 🙂

[musicalme]

The same happened to me yesterday.

I did 3 showcases and Spotify said artificial streaming and delisted my song.

I spent all day with Spotify and my distributor customer service trying to fix it.  

No hope.

The only solution was to redistribute the song.

Absolute mind fk.

[squall6969]

Support is unhelpful on both sides. Spotify says check with distrokid, distrokid says check with Spotify. I reported 2 playlists and got in touch with Spotify the very moment i saw the streams spike, did everything i could to prove ive done nothing yet my Christmas music for children is taken down. I did not pay anyone to promote the album nor did I use any platforms such as submithub etc.

[erikstearns]

If you read the entire thread, you'l realize you're not alone.

[DylanWare]

Here, for your amusement, is what it's like trying to communicate with Spotify "support"...
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so what i'd like to ask, is did spotify flag my song for stream fraud. yes or no? can you tell me?
You at 12:11 AM, Oct 11
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I completely understand, if you believe these plays are the result of organic and legitimate promotion, you can present info on the methods and services used to your distributor. They’ll then be able to forward this to our Content team, who will take it into consideration.
Jayanthi at 12:15 AM, Oct 11
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yes, i have done that. but can you please tell me if spotify flagged my song for stream fraud, yes or no?
You at 12:15 AM, Oct 11
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i'd really appreciate a straight answer if you don't mind.
You at 12:16 AM, Oct 11
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it's not a secret, is it?
You at 12:16 AM, Oct 11
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I get it and this is to inform you that, I can see that we have received metadata from your distributor on 2024-09-27 for the song takedown that is why your song was taken down from Spotify as per the metadata we received.
Jayanthi at 12:19 AM, Oct 11
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yes sir, I realise that. But what I'd to know is if spotify flagged my song for fraudulent streaming or not. yes or no?
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or no comment?
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I would appreciate it if you could grant me a few additional minutes to investigate this matter more thoroughly.
Jayanthi at 12:24 AM, Oct 11
absolutely. I'm here.
You at 12:24 AM, Oct 11
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Let me check a few things backstage. As a heads up, since we need to conduct checks on our tools, accounts, and artist profiles, it may take several minutes for us to reply to each step of our conversation. But this also means you can leave and return to it at your convenience. Just make sure to keep this window open to ensure we stay connected. I'll definitely send a reply once I'm done checking things backstage.
Jayanthi at 12:31 AM, Oct 11
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no problem. I'm here. I am happy to allow the time necessary to get the facts clear. it's ok. I'll be here waiting. |I'm grateful for your effort. I appreciate it.
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Thank you for staying connected. Have you received any email from your distributor?
Jayanthi at 12:45 AM, Oct 11
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no, there was nothing. i have checked my spam folder too. But really I'd like to know if spotify flagged my song as having fraudulent streaming or not?
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can you tell me? or is it a secret?
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In case I become unavailable on your next reply, your case will be connected to the next available advisor. Don't worry, I've saved notes on your account so the next advisor will know what we've discussed.
Jayanthi at 12:50 AM, Oct 11
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I get it, have you sent any email providing the screenshots of the methods you have used to promote your content to your distributor?
Jayanthi at 12:50 AM, Oct 11
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screenshots*
Jayanthi at 12:52 AM, Oct 11
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I have sent so many screenshots, and they have asked me no questions at all. They have not investigated anything with me at all. I have never paid for any promotion at all. i have never botted anything at all. Did spotify flag my song as streaming fraud , yes or no? It would be great if you could answer this question before your shift ends.
You at 12:53 AM, Oct 11
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attachment image
here are my streaming stats for last month. Can you see anything indicating botting in this? any anomalous spikes? any huge streaming figures?
You at 12:55 AM, Oct 11
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attachment image
evenly spread listening stats. Is this not normal, healthy, honest streaming?
You at 12:55 AM, Oct 11
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attachment image
zz
You at 12:56 AM, Oct 11
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Somebody has made a mistake.
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You're now connected to Supriya K.
Hi, My name is Supriya. It looks like our Advisor has lost connection to your Chat. Not to worry, I will make sure all of your concerns are sorted out over this Chat itself
Supriya K at 12:58 AM, Oct 11
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Hi
You at 12:59 AM, Oct 11
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would you like me to start again, or can you read over the chat and perhaps answer my question?
You at 01:00 AM, Oct 11
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Nothing to worry about, I have the access to check your conversation above. Please allow me 2-3 minutes to quickly go through the conversation with my colleague.
Supriya K at 01:00 AM, Oct 11
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sure. I'll be here.
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Thanks for waiting.
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Spotify doesn’t give artists strikes for artificial streaming, but some distributors operate their own strikes policies. For more information on those policies, we encourage you to explore your distributor's resources or contact them directly
Supriya K at 01:05 AM, Oct 11
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ok, so that's no, right?
You at 01:07 AM, Oct 11
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can you see my streaming data there?
You at 01:08 AM, Oct 11
You should be able to see the see your streaming data on your Spotify for artist as well.
Supriya K at 01:10 AM, Oct 11
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I can see it. I sent it to you above.
You at 01:10 AM, Oct 11
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14 minutes ago
You at 01:10 AM, Oct 11
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can you see it?
You at 01:10 AM, Oct 11
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Yes.
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Nothing to worry about, if you believe all your streams were earned authentically, you can share info with your distributor or label about the methods used to genuinely promote your music. Your distributor or label can forward this info on to our Content team for review.
Supriya K at 01:10 AM, Oct 11
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Yes. I'm able to view your streaming data.
Supriya K at 01:10 AM, Oct 11
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ok, can you see anything indicating streaming fraud or anything unusual in them?
You at 01:11 AM, Oct 11
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We're afraid that we're unable to investigate individual cases, but we can assure you that the stats that you see in Spotify for Artists are accurate.
Supriya K at 01:12 AM, Oct 11
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We are often able to remove some artificial streams before they register in your Spotify for Artists statistics. However, it's still possible that your stream count in Spotify for Artists can reflect both legitimate and some artificial streams.
Supriya K at 01:12 AM, Oct 11
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If there are any artificially streamed counts on your tracks, your distributor will be made aware and will be able to give you further insights.
Supriya K at 01:12 AM, Oct 11
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no, they refuse to give me any information at all.
You at 01:12 AM, Oct 11
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i have been trying all day, every day since september 27th now
You at 01:13 AM, Oct 11
I need you to help here, because they will not.
You at 01:13 AM, Oct 11
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i know fraud is a problem. i know everybody denies it. i am an outspoken critic of it and have reported many playlisters to spotify for it. i believe one of them got upset about that and botted my song without my consent or knowledge.
You at 01:14 AM, Oct 11
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this is the only explanation i can find for this, because i have not violated anybody's TOS, ever.
You at 01:15 AM, Oct 11
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i need you to actually look into this case. where is this playlist that botted my song? which country? how did they get my song? did i submit it to them?
You at 01:16 AM, Oct 11
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You're now connected to Jean A.
who are they? why is my song removed, but not their playlist and its operator because it's them that is committing fraud, not me.
You at 01:17 AM, Oct 11
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does that not make sense?
You at 01:17 AM, Oct 11
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oh, you've changed your operator again.
You at 01:17 AM, Oct 11
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nice.
You at 01:17 AM, Oct 11
Hi there! This is Jean from Music Support. I'm here to assist you.
Jean A at 01:18 AM, Oct 11
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hi, would you like me to start again?
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Allow me a few minutes to read your previous conversations. I will respond as soon as possible.
Jean A at 01:19 AM, Oct 11
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Sure. When does your shift end, Jean?
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No worries. I still a have an hour before my shift ends.
Jean A at 01:23 AM, Oct 11
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good. so third time lucky today! 😄
You at 01:24 AM, Oct 11
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We hope you understand that your conversation can be transferred from one advisor to another so we can provide you with continuous assistance.
Jean A at 01:24 AM, Oct 11
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yes, I've noticed. this is the third person in an hour.
You at 01:25 AM, Oct 11
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it's ok. I'm here
You at 01:25 AM, Oct 11
So I've taken a look backstage and it seems your release was removed by your distributor on the 27th of September. I know how important this is for you to have it reinstated on Spotify.
Jean A at 01:26 AM, Oct 11
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it's very important.
You at 01:26 AM, Oct 11
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particularly as I have not done anything of the sort.
You at 01:27 AM, Oct 11
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We are aware that some services use bots to drive artificial streams of your music against your will, or without your knowledge. We deeply understand how frustrating that can be.
Jean A at 01:27 AM, Oct 11
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I am an outspoken critic of stream fraud, and you will see I have reported many payola curators.
You at 01:27 AM, Oct 11
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i have not hired any service.
You at 01:28 AM, Oct 11
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But not to worry, since your distributor handle all the licensing and distribution of your music. They can also help you get your music back on Spotify. So it's best to get in touch with them for further info.
Jean A at 01:28 AM, Oct 11
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or promotion company.
You at 01:28 AM, Oct 11
no, as you will have read above, i have been trying to get help from the distributor since 27th september. they will tell me nothing. they tell me to talk to you.
You at 01:29 AM, Oct 11
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you tell me to talk to them.
You at 01:29 AM, Oct 11
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neither of you will tell me anything about what i am supposed to have done wrong.
You at 01:29 AM, Oct 11
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I have explained this so many times now.
You at 01:29 AM, Oct 11
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if you flagged me, there must be a reason. my streaming stats do not look botted.. have you seen them? if you flagged me you must know why. where is this playlist? which country? how did they get my song? did i submit it to them? did you ask them? did you shut them down?
You at 01:31 AM, Oct 11
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my song got 25 streams a week is it? or a month? is that botted?
You at 01:31 AM, Oct 11
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So we work with distributors to combat artificial streaming, and we notify them when we detect significant artificial streaming on content they delivered.
Jean A at 01:32 AM, Oct 11
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To protect the integrity of our artificial streaming detection systems, we're unable to share any further info.
Jean A at 01:32 AM, Oct 11
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ok. i know that. and i understand. and it's good. but you have identified me as one of the abusers of the system. and i'm not.
You at 01:33 AM, Oct 11
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a mistake has been made
You at 01:33 AM, Oct 11
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and needs to be unmade.
You at 01:33 AM, Oct 11
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We’re afraid that we’re unable to share any further information regarding these policies on our end, but we’d encourage you to check out Spotify’s policy information (The Game Plan, Help Center).
Jean A at 01:33 AM, Oct 11
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can you see there any evidence of botted streams?
You at 01:33 AM, Oct 11
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For questions regarding the status of your content on Spotify, we’d recommend reaching out to your distributor.
Jean A at 01:33 AM, Oct 11
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I know how important it is for you to get this resolved and answered. As much as I want to assist you with your concern, I'm afraid this isn't something we can further help you with. If you have other concerns, please feel free to reach out and I'd be happy to help you. I'll be ending this conversation now.
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Hi, thanks for reaching out! I'll be helping you today.
SaifAli at 01:37 AM, Oct 11
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Hi there, I am an artist and need to talk to artist help, please.
You at 01:37 AM, Oct 11
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Could you please let me know the exact issue you need assistance with?
SaifAli at 01:38 AM, Oct 11
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I have had a song removed due to fraudulent streaming. Unfortunately it is a mistake, as I have never engaged in it. However what I need to know is when changing my corrupt distributor and re-releasing the song using a different distributor, can i use the same ISRC number.
You at 01:40 AM, Oct 11
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In this case, we have a dedicated Artist support team to assist you in situations like these.
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I can help you in connecting you to the Artist support team. Is that fine?
SaifAli at 01:41 AM, Oct 11
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that's what i asked for in the beginning.
You at 01:42 AM, Oct 11
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Please stay connected, they'll join you in a moment.
SaifAli at 01:42 AM, Oct 11
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You're now connected to Vanessa.
Hello Vanessa
You at 01:42 AM, Oct 11
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Hi there! This is Van from Spotify for Artists Support.
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I'm reviewing your case right now. Give me a minute and I'll be right with you.
Vanessa at 01:43 AM, Oct 11
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I hope you're having a nice day/evening and that I don't ruin it.
You at 01:43 AM, Oct 11
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there's no point really, I know the spiel by now.
You at 01:43 AM, Oct 11
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I have a new question.
You at 01:43 AM, Oct 11
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I'm doing good. Hope you as well.
Vanessa at 01:44 AM, Oct 11
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I have had a song removed due to fraudulent streaming. Unfortunately it is a mistake, as I have never engaged in it. But who cares about that? However what I need to know is when changing my corrupt distributor and re-releasing the song using a different distributor, can i use the same ISRC number?
You at 01:44 AM, Oct 11
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If you wish to reupload your song, you reach out to your preferred distributor and you cna still use the same ISRC.
Vanessa at 01:48 AM, Oct 11
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will the song then be reinserted into all my meta posts which are now silent because the song is taken down? and will the track be available in the magazines and music blogs that shared my spotify link, which currently say "song is currently unavailable"?
You at 01:49 AM, Oct 11
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ie will the same ISRC number = the song has the same spotify URL as the original?
You at 01:50 AM, Oct 11
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To answer your question, yes. However, you will still need to reach out to your preferred distributor to reupload your song.
Vanessa at 01:51 AM, Oct 11
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To clarify, when a song is uploaded in multiple contexts, we use track linking to connect the two songs.
Vanessa at 01:52 AM, Oct 11
yes, I will remove it entirely from the original distributor first.
You at 01:52 AM, Oct 11
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All right.
Vanessa at 01:53 AM, Oct 11
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ok, so there is hope. will i lose the stream counts?
You at 01:53 AM, Oct 11
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If your preferred distribuor will allow you to reupload the song, then you won't lose your plays.
Vanessa at 01:55 AM, Oct 11
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i will change my distributor
You at 01:55 AM, Oct 11
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All right.
Vanessa at 01:55 AM, Oct 11
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Do you have other questions for me?
Vanessa at 01:55 AM, Oct 11
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so if i change my distributor, the stream counts, postings and meta audio will return, is this correct?
You at 01:56 AM, Oct 11
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That is if your new distributor will allow you to reuplaod it.
Vanessa at 01:57 AM, Oct 11
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Track linking happens automatically as long as the audio and metadata of the old and new versions are identical.
Vanessa at 01:57 AM, Oct 11
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ok.
You at 01:57 AM, Oct 11
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Is there anything else I can do to help?
Vanessa at 01:57 AM, Oct 11
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last question: are you able to tell me why my song was flagged for botted streaming? which country did it happen in? which playlist? how did they get my song? and have they been shut down? I really don't have any idea what has happened or why, or what i could have done to avoid it?
You at 01:58 AM, Oct 11
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Allow me to shed light on this.
Vanessa at 01:59 AM, Oct 11
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We work with distributors to combat artificial streaming, and we notify them when we detect significant artificial streaming on content they delivered.
Vanessa at 01:59 AM, Oct 11
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Although third party promoters may market themselves as legitimate services, the truth is that you cannot trust that some of these services are not attempting to generate artificial streams.
Vanessa at 01:59 AM, Oct 11
We strongly recommend against paying any third party to generate streams on Spotify.
Vanessa at 01:59 AM, Oct 11
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If you have paid a fee to any third party service for boosting streams on Spotify or for securing inclusion on any Spotify playlists, immediately stop paying for these services. Instead, please use the tool provided by Spotify for Artists, along with legitimate marketing methods, to promote your music.
Vanessa at 02:00 AM, Oct 11
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i am an outspoken critic of botted streaming and payola, i know the system. which makes it ironic that you have taken me down. I presume one of them got upset with me and sabotaged my song by bot streaming it. it is disappointing that it has worked and that I have been punished for being an ethical citizen of the online music community.
You at 02:01 AM, Oct 11
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However, if you believe all your streams were earned authentically, you can share info with your distributor or label about the methods used to genuinely promote your music.
Vanessa at 02:01 AM, Oct 11
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Your distributor or label can forward this info on to our Content team for review.
Vanessa at 02:01 AM, Oct 11
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I have never paid anybody. I can show you my bank records to prove it.
You at 02:01 AM, Oct 11
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Then, your distributor or label can forward this info on to our Content team for review.
Vanessa at 02:02 AM, Oct 11
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my distributor refuses to do anything about it. i need you to contact them and re-assess this situation, please.
You at 02:02 AM, Oct 11
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We’re afraid that we’re unable to share any further information regarding these policies on our end, but we’d encourage you to check out Spotify’s policy information (The Game Plan, Help Center). For questions regarding the status of your content on Spotify, we’d recommend reaching out to your distributor.
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I know the situation, but i'm asking you to look into it with my distributor because a mistake has been made.
You at 02:04 AM, Oct 11
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I understand it's not ideal, but I'm afraid this isn't something we can help with. I'll need to close this conversation now, but you know where to find us if you ever need anything else.
Vanessa at 02:04 AM, Oct 11
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End of conversation. You can close the messaging window now.
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Like a **bleep**ing Monty Python sketch.

[erikstearns]

Yeah, just more proof of what people are dealing with.

[Yindo21]

Estimado equipo de Spotify,

Me comunico con ustedes con gran preocupación y angustia debido a la reciente retención de mis regalías por parte de ONErpm, basada en una supuesta actividad de streaming artificial en mi cuenta. Como artista independiente, he dedicado mi vida a la música, invirtiendo incontables horas, esfuerzo y recursos en la creación y promoción de mis obras. Esta situación no solo me ha afectado profesionalmente, sino también en lo personal, dejándome en una posición de total incertidumbre.

Quisiera expresar que en ningún momento he participado intencionalmente en actividades fraudulentas ni he buscado generar reproducciones de manera artificial. Me duele profundamente que mi trabajo pueda ser considerado una amenaza para el ecosistema musical cuando mi único objetivo siempre ha sido compartir mi arte y conectar con mi audiencia de manera genuina.

Por ello, les solicito encarecidamente que revisen mi caso y me brinden la oportunidad de entender con mayor claridad qué ha sucedido. Si se ha detectado algún patrón inusual en mis reproducciones, estoy dispuesto a cooperar plenamente para esclarecer cualquier malentendido y tomar las medidas necesarias para corregirlo.

Recuperar mis regalías es fundamental para mí, no solo como fuente de ingresos, sino también como reconocimiento del esfuerzo y la pasión que he puesto en mi música. Aprecio enormemente su tiempo y cualquier orientación que puedan ofrecerme al respecto.

Quedo atento a su pronta respuesta y espero poder encontrar una solución justa.