How to Spot, Prevent, and Tackle Artificial Streaming in Music Distribution: A Complete Guide

Imagine logging into your Spotify For Artist account or maybe analytics dashboard and seeing a massive spike in streams—hundreds or even thousands more than usual. At first, it feels like your big break:your music is finally taking off! But tthat excitement quickly turns to confusion when you notice all the activity is coming from a single, unfamiliar playlist. A few days later, the other shoe drops - you receive a warning about artifial streaming, and your royalties for those plays are suddenly withheld. If you don't act fast to remove your track from the playlist, you risk having it pulled from the streaming plaforms entirely-or worse, getting blacklisted from future editorial placements. Now you're left with more questions than answers: How did your music end up there, and why is it being flaggedd?

This kind of scenario can happen to anyone in the music industry. Artificial streaming - plays that don't reflect real listener intent - can come from bot farms, hijacked accounts, shady third-party platlists or even enthusiastic fans who leave your song on repeat a little too long. Regardless of the source, the consequences are serious: lost revenue, potential penalties, skewed Spotify data and reduced visibility across streaming services.

Understanding how artificial streaming works in music distribution is the first step toward protecting your music, your revenues, and your reputation

🚨 Protect Your Music and Reputation 🚨

Any business that offers you the following services is putting your music—and your career—at serious risk. These tactics may seem like a shortcut to success, but they often lead to royalty losses, account bans, and permanent blacklisting from streaming platforms.

• RUN FROM ANY SERVICE THAT PROMISES MORE STREAMS

• RUN FROM ANY SERVICE THAT PROMISES MORE FOLLOWERS

• RUN FROM ANY SERVICE THAT PROMISES PLAYLIST PLACEMENT

Music distributors and streaming platforms have advanced fraud detection systems, and if your music is linked to artificial engagement, your royalties WILL be withheld, your tracks CAN be removed, and your account MAY be banned permanently.

🚫 If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. 🚫 You need to grow your audience organically, and any service that promises to bypass organic growth can put your music and royalties at risk.

Now that we’ve warned you, let’s dive back into artificial streaming. What is artificial streaming, why is it bad, how is it flagged and how to protect yourself against artificial streaming.

What Is Artificial Streaming In The Music Industry?

Artificial streaming refers to any method that attempts to manipulate human listening behavior to inflate stream counts. This can include automated tactics such as a Spotify Streaming Bot to loop tracks for hours, unauthorized playlist placements designed to game the system, or even "ricochet" activity—where bad actors disguise their own fraudulent streams by mixing in random tracks, including yours, without consent. These deceptive practices not only violate platform policies but also put your royalties, reputation, and career at risk.

What Are The Causes Of Artificial Streaming?

Artificial streaming doesn’t always stem from intentional fraud; sometimes, artists get caught up in it without even realizing it. Whether it’s bad actors manipulating the system, deceptive music marketing services, or even well-meaning fans, artificial streams can originate from multiple sources. Let’s break down those sources for you.

• Random Ricochet – Some fraudsters who offer bot-driven stream services try to appear legitimate by mixing random tracks into their playlists. This means that innocent artists can unknowingly become entangled in fraudulent activity. Even if you haven't paid for fake streams, your music could be flagged by fraudulent playlist detection systems, leading to penalties.

• Deliberate Fraud – Certain companies or individuals manipulate streaming counts by using bot farms to increase chart positions and maximize royalties. However, these fraudulent methods often lead to account suspensions or outright bans from DSPs.

• Marketing Services – Many so-called "marketing agencies" claim to offer guaranteed streams but actually rely on artificial means, such as a stream farm. If a playlist curates music using automated streams rather than genuine audience interest, it could jeopardize an artist’s reputation and result in lost royalties. For example, this method is identified by spotify through intricate spotify listening history analysis.

• Unwanted Playlist Placement – Some playlist curators add songs to their lists without permission, only to later demand payment for continued placement. While this might seem like a shortcut to exposure, such practices are flagged by streaming platforms as artificial engagement, which can result in penalties for both the playlist owner and the artists involved.

• Overenthusiastic Fans – While fan engagement is crucial, listeners who loop a song 24/7 in an attempt to boost an artist’s numbers can inadvertently trigger fraudulent playlist detection systems. DSPs can recognize unnatural streaming patterns, which may lead to track removals or reduced visibility on the platform.

How Can You Identify Suspicious Playlists with Your Music?

You can identify suspicious playlists by regularly reviewing where your streams originate and watching for suspicious activity. A significant portion of artificial streaming comes from questionable playlists, and you may not even realize your track has been added until you notice a sudden, unexplained spike in streams.

Here are some playlist red flags:

• If you find yourself on a playlist with predominantly unknown artists, yet the playlist claims high stream counts.
• If the playlist has a small follower base but an unusually large play count.
• If the playlist title is either misleading or too generic and does not match actual content.
• If the same artists are found in multiple playlists from a single curator.
• If the curator has many playlists with nearly identical follower counts.
• If the followers of those playlists lack a profile picture or use similar usernames.
• If the service says you can buy spotify plays or boost spotify plays.

If a playlist seems dubious, you can report it to the relevant DSP. When it comes to Spotify, the Playlist Reporter lets you flag suspicious activity directly.

How to Respond to an Artificial Streaming Notice

Getting an artificial streaming notice from your distributor can be alarming, but taking quick action can help prevent serious consequences like withheld royalties, blacklisting, or track removal.

Here’s what to do next if you are an artist:

• Gather Legitimate Promo Evidence – Document any official ad campaigns (Facebook, Instagram, music placement or DSP-sponsored promotions). While appeals are rarely successful, having proof can help.
• Pause Suspicious Promotions – If any marketing service promised “guaranteed streams,” cut ties immediately. Continuing could lead to stricter penalties.
• Report Fraudulent Playlists – Use Spotify’s Playlist Reporter or the DSP’s artist portal to flag suspicious activity and protect your catalog.
• Addressing artificial streaming issues quickly helps safeguard your revenue, reputation, and long-term success in the music industry.

If you are a music distributor or aggregator, you need to:

• Identify High-Risk Tracks – Focus on releases with over 100 flagged streams or repeat violations. These are the most at risk.
• Communicate with the customer – Make sure they understand the risks: unpaid royalties, reduced visibility, and possible takedowns if the issue isn’t addressed.
• Remind them of suspicious marketing services – If any marketing service promised “guaranteed streams,” tell them to cut ties immediately.

Receiving an artificial streaming notice can be a serious wake-up call, but acting fast can help minimize damage. Addressing artificial streaming issues proactively protects both revenue and reputation.

How to appeal music flagged as artificial streams

Some DSPs allow you to appeal flagged streams, but success rates are low. Platforms protect their fraud detection methods and rarely reverse decisions without overwhelming proof of legitimate marketing. Even with evidence, appeals at the DSP can be slow, and flagged streams often remain unpaid.

Revelator’s Commitment to Transparency and Support

At Revelator, we are committed to keeping the music industry fair and transparent. This is why we are a member of the Music Fights Fraud Alliance. Artificial streaming can put your music and earnings at risk, which is why we take proactive steps to help you identify and address any issues. Here’s how we support our partners:

• Trust & Safety Team – Our industry experts help analyze suspicious activity, recommend safe promotional strategies, and guide you through any necessary appeals process.
• Monthly Artificial Streaming Reports – We promptly notify you if any of your tracks are flagged for artificial streaming, giving you the opportunity to investigate and take action.
• Educational Resources – Our Helpdesk and Knowledge Base provide detailed insights on how artificial streaming happens, what to watch out for, and how to protect your catalog from potential risks.
• Guidance on Takedowns – If a track continues to trigger artificial streaming alerts or receives repeated flags, we may advise removing the release to prevent harsher penalties from DSPs.

Revelator is here to help our customers and their artists navigate the complexities of digital music distribution with confidence. Our goal is to ensure your music remains protected, legitimate, and positioned for long-term success.

Protect Your Music from Artifical Streaming & Protect Your Revenue

Artificial streaming is more pervasive than many realize. Whether your track was added to a fraudulent playlist without consent or an uninformed marketing decision led to spam plays, the best defense is early detection and swift action. By staying informed, reviewing playlists for suspicious activity, and choosing only reputable promotional channels, you can safeguard the music and ensure the streams are authentic.

If you suspect artificial streaming or need guidance, reach out to your distributor for help. Every stream should count—make sure yours come from real listeners, not fraudulent sources.

(Disclaimer: The strategies discussed here reflect Revelator’s current understanding of DSP policies)

Additional Resources to understand Artifical Streaming:

• Apple Music’s Perspective: Less Than 1% of Streams Are Manipulated
• Spotify’s Official Guide: Artists.Spotify.com: Artificial Streaming
• Revelator’s Helpdesk: What is Artificial Streaming and How to Avoid It?

Tools to Verify Playlists:

• SubmitHub’s Playlist Checker: Helps analyze playlist data to confirm whether real listeners or bots are behind the numbers.
• Artist.Tools: Provides checks and metrics to gauge playlist quality and detect fraud patterns.