Quick response guide for independent artists facing artificial streaming allegations
TL;DR - Do This First
- Document everything - Screenshots, emails, promotional activities
- Contact your distributor immediately - They're your only direct line to Spotify
- Stop all promotional activities - Pause everything until resolved
- Analyze your data - Find unusual patterns or suspicious playlists
- Build your case - Gather evidence of legitimate promotion
First 48 Hours: Critical Actions
1. Document the Situation
- Screenshot your Spotify for Artists dashboard (before/after stream counts)
- Save all emails from Spotify or your distributor
- List affected tracks with release dates and previous performance
- Create timeline of promotional activities (last 90 days)
2. Contact Your Distributor
What to say:
- Which tracks were affected and when you noticed
- Exact promotional activities you conducted
- Request specific reason from Spotify
- Ask about appeal process and timeline
What to include:
- All documentation from Step 1
- Contracts with any promotional services
- Evidence of legitimate promotion (press, radio, organic social media)
3. Stop All Promotion
- Pause paid advertising campaigns
- Stop playlist submission services
- Halt third-party promotional activities
- Document cessation with timestamps
Keep doing:
- Regular social media engagement
- Working on new music
- Communicating with genuine fans
Analyze Your Data
Red Flags to Look For
- Sudden spikes from unexpected countries
- Streams from playlists you didn't submit to
- Unusual completion rates (too high or too low)
- Geographic patterns that don't match your promotion
Tools to Use
- Spotify for Artists - Basic streaming data
- Chartmetric - Playlist tracking and historical data
- Songstats - Real-time monitoring
Questions to Ask
- Which playlists drove the most streams?
- Do stream spikes correlate with your promotional activities?
- Are there geographic anomalies?
- Did you use any "guaranteed streams" services?
Working with Your Distributor
What They Can Do
- Submit appeals to Spotify
- Provide additional context about your case
- Escalate to higher-level contacts
- Request manual review (sometimes)
What They Cannot Do
- Override Spotify's decisions
- Force stream restoration
- Provide detailed reasons (they often don't have them)
Maximizing Success
- Be professional and factual
- Provide clear, organized documentation
- Acknowledge any mistakes honestly
- Request regular updates
- Ask to speak with specialists if initial support is unhelpful
Damage Control
Protect Your Other Releases
- Review all promotional activities for other tracks
- Stop any questionable services immediately
- Set up monitoring alerts for unusual patterns
- Consider reducing promotion temporarily
Financial Planning
- Calculate total impact (unpaid royalties + penalty fees)
- Explore alternative revenue streams
- Consider legal consultation for significant losses
Reputation Management
- Be transparent with industry contacts
- Focus on your professional response
- Continue networking and building relationships
Prevention for Future Releases
Vetting Promotional Services
Red flags:
- Guarantees specific stream counts
- Extremely low prices for high results
- Promises "100% organic" with guaranteed numbers
- Won't explain their methods
- No verifiable references
Safe approach:
- Research service reputation thoroughly
- Check Reddit and industry forums
- Request and contact references
- Start with small tests
- Monitor results closely
Essential Monitoring
- Set up alerts for unusual streaming patterns
- Track playlist placements regularly
- Monitor completion and skip rates
- Use multiple analytics platforms
- Keep detailed records of all promotional activities
Building Legitimate Growth
- Focus on genuine fan engagement
- Create content that drives organic discovery
- Build email lists and social media following
- Develop industry relationships
- Diversify across multiple platforms
Realistic Expectations
What's Likely
- Streams probably won't be restored
- Process takes weeks or months
- You can prevent future issues
- You can protect other releases
- You can negotiate penalty fee reductions
What's Unlikely
- Complete reversal of Spotify's decision
- Immediate resolution
- Detailed explanation of detection methods
- Direct communication with Spotify
When to Move On
- Distributor says no further action possible
- Financial impact is relatively small
- You've identified and stopped the problematic source
- Focus shifts to prevention and new releases
Essential Contacts and Tools
Distributor Support
- DistroKid: Limited support, often refers to policies
- TuneCore: More hands-on, but still limited power
- CD Baby: Moderate support capabilities
Monitoring Tools
- Spotify for Artists (free)
- Chartmetric (paid, comprehensive)
- Songstats (paid, real-time focus)
Alternative Platforms
- Bandcamp - Direct fan sales
- YouTube Music - Video content opportunities
- Apple Music - Editorial opportunities
- Beatport - Electronic music focus
Key Takeaways
Remember: Artificial streaming violations are frustrating but not career-ending. Many successful artists have faced similar issues and emerged stronger.
Focus on:
- Professional response and documentation
- Learning from the experience
- Building sustainable, legitimate growth
- Diversifying your platform presence
- Maintaining genuine fan relationships
Avoid:
- Services that guarantee specific stream counts
- Emotional responses to distributors or platforms
- Putting all your eggs in one platform basket
- Ignoring monitoring and prevention
Sources
[1] Spotify for Artists - Artificial Streaming: https://artists.spotify.com/en/artificial-streaming
[2] Spotify Support - Third-party services: https://support.spotify.com/us/artists/article/third-party-services-that-guarantee-streams/
[3] NexaTunes Blog - Stream Removals: https://blog.nexatunes.com/when-streams-disappear-what-artists-should-know-about-spotifys-artificial-stream-removals/
[4] Variety - Spotify Streaming Fraud: https://variety.com/2024/music/news/spotify-artists-streaming-fraud-1235965379/
[5] DistroKid Help - Artificial Streaming: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013647373-What-is-Artificial-Streaming
This guide provides general information based on current industry practices. Platform policies change frequently. Always consult current official documentation and consider professional advice for significant issues.
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