Artificial streaming, or streaming fraud, is any streaming activity flagged as unusual, artificial, or manipulated, which violates the terms of most digital music services. According to Spotify, “An artificial stream is a stream that doesn't reflect genuine user listening intent, including any instance of attempting to manipulate Spotify by using automated processes (bots or scripts)." 

What can lead to artificial streaming activity? 

• Paid marketing services that offer ‘guaranteed’ streams or playlist placements often can result in artificial streaming activity, whether intentional or not. 
• Any streaming activity deemed to be artificial by one of our digital music partners will not generate royalties, and often results in the release being removed from that platform.
  • In some cases, it can result in your entire catalog being taken down.

What can I do to help prevent artificial streaming? 

• Any flagged artificial activity, whether intentional or not, can result in a strike.
• We strongly advise you to thoroughly vet any marketing or promotional services you’re considering as part of your release campaign. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is. You can read more about this from Spotify here.
• Sometimes this activity may occur without your knowledge or consent, so we encourage you to use Spotify for Artists to monitor your catalog and report any suspicious playlists via Spotify’s Playlist Reporter.

What happens if my release was flagged for artificial streaming?

• If Spotify or another partner notifies us that your release was flagged for artificial streaming activity, you’ll be notified by email.
• Any release that has been flagged for artificial streaming activity will also incur a penalty charge.
  • Penalties will be passed on to you (per section 4(c) of your Artist Agreement) and will be posted to your CD Baby account.
  • This will be deducted from your account balance. 

Will my release be taken down?

• In some cases, artificial streaming activity and penalties may result in your release being taken down from some or all streaming services.
• It isn't possible to remove one track from an album from a partner, so if we remove a track, the full release/UPC it's associated with will be removed. 

Learn more from our partners

• Spotify - All you need to know about artificial streaming
• Apple Music - Protect yourself from stream manipulation

*Please note, links to third-party sites are provided purely for informational purposes and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. These sites are not governed by our artist agreement and privacy policy.