Spotify's Crackdown on Botted Streams: What It Means for Independent Artists

The streaming world just got a little trickier for independent artists. Spotify has intensified its efforts to combat botted streams, imposing a steep $10 fine *per song* on distribution companies that fail to comply. Unsurprisingly, industry heavyweights like DistroKid and TuneCore—who collectively distribute tens of thousands of tracks daily—are taking drastic measures to protect themselves. But here's the catch: their aggressive approach is hitting innocent artists who either follow ethical promotion practices or don't promote their music at all.

The Rise of Illegitimate Promotions

Why is this happening? Genuine music promotion is expensive, and shady marketing agencies have swooped in with cheaper alternatives. Many of these agencies rely on bots to inflate stream counts artificially. Even some playlists use bots to fake large audiences, tricking both artists and listeners. While it might seem like a shortcut to success, these practices are dangerous. They not only harm an artist's reputation but can lead to fines, song removals, or even bans from platforms like Spotify.

In response, distributors like DistroKid now require artists to take quizzes and agree to stringent terms promising they won’t use promotional services targeting Spotify specifically.

What’s Spotify Got to Say?

Interestingly, Spotify denies having a formal strike or warning system. A company representative clarified that the platform doesn’t require artists to remove songs flagged for artificial streams. This contradicts the measures distributors are implementing, raising questions about how much of this crackdown is driven by Spotify versus the distributors themselves.

DistroKid's Strike System

DistroKid has rolled out its own strike system. When Spotify flags a track for fraudulent streams, DistroKid notifies the artist and advises them to either stop promoting (if they’re behind the activity) or remove the track if they’re unaware of the violation. Artists must then complete a questionnaire to regain access to their accounts and funds, acknowledging the situation and potential causes.

Unfortunately, these policies are catching artists in the crossfire—even those with no ties to fraudulent activity.

Stories from the Frontlines

Take Jonah Baker, for instance. Known for his acoustic covers on YouTube, Baker earns an impressive $200,000 annually from streaming and has racked up over 150 million streams. Yet, he recently received a strike notice from DistroKid citing "artificial streaming activity"—despite not using any illegitimate services.

Another case involves Viper, whose song "Fusion" was removed after DistroKid labeled 100% of its streams as artificial. What’s puzzling is that the track had been featured on official Spotify editorial playlists and had amassed nearly 14,000 legitimate streams before its removal.

A Lack of Support for Artists

It’s not just DistroKid. TuneCore has been quietly removing artists’ music without notice, regardless of whether the artist knowingly or unknowingly engaged with fraudulent services—or if bots randomly targeted their music through playlists. What’s worse, these distributors offer little to no support for artists caught in these situations, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Who’s to Blame?

While some artists do game the system, most are simply trying to get their music heard. The crackdown on fraudulent streams is understandable, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of innocent creators. The lack of transparency and guidance from distributors and platforms has left many feeling abandoned.

At the end of the day, the streaming ecosystem is a complex battlefield, with artists, distributors, and platforms trying to navigate a system increasingly exploited by fraudsters. For independent artists, the best advice remains the same: stick to ethical promotion methods, avoid too-good-to-be-true marketing deals, and stay informed about the ever-changing rules of the streaming game.

In a world where bots can ruin an artist’s career, it’s clear the music industry still has some major tuning to do.