An investigation has revealed that streaming fraud accounts for at least 1-3% of plays on services like Spotify and Deezer in France. Streaming fraud, also known as stream manipulation, is the practice of artificially inflating the number of plays on a specific song or artist through the use of bots or fake accounts.
The investigation found that this fraudulent activity is not only affecting the revenue of rights holders, but it also distorts the charts and can give an unfair advantage to certain artists. The investigation also revealed that the fraud is not limited to small or unknown artists, but it also affects well-established and successful ones.
Spotify and Deezer, the two main streaming services in France, have taken steps to combat streaming fraud. Both companies have implemented measures such as using algorithms to detect and remove fake plays, and taking legal action against individuals and companies found to be involved in stream manipulation.
However, the investigation also found that streaming fraud continues to be a significant problem for the music industry. The investigation recommends that streaming services should be more transparent in their methods for detecting and removing fraudulent plays, and that rights holders should have more access to data on the number of plays their songs are receiving.
In conclusion, streaming fraud is a significant problem that affects the music industry. It not only affects the revenue of rights holders but also distorts the charts and gives an unfair advantage to certain artists. Streaming services like Spotify and Deezer have taken steps to combat streaming fraud, but more needs to be done to ensure transparency and prevent fraudulent activities.
Over 50 articles on “Sync Music Licensing” by Composer Tommy Mac: https://syncmusic.substack.com
