How to Spot Fake Spotify Streams

Risks: Fake streams can lead to song takedowns, withheld royalties, and damaged algorithm support.
Signs to watch for: Sudden stream spikes, unusual listener-to-stream ratios, odd geographic data, and new playlists driving a ton of streams you don’t recognize.
How to check playlists: Look for fake followers, questionable curator profiles, and generic playlist themes like “Vibes Only” or “New Hits”.
Tools to help: Use Spotify for Artists stats or plug your song into artist.tools to detect suspicious activity.
What to avoid: Stay away from services that guarantee streams or accept payment for playlist placements.

Take action: Monitor your analytics, report suspicious activity, and focus on growing a real audience. Fake streams may seem tempting, but they can cost you more than they’re worth.

How Spotify Can Spot FAKE Streams

Common Signs of Fake Streams

Keep an eye on your analytics for warning signs of fake streams:

Sudden Stream Increases

Organic growth tends to happen gradually. Be cautious of:

Unexplained spikes in play counts not tied to marketing campaigns or playlist placements
Overnight surges in streams without corresponding engagement like likes, shares, or comments
Sharp declines in streams shortly after unexpected peaks

Stream vs. Listener Numbers

A big gap between total streams and unique listeners might signal fake activity. For instance, if a track racks up 10,000 streams but only has 100 unique listeners, it suggests each listener is replaying the song at an unusual rate. This kind of pattern doesn’t match typical listener behavior and often points to bots. Also, review geographic data for anything unusual, like an increase in streams from a handful of specific cities.

Unusual Location Data

Pay attention to:

High stream counts from cities that aren’t typically driving you that many streams
Concentrated activity in cities like Buffalo, Toronto, Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York[2]

Platforms like artist.tools can help you analyze your track’s playlist presence and detect suspicious patterns. Make sure to document and report any irregularities you find.

Checking Playlists for Fake Activity

To identify fake streams, look closely at playlist behavior and patterns that suggest artificial activity.

Signs of Suspicious Playlist Followers

Certain follower behaviors can indicate fake activity. Keep an eye out for:

Sudden spikes in followers without any clear prior promotional efforts
Low engagement despite high follower numbers, such as few saves or shares
Generic profiles, often with random usernames
Unusual geographic patterns, like clusters of followers from unexpected locations
Inconsistent stream count relative to follower count

Many new artists unknowingly find their music on playlists with questionable activity. The next step? Check out the curators behind these playlists for more clues.

How to Spot Questionable Curators

Legitimate playlist curators usually have detailed profiles and clear guidelines for submissions. Be cautious of curators who:

Have an email in their playlist bios
Little to no profile followers
Incomplete or vague profiles
Link to a website that sells “playlist packages.”

Spotify uses advanced tools to detect fake streams, which can lead to account suspensions or bans if flagged [2]. Plus, their payment system prioritizes real streams and may withhold earnings from fake ones [2].

Red Flags in Playlist Content

The playlist itself can also reveal issues. Playlists that feel randomly thrown together or lack a clear theme are worth examining. It’s also worth questioning whether the playlist curates only Platinum-selling artists and randomly includes a few completely unknown artists.

Tools like artist.tools can help analyze playlist data, including follower growth, bot activity, and listener estimates [1].

Being linked to botted playlists can hurt an artist’s visibility in Spotify’s recommendation system and may even disqualify them from editorial playlists [2].

Tools for Finding Fake Streams

artist.tools: Stream Analysis Tools

artist.tools offers a detailed way to spot fake streaming activity. It monitors over 1 million playlists and has flagged more than 10,000 playlists with suspicious activity so far [2]. By using historical data and a database of past offenders, the platform provides real-time detection of artificial streams [2].

Here’s what makes it useful:

Two years of playlist growth data for trend analysis
Bot detection labels and estimates of listener numbers
Insights into playlist quality
Metrics to verify curator legitimacy

Spotify for Artists Stats

Spotify’s built-in analytics can also help identify fake streams. Pay attention to these key metrics:

Stream-to-listener ratio: A high number of streams with very few unique listeners may suggest bots.
Geographic distribution: Look for sudden spikes in streams from unusual locations.
Engagement metrics: Compare streams to saves, shares, and playlist adds to spot inconsistencies.
Growth patterns: Abrupt increases in stream numbers could indicate artificial activity.

These metrics are especially relevant as Spotify removes over 2,000 songs tied to fake streams every day [2]. Combining this data with detailed playlist monitoring can reveal suspicious trends.

Tracking Playlist Changes

Monitoring playlists over time can uncover patterns of suspicious activity. Key areas to track include:

Growth in followers and overall trends
How often tracks are added or removed
Metrics showing playlist popularity
Curator behavior and activity

Studies show that up to 64% of smaller artists trying to get playlist placements accidentally end up on playlists with fake streams [2]. Regular checks can catch these problems early, helping you avoid penalties to your account.

Using Spotify’s analytics alongside tools like artist.tools, which monitors over 120,000 artists for fraud [1], provides a strong defense against fake streams. This combined approach helps protect your account and ensures your streaming activity remains legitimate.

Preventing Fake Streams

Avoid Risky Promotion Services

Protect your music by steering clear of questionable promotion services. Be cautious of:

Services that guarantee specific stream numbers or accept any artist who pays.
Offers promising instant, massive increases in streams or followers.
Websites that guarantee playlist placement for money

Instead, collaborate with curators who show evidence of steady, organic growth and genuine engagement. If you notice suspicious activity, take action using the steps below.

Submission platforms, however, such as SubmitLink and SubmitHub, can be safe playlist submission options for artists looking to get in verified authentic playlists.

How to Report Fake Streams

If you suspect fake streaming activity, act quickly:

Document Suspicious ActivityLook for signs like:
- Unusual patterns in streams.
- Playlists with questionable activity.
- Demographic data that doesn’t match your audience.
- Low engagement despite high stream counts.
Report to SpotifyUsing Spotify’s Playlist Reporter Form.
Inform Your Team
- Notify your distributor or label immediately.
- Seek assistance in escalating the issue with Spotify.

After reporting, shift your energy toward building a genuine audience.

Growing a Real Listener Base

Focus on strategies that encourage real engagement:

Produce content that’s easy to share.
Keep an eye on your Botted Playlist Status on artist.tools.
Build connections with verified playlist curators.
Research curators’ backgrounds.
Check engagement metrics regularly.
Use tools like to verify playlists for authenticity [1].
Ensure your audience demographics align with your goals.
Track playlist performance over time.

Building a real audience takes effort, but the hard way is the only way to ensure long-term success.

Keep Your Streams Genuine

Protecting your streaming data is crucial, especially in light of Spotify's efforts to combat fake plays. The platform removes over 2,000 botted songs every day [1], showing their dedication to promoting real engagement.

Spotify's algorithms thrive on genuine user interactions to recommend tracks effectively. Fake stream patterns can interfere with these systems, making it harder for your music to find the right audience.

Stay proactive. Regularly review your streaming data, vet playlists before agreeing to placements, and focus on growing your audience naturally. A clean, honest streaming profile ensures your music reaches the right listeners and builds sustainable support on Spotify.

Setting up Bot Detection Alerts through artist.tools for your artist profile is also another smart move.