Artists should discourage fans who inorganically stream [Video]

Streaming giant Spotify has laid out new policies on artificial streaming, saying that artists should discourage fans from streaming music “inorganically”.

• READ MORE: Spotify claims it’s enabling musicians to make a living: “More than 25,000 European artists are now generating over €5,000”

On Spotify’s artificial streaming policy webpage an FAQ is titled: “Is it okay to encourage my fans to stream my music on loop?” According to Spotify, “Fans inorganically streaming your music on loop or attempting to manipulate Spotify by using automated processes (e.g. bots or scripts) is behaviour that you should actively discourage.”

So what is an ‘artificial stream’? Spotify says, “An artificial stream is a stream that doesn’t reflect genuine user listening intent, including any instance of attempting to manipulate streaming services like Spotify by using automated processes (like bots or scripts). If left undetected, artificial streams dilute the royalty pool, shifting revenue from legitimate artists to bad actors. They also undermine …