1. What is artificial streaming and why is it harmful ?
Here is the Spotify definition of “Artificial streaming”: “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 (e.g. bots or scripts).”
Artificial streaming refers to inflated play counts on streaming platforms that come from non-genuine listeners. This practice can harm an artist’s growth and lead to penalties from platforms like Spotify or even from your distributor. Your music may be removed from streaming platforms, any royalties generated from those streams will not be paid and you might even be fined by your distributor.
2. What are the signs of artificial streams or botted playlists?
Common signs of artificial streaming include:
Sudden & unexplained spikes in streams
If there’s an abrupt increase in streams from one particular source or region without any promotion activity, this could indicate bot activity rather than genuine listener interest.Unusual geographic audience
A spike in streams from locations that don’t align with the artist’s usual listener base or target audience might signal artificial streaming.Large, rapid increase in followers or likes
If a playlist or artist account gains followers or likes in large numbers over a short period, especially with little engagement on other content, it’s often a sign of non-organic growth.Unnatural streams-to-listeners ratio
If one listener is responsible for a big number of streams of the same track, rather than a diverse group of listeners engaging with the music, it suggests that the streams may be inflated through automation or bots.
These red flags suggest that streams or followers may not be coming from real listeners, which can negatively impact an artist’s visibility and metrics.
If you'd like to verify playlists that are not on Groover, here are some recommended resources:
3. How artists can avoid artificial streaming
Services that directly promise they'll get you a specific number of followers or streams -- even if they mention the streams are organic -- or guarantee playlist placement, are not legitimate and directly violate many streaming platforms' terms and conditions (including Spotify's).
In particular, be extremely careful with packages offered on platforms such as Fiverr, or advertised to you with wordings such as “Spotify organic listeners guaranteed”, “Get 10,000 guaranteed streams for $20”, etc.
4. Groover’s commitment to authentic growth
Groover is a music submission platform that connects artists with music curators and industry professionals. If you're an artist, Groover offers an opportunity to get your music heard and receive personalized feedback. For curators and professionals, Groover makes it easy to discover new music and centralize submissions in one place. Each curator ultimately decides whether to offer an artist an opportunity based on their own tastes and preferences. They’re free to decide whether to share the track or not, and are not financially incentivized to share your music, which makes a huge difference in ensuring streams are legitimate. We proudly showcase the best success stories of artists connecting with curators and industry pros on Groover. You can check out some of our artists' success stories here!
At Groover, we carefully vet all curators who apply to join our exclusive community, so we make sure artists connect with curators & pros who are both impactful and growing their community in an organic way, without cheating. For playlist curators, we go a step further by connecting to third-party services (such as Spotify API, Isitagoodplaylist, and Artists.Tools) and analyzing key metrics like streams, listeners, audience demographics, location, and follower counts. We also calculate specific ratios to assess the consistency of these metrics (see “What are the signs of artificial streams or botted playlists?” section above), using our own internal playlist vetting tool.
We deeply care about offering artists connections with authentic curators who can really help move the needle for their music.