In the digital world of music, numbers are often the first currency you see. High stream counts on Spotify & Co. seem like an instant seal of approval. This fascination with numbers has spawned a shady market that promises you the blue sky: artificial streams.
Offers that guarantee you thousands of plays for a few euros are everywhere. But behind this shiny façade lies a trap that can destroy your musical future. As your partner for an authentic and sustainable career path, we at FEIYR want to make it clear: Artificial streams are not the solution. They are the problem.
What exactly are artificial streams?
Artificial streams are the exact opposite of what you want as an artist: they are not real listeners. They are fraudulent, non-human or non-organic renditions of your music designed solely to manipulate statistics.
This fraudulent activity is usually carried out by:
- Automated bots: scripts that endlessly play your songs, often from servers, to mimic human behavior.
- Click farms: Controlled networks where people or compromised accounts are paid to generate streams en masse.
The result is an empty shell: a high number on the screen, but not a single person feeling your music, sharing it or coming to your concert.
The illusion of numbers: How artificial streams are hurting your career
The short-term exhilaration of seemingly high numbers quickly gives way to a harsh reality with serious consequences. The algorithms of streaming services are trained to uncover these manipulations.
- Destroyed trust & takedowns: If Spotify, Apple Music or other stores detect manipulation, they will remove your song. If this happens again, your entire artist account can be blocked. This mistrust is also transferred to your distribution partner. At FEIYR, we have a zero-tolerance policy towards streaming fraud to protect the integrity of all our artists.
- Financial losses & penalties: Not only are royalties generated by artificial streams withheld, but stores can also reclaim amounts already paid out and charge penalties. In the end, the financial damage can be far greater than the original investment in the fake plays.
- Contaminated artist data: Your analysis tools such as "Spotify for Artists" become useless. The artificial streams falsify all important data: Where do your listeners come from? What gender are they? What other artists do they like? You lose any opportunity to understand your real fans and conduct targeted marketing.
- Damage to the entire music community: every stream, whether real or artificial, is paid from a common pot of money (royalty pool). Every euro that goes to a bot is a euro stolen from an honest, hard-working artist.
The lure of scammers: How to recognize dubious offers
Protect yourself and your career by watching out for these clear warning signs:
- Guarantees: no reputable promoter can guarantee an exact number of streams or playlist placements.
- Pricing: Extremely low prices ("10,000 streams for €25") are a clear sign of bot activity.
- Lack of transparency: The provider does not reveal how they promote your music. Real promotion is based on comprehensible strategies.
- "Pay-per-play" models: You pay for the result (streams), not for the service (promotional work).
The honest way: strategies for real, organic growth
Forget the shortcuts and invest in what really matters. Real success is based on a simple formula:
- Outstanding music: create songs that are authentic and connect emotionally. That's your foundation.
- Smart promotion: Use the official tools such as the pitch form in "Spotify for Artists". Place targeted ads on social media to reach people who already love your genre.
- Real networking: Build relationships with bloggers, influencers and reputable playlist curators who share your music out of conviction, not because they're paid to do so.
- Community building: Communicate with your listeners. Reply to comments, build an email list and turn listeners into real fans.
Conclusion: Real fans are priceless
A single fan who adds your music to their personal playlist and shows it to their friends is worth more than a million artificial streams. Artificial numbers may stroke the ego in the short term, but they don't build a career. Real fans do.
Focus on your art and your community. FEIYR stands by your side as a reliable partner to bring your music to the world in an honest and safe way.
Build a career, not a facade.
Empowering your music. Elevating success.