How do I avoid artificial streaming?

Utilizing third party music promotion companies can be an effective way for up-and-coming artists to reach new audiences. Unfortunately, not all of these companies have your best interest in mind. Some promotion companies utilize fraudulent methods such as bots or streaming farms to generate artificial streams which give artists the illusion of growth.

How Can I Identify Fraudulent Promoters?

It should first be mentioned that no intelligent promotion company will claim that they are engaging in artificial streaming activity. Just because a promotion company or promoter is advertising “organic growth,” doesn’t mean that they are legitimate.

Avoid Guarantees

One of the biggest indicators that a company is likely to be engaging in artificial streaming is if they are promising “guarantees” in their promotional packages. By its very nature, promising a guarantee cannot be done through organic growth alone.  

A guarantee could be: 

• a specific number of streams generated on your music
• a specific number of playlist placements for your music
• a specific number of listeners
• a specific size of audience exposure/reach

Any promotion company or promoter that is guaranteeing results in exchange for money should be avoided as they are likely engaging in artificial streaming. Using companies that promise these things could ultimately result in your music being taken down from stores and/or your UnitedMasters account being closed.

Do Your Research

Many promotional companies utilize Instagram as a vital marketing tool. If they are using bots or other fraudulent methods to generate streams, they are likely also using these methods to boost  their social accounts. It may be helpful to look through a promotion company’s followers on social media and see if they are primarily followed by real artists or by fake accounts. 

There is a similar mindset in looking at post engagement on Instagram. If a promotion company has thousands of followers yet they get an incredibly low number of likes on their posts, they may be untrustworthy. Keep in mind that post engagement may not always indicate if a company is legitimate or not, but is something to take into consideration when deciding if you want to use a certain company for promoting your music. If a promotion company looks too good to be true, it’s very likely that it is. 

What if I’ve Already Used This Promotion?

Looking at your streaming data can provide insights into what results a promotion company is yielding. You can do this by logging into your UnitedMasters account and navigating to the ‘Music’ section or by using platforms such as Spotify for Artists or Apple Music for Artists. You can use the key metrics below to monitor your account for abnormal streaming activity.

• Streams-per-listener: This shows how many times each individual listener streams your track. If you notice a large number of streams-per-listener, it may indicate artificial streaming.
• Country/City of listener: As you are starting out, you should expect to see most of your streams coming from your local area and country since you are likely to connect with local fans first.
• Gender and age: Look for a diverse range of listeners from different genders and age groups. If your streams are disproportionately from a single gender or age group, you may want to investigate further to understand why and adjust your promotional strategies.

If you notice anything out of the ordinary when looking at your streaming data, feel free to reach out to our Fraud Prevention Team and they will be happy to look into it for you.

Navigating the vast landscape of music promotion can be difficult, especially as an independent artist. That being said, it can be a little bit easier if you are aware of some of the key indicators we mentioned above. We hope these tips have been helpful in learning how to avoid accidentally engaging in artificial streaming.