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If a streaming service or distributor says your music received artificial streams, respond through the channel named in the notice and contact your label or distributor promptly. Keep the notice, identify exactly what action is being taken, and send a concise, dated record of your legitimate promotion and any unexplained activity. There is no universal appeal route: Spotify says options vary by location and directs users to the enforcement notification when an appeal is available.
First identify what decision you are challenging
“Fraud accusation” can describe different actions by different organizations. A platform may adjust public stream counts, withhold royalties, or remove a track from a playlist; a distributor may issue a warning, charge a fee, take down a release, or restrict an account. These actions may not share the same reviewer or appeal process. Read the notice closely and distinguish what the platform says from what your distributor says it will do. Spotify outlines possible platform and distributor consequences in its artificial-streaming guidance.
Record the issuer, date, affected release and track, platform, action, and any response deadline or contact route. If more than one party has contacted you, keep each notice and address each decision through the channel it specifies.
Contact your label or distributor through the notice’s channel
Spotify advises artists who believe their streams were authentic to share information about how they promoted the music with their label or distributor, which can work with Spotify to review the issue. Spotify’s support definition describes an artificial stream as one that does not reflect genuine listening intent, including attempts to manipulate the service with automated processes such as bots or scripts; see Spotify Support’s guidance on third-party stream services.
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Follow any appeal instructions and deadline in the enforcement notification. Spotify says appeal options for content decisions vary by location; there is no basis to assume every artist has the same form, deadline, or right to a review. Its reporting and appeal guidance directs users to the notification when an appeal is available.
Distributor policies differ. For example, Amuse says artists who believe streams were legitimately earned should contact support for review. CD Baby’s public guidance describes email notification of flagged releases, a penalty charge under its artist agreement, and possible takedowns in some cases. DistroKid warns that releases may be removed and accounts closed when most streams are found artificial. These are examples of company-specific policies, not rules for every distributor: check your current agreement and the wording of your own notice.
Build a dated evidence packet
There is no platform-mandated evidence form in the cited guidance. A focused record makes it easier for the label or distributor to understand what happened and when. Preserve original files and messages rather than relying only on screenshots or recollection.
- The decision: Save the complete notice and related correspondence, including dates, sender, stated action, and any deadline or instructions.
- The release: Identify the track, release title, platform, relevant dates, and UPC or ISRC if available.
- Promotion: List the methods used, vendors hired, campaign dates, promises made, and services actually delivered. Keep contracts, invoices, ad records, and campaign reports.
- Activity: Capture relevant artist analytics for the period in question. Note unusual spikes and suspicious playlists with their links and dates.
- Communications: Keep a dated log of whom you contacted, what you sent, and any response or requested follow-up.
This documentation is a practical way to present the promotion details Spotify asks artists to share and the activity patterns it identifies as possible signals. It is not a guarantee of reversal, and a spike or playlist listing alone does not establish who caused the activity.
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Describe what you know—and separate it from what you suspect
State whether you hired a promotion service, what it promised, what it actually did, and when the activity appeared. If you did not authorize or know about a playlist, say so plainly and provide the playlist link and relevant dates. If a vendor’s conduct is uncertain, describe the records you have rather than declaring that the vendor caused artificial streams.
A sudden increase or an unfamiliar playlist can be relevant evidence to report, but it does not by itself prove innocence, intent, or responsibility. The cited platform materials describe detection signals and possible consequences; they do not publish a general evidentiary standard for individual decisions. Ask the reviewer to consider the attached records without claiming they establish more than they do.
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Understand why stream, royalty, and public figures may differ
Spotify says Spotify for Artists data may show artificial-streaming activity even when associated royalties are withheld and public metrics adjusted. It also says some confirmed artificial streams may be removed before the dashboard refreshes. For Spotify royalty figures, Spotify identifies the royalty report from your label or distributor as the most accurate source. A dashboard spike is therefore not, on its own, evidence of payable royalties or proof of the final count.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not try to counter an accusation with more artificial activity
Do not buy streams, guaranteed playlist placement, or followers, or encourage coordinated looping or automated playback. Spotify prohibits paid third-party services that promise streams or playlist placement and says inauthentic looping can lead to penalties. Apple says paid offers to increase Apple Music plays are not authorized by Apple. See Spotify’s artificial-streaming guidance and Apple Music for Artists’ advice on streaming manipulation.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteIf you use a marketer, investigate its actual methods rather than relying on promises of guaranteed results. Spotify recommends researching a legitimate marketer’s methods and checking artist reviews. If you encounter a suspicious playlist, report it through the platform’s appropriate channel and retain the link and date.
Use the right process for copyright issues
An artificial-streaming allegation is not the same as a copyright or trademark dispute. Spotify’s intellectual-property policy describes a separate process for those claims, with appeal instructions in the email correspondence when an appeal is available. Use that process only if the issue actually concerns copyright or trademark, not to contest a stream-manipulation decision: Spotify Intellectual Property Policy.
Review the agreement if money or catalog access is at stake
Check the distributor agreement that applies to the release, along with the notice, for the basis of any charge, royalty withholding, takedown, or account restriction. If the dispute involves a substantial charge, material royalties, or a threatened catalog or account, consider advice from a qualified music-industry attorney. The reviewed platform guidance does not establish a universal independent tribunal or standardized appeal deadline, and legal advice cannot guarantee a platform or distributor will change its decision.
Keep policy developments in perspective
The U.S. Copyright Office’s page on music streaming fraud describes a policy inquiry into prevalence, effects, and possible solutions; it does not set an individual artist’s appeal procedure. The page lists initial comments due November 23, 2026, and replies due December 21, 2026. Those policy dates do not replace a deadline or procedure in your notice.
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