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Why buying Spotify streams is not a good idea

As numbers become more and more important in the modern world, the pressure also increases for many artists out there to build on their numbers. More followers on Instagram means a greater reach, more views on videos gets the algorithm bidding to be discovered and more Spotify streams shows that your track is well received in the music market. 
No wonder some artists and labels are tempted to buy fake streams. Today however we'll show you why this is absolutely not a good idea as it can lead to the suspension of your Spotify account and to a ban of your artist or label profile from the service.

Artificial streams are not accounted
No matter how many streams a track has achieved - once detected, artificial streams aren't accounted for by Spotify and don't bring in any revenue afterwards. That would be a waste of money. Rather invest in a cool Spotify Canvas or other marketing videos. One fact at this point: Streams are only counted if the playtime is more than 30 seconds. That’s why most of the fake stream services are only playing the songs for that long and then either repeat or move to the next song. 

The algorithm is affected by this
It’s no secret that the Spotify algorithm evaluates the behavior of its listeners. Therefore, when a streaming bot listens to your music for only 30 seconds and then moves on, it implies to the algorithm that this listener does not like your music. As a consequence, Spotify will most likely not add your tracks to official playlists or suggest them to other listeners.

How can I avoid artificial streams?

  • Work only with reputable promotion agencies that don’t advertise with actual streaming numbers.
  • Check the playlists your music has been added to. You may have been added to an artificial streaming playlist that sometimes adds tracks similar to the ones it promotes to cover its artificial behavior.
  • In Spotify for Artists, analyze the streaming behavior of your tracks. You should pay particular attention to irregularities. If your tracks are specifically streaming only in certain regions, then check if that country is known for server locations, which might be an indication of fake streaming.

Spotify detects fake streaming and may suspend accounts if the fake streaming behavior increases. So you should definitely avoid that. We at dig dis! rather recommend building a proper listener audience that will push your music forward. Real listeners will support your music in a natural way and eventually will become real fans after time, which is a way more important factor in your artist career in the long run.

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