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I’m not familiar with the process, but could there also have been a fraud aspect (not copyright) to this that wasn’t worth the effort required to prevent? Uploa

I’m not familiar with the process, but could there also have been a fraud aspect (not copyright) to this that wasn’t worth the effort required to prevent? Upload “songs”, generate lots of listens, get paid.

beckler 7y ago
Yes, I hope so, because fraud is a huge issue with Spotify. An older acquaintance of mine is a professional musician living in Nashville doing commissions. He made a track for a trailer of a video game, but chose not to publish it on Spotify (for reasons I don't know). One of the fans ripped the song from the trailer, uploaded it to Spotify, and was collecting all the royalties. Even though Spotify keeps taking it down, someone else uploads it again, ad nauseam.
- anoncake 7y ago
  Sounds fair. He didn't want the money of Spotify's customers so someone else took it.
- snowwolf 7y ago
  Yeah, the uploading of copyright infringing content is one aspect, but I was also wondering about just uploading rubbish and somehow generating fake listens or tricking real users into listening to your track (game the ranking algorithms to get it into recommended playlists) to get royalties. Something like the Amazon ebook scams: https://www.zdnet.com/article/exclusive-inside-a-million-dollar-amazon-kindle-catfishing-scam/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/exclusive-inside-a-million-dol... https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/amazon-book-stuffing-authors-scam-chance-carter-romance-kindle-unlimited.html https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/amazon-book-stuffing-author...
holy_city 7y ago
I don't think fraud is so big an issue as artist name duplication. I've had to report a number of tracks on my release radar from artists that have the same name as artists I listen to regularly but clearly are not the same, checking out the label/artist only leads to a bandcamp or Facebook page and it was clearly uploaded by an independent artist who hasn't done their due diligence on their naming. Nothing wrong with it, just lack of foresight on the uploaders' part.

beckler 7y ago

Yes, I hope so, because fraud is a huge issue with Spotify. An older acquaintance of mine is a professional musician living in Nashville doing commissions. He made a track for a trailer of a video game, but chose not to publish it on Spotify (for reasons I don't know). One of the fans ripped the song from the trailer, uploaded it to Spotify, and was collecting all the royalties. Even though Spotify keeps taking it down, someone else uploads it again, ad nauseam.

anoncake 7y ago
Sounds fair. He didn't want the money of Spotify's customers so someone else took it.
snowwolf 7y ago
Yeah, the uploading of copyright infringing content is one aspect, but I was also wondering about just uploading rubbish and somehow generating fake listens or tricking real users into listening to your track (game the ranking algorithms to get it into recommended playlists) to get royalties. Something like the Amazon ebook scams: https://www.zdnet.com/article/exclusive-inside-a-million-dollar-amazon-kindle-catfishing-scam/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/exclusive-inside-a-million-dol... https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/amazon-book-stuffing-authors-scam-chance-carter-romance-kindle-unlimited.html https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/amazon-book-stuffing-author...

holy_city 7y ago

I don't think fraud is so big an issue as artist name duplication. I've had to report a number of tracks on my release radar from artists that have the same name as artists I listen to regularly but clearly are not the same, checking out the label/artist only leads to a bandcamp or Facebook page and it was clearly uploaded by an independent artist who hasn't done their due diligence on their naming. Nothing wrong with it, just lack of foresight on the uploaders' part.