Fraudulent Royalties Through Fake Streams

A man in Denmark was sentenced to 18 months in prison for using fake accounts to receive royalties from music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. By employing bots to boost plays on his own music through fake profiles, he managed to earn around $290,000. This case highlights a major issue in the music industry where between 1 and 3 billion fake streams were reported in 2021, diverting royalty payments and distorting platform data. Danish experts emphasize the inadequacy of streaming services in combating fraudulent activities and the need for more robust measures to protect genuine artists.