Your Song Got Added to a Fake Spotify Playlist? Here's What to Do

Imagine this. You wake up tomorrow and your streams have skyrocketed overnight, from a few dozen to hundreds or even thousands. And it feels good. I know it feels good.

But if you haven't been running ads, posting content, or pitching your song, it starts to feel a bit suspicious.

At some point, you'll probably see a random spike like this that seems too good to be true.

And often, it is.

Here's what's happening behind the scenes:

1. A Playlist Owner Creates a Playlist Full of Fake Listeners

These fake listeners are bots, which are automated accounts built to fake streams.

2. They Use Tools to Add Small Artists at Random for a Short Time

You might be on the playlist for a few hours or a few days, just long enough to notice a sudden jump in your stats.

3. The Artist Sees the Spike and Checks Where It Came From

You open Spotify for Artists, see thousands of new streams, and find a random playlist with a name that looks "official."

4. You Think It's Legit, and That's the Trap

Some artists message the curator or even pay to stay on the playlist longer, thinking it'll help their song blow up.

The truth is that these playlists are scams.

The goal is simple: trick artists into paying for fake streams.

Now, I want to put a strong emphasis on this:

Fake listeners will never become fans.

Those numbers might look impressive, but they don't help your music career.

They don't turn into followers, saves, or people who'll ever come to your show.

And it gets worse, because Spotify can detect these fake streams.

When that happens, Spotify can:

• Remove your music from the platform
• Freeze your stats
• Ban your account permanently, in the worst cases

How Do You Avoid It?

Unfortunately, you can't stop fake playlists from adding your music.

Spotify doesn't let artists block them, and it isn't doing enough to prevent it either.

But here's what you can do:

Check your analytics regularly.

If you notice a sudden spike from countries where you don't have fans, it's probably fake.

Check the playlist.

If it mixes random genres and unrelated songs, or has no engagement (few saves, followers or interactions), it's most likely a fake one.

Report it right away.

Use Spotify for Artists support to flag suspicious activity, and give them the playlist name and link.

Never pay for placements (only for feedback).

Paying someone to listen and tell you what they think is fine. That's how SubmitHub works, and it's how my own song reviews work. Paying for a guaranteed spot on a playlist is where the scams start, so stay away from anyone selling "guaranteed streams."

If you want to get on playlists the right way, I wrote about 7 legit ways to get on Spotify playlists.

If you use DistroKid, contact them on X (Twitter).

They usually answer there fast, and they're super helpful.

If your music gets added to a fake playlist, don't panic. It happens a lot more than you think.

But do take it seriously. Protect your account, report the playlist, and put your energy into building fans who care about your music.

And please help spread awareness. Share this with other artists, save it for later, and let's stop supporting fake playlists together.