What you should know
- Apple Music has implemented anti-fraud measures to reduce streaming manipulation, leading to a 30% drop in fraud rate.
- One form of streaming fraud is when musicians use bots to stream their music 24/7 in order to obtain royalties.
- Apple Music detects and takes action against repeat offenders, including hitting them with “financial adjustments.”
- Some fraud involves creating albums of 31-second songs to exploit the royalty system, which pays per track with a limit of 30 seconds or more.
Full Story
Apple has been taking significant steps to protect Apple Music from fraudulent streaming activities, such as bots playing music continuously to boost royalties. According to a report from Billboard, Apple Music has implemented a series of anti-fraud measures that have resulted in a 30% decrease in streaming manipulation over the past year. In response to these efforts, Apple Music is now hitting repeat offenders with “financial adjustments” to curb fraudulent activities. Additionally, Apple has been targeting the issue of 31-second song albums, which allow creators to bypass the minimum streaming limit and collect royalties unfairly.
With these new measures in place, Apple Music has been providing daily reports to music labels and distributors to identify and remove manipulated streams. The platform is also releasing legitimate plays and issuing monthly reports that exclude fraudulent streams. This level of transparency aims to help music industry partners detect and address fraudulent activities. In light of these efforts, Spotify has also stepped up its reporting to labels and distributors to address repeat offenders. This is a significant development in the fight against streaming manipulation, with both Apple Music and Spotify taking proactive measures to protect the integrity of streaming services and ensure fair compensation for artists and creators.
