Hey there 👋
If you noticed a sudden spike in streams, followed by a sharp drop — like in the graph below — you’re not alone. It can be confusing, especially when you’re investing in playlist campaigns to grow your music.
Let’s talk about what’s happening and why it’s not necessarily a problem with your music or our platform 💡
🧠 How Spotify Detects Artificial Streaming
Spotify uses algorithms and behavior-based analysis to detect what they consider “artificial” streams. These algorithms aren’t always perfect — especially for smaller artists running campaigns for the first time.
Spotify typically flags streams if:
• There’s a sudden spike with no prior momentum 📈
• Streams come from a limited number of sources 🔄
• There are low listener interaction rates (e.g. short play duration, no saves)
• The artist has under 100 streams/day on average
🔍 They can flag even 20–40% of streams as “potentially artificial,” especially if you’re just starting out.
📊 Our Campaigns Are Clean
At PlaylistHub, we actively monitor all campaign activity and are committed to fair, transparent growth. Here’s how our performance stacks up:
• We average 1.1–1.2 streams per listener per listener, meaning listeners are not looping or botting - they are new users finding your song.
• Our campaigns generate saves, followers, and real engagement — not just passive streams.
• We use paid ads and organic traffic to bring real listeners to your song - verifiable at your dashboard and at all times here and here .
💡 In other words: Your campaign is not breaking any rules — but Spotify’s automated system sometimes overreacts, especially when there’s a big jump from low baseline traffic.
🎧 Having Trouble with DistroKid or Your Distributor?
If Spotify flags your streams, some distributors — including DistroKid — may withhold royalties or penalize you without any manual investigation, relying purely on Spotify’s automated detection systems. Unfortunately, this happens even when streams are real and driven by legitimate promotion. Artists across the community have reported this issue.
For example:
📩 What You Can Do:
Email your distributor (for DistroKid: [email protected]) and explain the situation clearly.
Attach proof of legitimate promotion, including:
Your PlaylistHub campaign dashboard
Your Facebook ad links:
If you promoted your own song, use:
If your campaign ran through a playlist, use:
This documentation helps prove that your streams came from paid, transparent campaigns — not bots. Distributors often respond quickly when given clear data.
If you’re unsure what to include, just contact our team. We’ll help you compile the evidence and support you through the process.
✅ How to Move Forward
1. Let the dust settle – Often, Spotify’s systems will normalize over time and the flagged streams will be partially restored - after a manual review by their team.
2. Keep diversifying – Promote across social, email, and ads to show broader activity.
3. Keep us updated – If a drop happens, we’ll help investigate, and make sure you’re taken care of not only to verify the source but also to help you make sure this won´t happen.
💬 TL;DR
• If you’re under 100 streams/day and see a spike, Spotify might auto-flag your campaign.
• This is not due to bots or fraud — your PlaylistHub campaign is clean, with real engagement.
• We’re here to support you every step of the way and help your audience grow steadily 🚀
Have questions or concerns? Just drop us a message — we’re always happy to help 💙
—
The PlaylistHub Team 🎧
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