Spotify Fires Back at ‘Payola’ Lawsuit Over Discovery Mode, Says Listeners Waived the Right to Sue

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.billboard.com/pro/spotify-responds-payola-lawsuit-discovery-mode/

Drake hits 17.6 billion Spotify streams to lead 2025

Key Points

• The artist passed 17.6 billion Spotify plays this week. Streams run about fifty million plays per day.

• The year marks his biggest streaming total ever. Projections show he will pass eighteen billion streams.

• Industry trackers note a steady daily stream climb. Analysts cite new album plays and playlist boosts.

Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) has passed seventeen point six billion Spotify streams. The artist is earning roughly fifty million streams each day. Editors expect totals to top eighteen billion by year end.

The milestone arrives after months of new music and push. A recent ValidUpdates story called him Apple Music most-streamed artist. That report highlighted his strong showings across major services.

How the numbers add up

Streams have climbed since new releases and steady playlist additions worldwide now. Listeners replay catalog hits while also embracing recent singles daily worldwide today. That mix keeps his totals growing across global market charts each week.

Playlist placement boosted several tracks into regular rotation this quarter and radio. Collaborations helped newer tracks reach fans across regions and apps worldwide daily. Social clips and short videos kept songs trending on feeds daily.

Industry trackers logged a series of high play days this season recently. ValidUpdates examined the case titled Spotify accused of fake streams. The report notes that audits and cross checks are under way now.

Even with debate the play totals show clear fan demand. Labels and services both track plays with internal checks. The artist benefits from a large back catalog and radio support.

What powers the daily numbers

New singles have driven spikes in daily stream counts. Fans pushed tracks into popular playlists this month across apps. Promotion and tour mentions also send fans back to the catalog.

Collaborations and viral clips keep songs in rotation on platforms. The artist has leaned on features to widen listener reach. Older hits gain fresh plays after new track pushes.

Daily averages near fifty million create big yearly gains. Small changes in daily plays shift totals by large amounts. Projections use current pace to estimate final yearly tallies.

Streaming remains a key revenue and visibility driver for artists. This year shows how repeat plays sustain long term careers. The artist keeps steady support from global fan bases.

What comes next

Industry leaders note platform playlists still shape discovery trends. The artist gets added exposure via curated lists and radios. That placement helps older tracks return to top charts quickly.

Year end totals depend on holiday listening and new pushes. Play rates often rise during holidays across many markets. Labels usually amplify promotion to capture those extra plays.

If daily streams stay near current levels projections hold. That path would clear an eighteen billion year end total. Numbers still face scrutiny while courts examine the claims.

For Nigerian fans the growth highlights Afrobeats global ties. Regional artists also see spillover from cross border playlisting. Streaming wins bring touring and brand deals into play.

Wider debate will track numbers and any legal outcomes. The charts still reflect large daily play volumes and reach. Readers should watch official tallies from platforms for clarity.

The year cements a major streaming moment for the artist. ValidUpdates also noted his Apple Music top artist crown. Read more on platform totals and ongoing industry notes.

#afrobeats #AppleMusic #Drake #Music #Spotify #streamingFraud #StreamingRecords #ValidUpdates

RBX sues Spotify for alleged fake streams. The filing cites Drake by name. Read the full story below #ValidUpdates #Spotify #Drake #StreamingFraud #MusicIndustry

https://validupdates.com/2025/11/spotify-accused-of-fake-streams-lawsuit-names-drake/

Spotify accused of fake streams, lawsuit names Drake

Key Points

• Rapper RBX files a class action in California federal court. He accuses Spotify of enabling massive artificial streaming.

• The complaint names Drake as one example of alleged inflation. It cites bot accounts, VPN use, and extreme listening patterns.

• Spotify declines comment but says it removes fake plays. The company adds penalties and withholds royalties to deter abuse.

Rapper RBX (Eric Dwayne Collins) files a class action lawsuit. He sues Spotify in the Central District of California. The complaint names Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) as one example.

RBX alleges billions of fake plays across the platform. He says many came from bot accounts between 2022 and 2025. His filing arrives weeks after Drake appeals UMG defamation ruling.

What the lawsuit says

The suit cites abnormal VPN use over long listening sessions. It describes users playing only Drake for twenty three hours daily. It also notes streams clustering in low population regions.

Spotify response and next steps

Spotify declines comment on active cases. It says fake streaming hurts artists and the service. The company says it removes plays, withholds royalties, and charges penalties.

The complaint says Spotify knows or should know about such activity. RBX points to data that suggest wide, coordinated bot behaviour. He claims those systems masked the real source of streams.

He highlights Drake’s vast totals to frame the scale at issue. The filing mentions a milestone of one hundred twenty billion plays. It also alleges a notable share of thirty seven billion came from bots.

RBX says streaming farms run scripts for long daily sessions. These accounts repeat tracks, skip little, and rarely change artists. The filing says that pattern differs from normal human listening.

He adds that some regions produced unlikely volumes for their size. Those clusters, he argues, suggest organised tools and shared networks. The suit says VPNs helped hide the true locations.

RBX seeks a jury trial and damages to be set. He files on behalf of a broad public class. The court will first assess whether the class can proceed.

Artificial streaming affects payouts for many creators. Fake plays shift revenue away from smaller acts. The case raises fresh pressure on streaming policing.

Drake remains a frequent subject of legal headlines. Last month, a New York court court dismisses Drake defamation lawsuit. He later sought an appeal in that dispute.

Class certification, discovery, and early motions will set the pace. Any trial date would come only after those steps conclude. For now, both sides prepare for the first hearings.

#artistPayouts #classAction #Drake #musicIndustry #RBX #Spotify #streamingFraud #ValidUpdates

Real humans don’t stream Drake songs 23 hours a day, rapper suing Spotify says https://arstechni.ca/CqoS #streamingfraud #spotify #Policy #Drake

"When Hay found out, he marveled at the idea of his former collaborator managing to get richer than nearly all working musicians without being a household name. 'He had a billion streams,' Hay claims, 'and no fans.'” —Kate Knibbs for Wired

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-bots-streaming-music/

#AI #Fraud #StreamingFraud #Scam #Greed

A jazz duo's #1 hit vanished. The wild reason? One member allegedly used AI bots to fake a billion streams, making millions with zero real fans. A true tale of digital music deception. #AI #StreamingFraud #MusicTech

Publishers Win Major Victory Against Internet Archive and Streaming Scam Case Breaks New Ground: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway https://selfpublishingadvice.org/internet-archive/ #InternetArchiveAppealsCourt #streamingcontentstuffing #internetarchivelawsuit #Spotifyroyalties #InternetArchive #Streamingfraud #News

#TheMetalDogArticleList #MusicRadar “He stole millions in royalties that should have been paid to musicians, songwriters, and other rights holders whose songs were legitimately streamed” www.musicradar.com/music-indust... #MusicIndustry #StreamingFraud

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MusicRadar
“He stole millions in royalties that should have been paid to musicians, songwriters, and other rights holders whose songs were legitimately streamed”
https://www.musicradar.com/music-industry/streaming-sharing/he-stole-millions-in-royalties-that-should-have-been-paid-to-musicians-songwriters-and-other-rights-holders-whose-songs-were-legitimately-streamed-north-carolina-man-indicted-of-streaming-fraud

#MusicIndustry #StreamingFraud

Streaming-Betrug der Superlative: Mann aus North Carolina soll über 10 Mio. Dollar mit Bot-Accounts und KI-Songs erbeutet haben. #StreamingFraud #AIMusic https://winfuture.de/news,145061.html?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=ManualStatus&utm_campaign=SocialMedia