In recent months, the number of independent artists who have had one or more songs removed from Spotify due to fraudulent streaming activity has grown alarmingly.
The most critical point is that, increasingly, the artists involved declare that they never purchased illegitimate streams, playlists, or promotion services.
Yet the songs disappear.
Without real warning.
With no real possibility of appeal.
And with serious consequences for their careers, catalogs, and royalties.
This article was created to clarify, sort out the information that has been circulating in recent years and explain how to avoid the deletion of songs, especially in view of 2026.
When “fraudolento” streaming is not the artist's fault
One of the phrases I hear artists repeat most often is:
«Non ho fatto nulla, eppure la mia musica è stata rimossa».
And it's a true phrase.
Today it is technically possible for a song to end up involved in artificial streaming activities without the artist being aware of it. Private bot playlists, automated listening from different countries within a few hours, streams concentrated on a single song from the catalog: these are all patterns that Spotify's automatic systems consider suspicious.
The problem is that the artist has no real tools to intercept or block these activities.
Not everyone checks Spotify for Artists daily.
Not all playlists are public.
And when a playlist is private, it can't even be reported.
The result is paradoxical: the music is removed less than two months after the anomaly, when the damage is already done.
All cases are treated the same (and here's the crux)
One of the most frequent responses given by distributors is this:
“It's not always the artist who causes the fraudulent activity. However, all FSA cases are treated equally, and once action has been taken, it cannot be reversed by the stores.”
This sentence perfectly explains the structural problem of the system.
Intention doesn't matter.
Good faith doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter whether the artist benefited or not.
The system only looks at the numbers.
If too high a percentage of streams are considered “gonfiata” compared to actual listens, the song enters the red zone.
And once the action is carried out, in most cases it is not automatically reversible.
Why small artists pay the highest price
Here another sensitive issue emerges, often ignored.
Many playlist bots also include songs by famous artists.
The difference is that, for an artist with millions of real streams, a few tens or hundreds of thousands of anomalous streams do not significantly alter the overall ratio.
For an independent artist, however, a few thousand streams concentrated in a short period can represent the absolute majority of the song's streams.
And this is precisely what triggers the controls.
The system is, in fact, more severe with those with lower volumes.
Not out of bad faith, but by mathematics.
Is it possible to be “bottati” on purpose?
It's a question that many artists ask themselves, often with fear:
«Se qualcuno volesse danneggiarmi, potrebbe farlo?»
Technically, yes.
There are increasingly sophisticated bots, capable of simulating listening from different profiles, different cities and different devices, making detection extremely complex even for Spotify.
This opens up a disturbing scenario: the artist suffers the consequences of actions to which he never consented, without having a real direct right of defense.
Can one prove one's innocence to Spotify?
This is perhaps the most frustrating question.
In most cases, no, not directly.
Spotify always defers to the distributor.
The distributor, in turn, defers to the DSP's decisions.
It's a buck-passing game that many artists know all too well.
This doesn't mean that nothing can be done, but it means that a structured, technical and documented approach is needed, not a simple protest email.
How to protect your music and start 2026 off right
After years of analyzing cases, one thing is clear:
tying your entire career to a single platform is a strategic mistake.
Spotify is an important tool, but it cannot be the only pillar.
Diversification, metadata control, analysis of traffic sources and correct editorial distribution are fundamental elements today.
Above all, it is essential to prevent, not chase the problem when the music has already been removed.
2026 will begin with even more stringent controls, more aggressive algorithms and an ever-decreasing tolerance for anything that does not fit into the “puliti” pattern.
When music is removed: royalties, catalog and collateral damage
An often underestimated aspect is the economic one.
When a song is removed:
- Accrued royalties may remain blocked
- some are never reported
- the catalog loses historical continuity
- the algorithms stop “fidarsi” of the artist profile
And this is where many artists discover, months later, that they have thousands of euros unpaid between masters, publishing and related rights.
Why I can (really) help you
For over 20 years I have worked in editorial management and music distribution, following artists, labels and publishers in Italy and abroad.
In recent years I have specialized in:
- analysis of removals from Spotify
- recovery of deleted songs (when possible)
- correct reconstruction of metadata
- recovery of unpaid or blocked royalties
- safe distribution strategies to avoid new reports
In 2025 alone I have helped numerous artists recover tens of thousands of euros that seemed lost and restore order to compromised catalogs.
Do you want to start 2026 without the risk of losing your music?
If one of your songs has been removed, if you fear your catalog may be at risk, or if you simply want to secure your music and royalties, we can talk.
Schedule a meeting with me
Schedule a Meeting!We'll analyze your situation, the actual data, and possible concrete actions together.
Music deserves protection.
And artists deserve answers, not just algorithms.
