Getting discovered on Spotify is a game-changer for anyone looking to grow their fanbase. But lately, there’s been a rise in fake playlists powered by bots.

These sneaky lists promise quick exposure and lure in unsuspecting artists with the promise of massive streams. But beware! Falling into this trap can be damaging to your career. Instead of expanding your reach, you might just end up with empty numbers that hurt your long-term growth.

So, how do you avoid these botted playlists and keep your music career on track?

Red Flags to Watch Out For

Rapid Spikes or Drops in Followers One of the biggest giveaways of a botted playlist is sudden spikes or drops in follower numbers. Genuine playlists grow slowly over time as curators carefully collect tracks and reach the right audience. Organic reach is precious because it tells Spotify that people love your track, pushing it to be included in Trending lists. If you see a playlist that suddenly shoots up in followers or experiences a dramatic decline, be cautious—it might be fraudulent. These playlists often buy fake followers to appear more popular, but it’s all smoke and mirrors.
Multiple Big Playlists Under One Curator Another tell-tale sign is the number of big playlists under one curator. A legitimate playlist curator might have one or two well-followed playlists, along with a few smaller ones. But if you see a profile with multiple playlists, all with 20,000+ followers and generic titles like “Hot New Music” or “Fresh Finds,” those numbers were probably bought, not earned. Real playlists have a variety of follower numbers depending on their popularity and focus. Fake playlists, on the other hand, often have eerily similar follower numbers across all their lists—a clear sign of bots at work.

Remember, it’s better to have a smaller, engaged audience than a large, fake one.

Watch Out for Weird Playlist Names and Descriptions

Let’s talk about another way to dodge those pesky botted playlists on Spotify. One easy trick is to check out the playlist names and descriptions. A legit playlist will have a name that reflects its genre, mood, or theme. If you stumble upon a playlist with a strange, unrelated name, that’s your first clue something’s off. Pair that with a vague or ambiguous description, and you’ve got enough reason to steer clear.

For example, if the name doesn’t match the type of songs included, it’s probably just a generic list created to rack up fake streams.

Take a look at the above example. At first glance, the playlists appear to have a huge number of followers and could be great for boosting your music’s reach, right? But upon closer inspection, you’ll see that the follower growth trends are very similar and all the graphs look unnatural. This could mean that the playlists are botted.

Carefully Study the Stream-to-Follower Ratio

Here’s another pro tip: check out the stream-to-follower ratio. Look at the total number of followers listed for the playlist. Then, go to the individual songs and take a look at their streaming count. If a playlist with over 50k followers is hosting songs with less than 1000 streams, it’s a clear indication of the playlist being botted.

In an authentic playlist, streams will always outnumber followers because songs tend to be played multiple times by listeners. These bots don’t actually engage with the music—they’re just inflating the numbers.

Fake streams can be harder to spot from the outside, but if you notice that most artists on the playlist are barely getting streams elsewhere, yet have one song with a huge boost, that’s another warning sign.

Double-Check with Tools

To double-check, you can use tools like Chartmetric, isitagoodplaylist.com, or artist.tools to analyze a playlist’s growth. Legitimate playlists will have steady, organic growth. If you see dramatic spikes upward, it’s likely due to bots. If there’s a sharp decline, it’s even worse—Spotify probably identified the fake accounts and deleted them.

Additionally, you might want to check out:

SpotOnTrack: Provides insights into playlist placements and track performance.
Soundcharts: Another powerful tool for tracking playlist data and overall music analytics.
Spotify for Artists: While not specifically for checking playlists, it gives you valuable data on how your tracks are performing and where your streams are coming from.

Spend Your Money Wisely

Remember, paying for streams goes against Spotify’s policies. If you engage in fraudulent practices like using bots to boost your tracks, Spotify has the right to delist your track from the platform altogether. So, spend your money wisely.

Inspect the Curator: Do Some Detective Work

Alright, let’s talk about playlist curators. Not all of them are created equal, and some are downright shady. Before you submit your precious tracks, do a little detective work. Check out their profile. If you see a bunch of weird followers—like accounts with no pictures, bizarre names, multiple of the same name, or zero followers themselves—run the other way. These are fake followers, and they’re a dead giveaway that the curator isn’t legit.

A trustworthy curator will be transparent. Look for their name, social media profiles, or even a website in their playlist description. Genuine curators leave digital footprints. If you can’t find any info about them online, that’s a big red flag. Building a real following takes time and effort, so be cautious with curators who lack a solid online presence.

Be Skeptical of Curators with a “Network” - They Manage Botted Playlists

Now, let’s talk about those curators who promise to “exclusively promote” your track for a small fee. They’ll offer you a spot on their playlist and claim they have a network of agencies and playlist managers. Sounds tempting, right? But hold up—this is a classic scam. Most curators don’t handle music promotion; that’s a whole different ball game. When they start asking for money, it’s a major red flag. You’re likely paying for fake streams, which is against Spotify’s rules. If you’re caught, your track—or even your entire album—could be removed from the platform.

A good curator’s job is to feature music they love, not to artificially boost streams with shady practices. Any claim of having a vast network of curators ready to boost your streams should be treated with suspicion.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Fall for the Shortcut

For indie artists, the idea of botted playlists might seem like a quick way to get massive exposure. But trust us, those thousands of fake streams come at a high price. Fake accounts won’t engage with your music or spread it like real fans who genuinely love your work. Spotify’s algorithm will eventually figure out that your music is being played by bots, and they’ll treat your art as ‘uninteresting’ to real listeners. Worst case, your music could be removed entirely for fraudulent streaming.

The best way forward is to stick to real playlists with real engagement, curated by professionals who are transparent in their business practices. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Growing your fanbase organically might take more time and effort, but it’s the right way to ensure long-term success.

Bottom line: don’t get caught up in a fake playlist scandal. Fake curators won’t respect you or your music. Always choose the honest path, because botted playlists will do more harm than good!

How to spot & avoid botted playlists on Spotify