Imagine waking up to find half your catalog’s momentum gone—plays wiped, playlists wobbling, payouts in question. That shock hit thousands of artists during Spotify’s artificial streaming crackdown, and we’re breaking down exactly how to avoid the trap, what to do if you’re flagged, and how to keep your release on track without getting burned by bad promo.
We walk through the signals that trigger platform scrutiny—sudden spikes from unusual countries, improbable completion rates, and traffic patterns that look too clean to be human. Then we share a clear, calm protocol for the first 48 hours: become a digital archaeologist, document every campaign and invoice, stop all paid promotion, and route everything through your distributor—the only channel that can escalate your case. You’ll hear why artists who pause and cooperate see better outcomes, and how to communicate with facts, not frustration, to speed a fair review.
Beyond crisis mode, we focus on prevention and resilience. Learn how to vet promotional services, why “10,000 streams for $50” is a giant red flag, and what legitimate marketing actually looks like—playlist pitching, PR, and paid traffic that leads to real listeners and saves. We share practical monitoring habits with tools like Chartmetric and Songstats to catch anomalies early, plus a roadmap to diversify income with Bandcamp and direct-to-fan sales so no single platform can derail your plans. The core lesson stands: sustainable growth comes from genuine fans, owned channels, and data you can trust.
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