Spotify has been deducting streams from various artists, including Nigerian stars, since February 2025, with the latest round of deductions happening in early April.
The platform hasn’t provided a direct explanation for these subtractions, but it’s likely due to their policy of removing streams deemed fraudulent.
Spotify’s Policy on Fraudulent Streams:
- Prohibits third-party services that offer streams in return for money
- Penalizes artists and distributors for using fake bot services to generate streams
- Corrects public streaming numbers and removes songs from playlists if artificial streaming is detected
- Withholds associated royalties in severe cases
Why Stream Deductions Happen:
- Artificial streaming or stream manipulation violates Spotify’s terms and conditions
- The platform aims to ensure accurate reflection of an artist’s popularity in charts
- Stream manipulation can result in unfair advantages and revenue loss for genuine artists
Recent Changes to Spotify’s Policies:
- As of January 2025, Spotify requires tracks to have at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months to generate royalties
- The platform will penalize digital distributors for bot streams and manipulate stream counts
- These changes aim to promote genuine artistry and fair revenue distribution¹
