Free Spotify Plays & Streams: Why There’s Really No Such Thing

Written by Jaron Lewis

So we all used to pay for our streaming services, and then we quickly realized that there were certain services which allowed us to get this music for free, but is it really free?

The same goes the other way, there was a time when music producers and artists used to grow their following organically, and then quickly realized that there were services out there, such as Streamify and Streampot which allow you to pay for plays on Spotify. These are essentially bots that give you an increased Spotify play number.

However there are some called for services like Streamify to be banned as they ultimately cause damage to not only the artist themselves, to the following who are in a way duped into listening to something they thought was popular, but also to the industry itself, by generating huge followings that are not justified and are not generating them any income.

When you choose to pay for boosts or pay for your music, you are essentially paying for what you want in a better way, one that grows the industry in a good and beneficial way.

The fans get to pay for the music that they actually listen to, with tailored playlists and suggestions to artists that they think they would like, and the artists ultimately generate a following who will probably at some point head out and buy their record (or more likely these days, pay for a download of their newly released album).

The Streamify services should be banned as they can hinder those who are making music for the love of it and are not getting anywhere with their career. They don’t have the money or know-how to generate thousands of plays at the click of a button and they perhaps don’t have the following to overtake those who have used these services to increase their ‘fake’ fan base.

The bots will always (or more often than not) be able to produce more numbers than their natural and organic counterparts. This ultimately can make the charts skewed in a way that it is no longer based on talent and popularity of music and songs but of who can get the most streams in the background, behind the closed doors as it were.

But, things are not all bad for those who choose not to use these services. If you grow your audience organically, in the long term you will become much more successful, as your fan base will be loyal and will support things like your new releases, and the other kinds of income that comes along with working in the music business. These are things such as merchandise, posters and records, which true fans will cherish, and most importantly they will play to see you live, giving you income on your tour dates and a loyal audience will sing your songs back to you. And really, is there any better feeling?

These fake fans that are generated by services offering free Spotify streams will not purchase any of these things and so will not give you any income over being popular on Spotify. This popularity does not mean you are a successful artist and is essentially cheating your way to the top.