Solutions to Bot Attacks
What can you do once you’ve been bot attacked?
- Use Instructions in Step One to Get Off the Playlist
- Email Your Distributor a “Heads-Up” (Optional)
- Report the Playlist on Spotify (See How Below)
- Monitor the Situation for Free Using Artist.Tools
Read on to learn how to put these steps into action.
Step One:
Send a Cease & Desist to Playlist Company
How Emailing MusicArray Helps
MusicArray – the most common perpetrators of the bot-attack scam – is a company located and managed in the United States (even though their bots come out of Helsinki, Finland). Therefore, MusicArray (and any other US-based playlist companies) are subject to United States laws and regulations.
Paying for Play is illegal in the US, and it’s known as a “payola.” So, as soon as MusicArray is called out using legal language, they fold pretty fast. That’s why this method works to get you off the playlist.
To stay off their bot playlists in the future, you’ll need to visit our Prevention page and the take steps listed there to protect yourself during future song releases.
How To Email MusicArray:
Click the button below in the blue box. It will automatically open your default email app. A pre-written, pre-addressed email will be ready. Simply replace the [placeholder text] with your specifics and send it.
MusicArray will typically respond within a day to confirm that your song has been removed from their playlist.
Cease and Desist?
A cease and desist is a formal legal notice, requesting that a company or person stop committing an illegal or unjust act against you. It lets them know that you mean business.
Sending the Email:
🧠 What Does the Email Say?
The email is a cease and desist notice. You can preview a copy of it using the blue drop down box below. Pay attention to the subject line and the first three lines of text in the body. This is written for MusicArray which uses Gmail. When they preview your email on Gmail, only the first few lines are visible, and they may think they’ve tricked you. If they suspect your email won’t lead to a sale, they won’t open it. However, once they do open it, they become legally responsible for their actions (or inactions) after that. This is why the email is structured this way. It starts by seeming like you’re pleased to be on the playlist, and then it changes direction after three lines. This method has proven to be the most effective at getting MusicArray to open your email.
- To preview the email, click on the drop down menu below.
- To automatically load a pre-written, pre-addressed email to MusicArray, click the button in the blue box below.
Preview the Email
Email Content:
Subject: THANK YOU OMG!!!
Body:
Omg, is this editorial?! How did this happen? Did I win a contest or something? Seriously this means so much to me because I’ve been trying to figure out how to get on an Editorial Playlist for…
Dear MusicArray Team,
This is a cease and desist. I’m reaching out regarding the inclusion of my song, [Song Name], on your playlist, [Playlist Name], without my prior consent.
This is a formal request to immediately remove my song from all playlists managed or associated with MusicArray, including [Playlist Name]. Failure to comply with this request will result in further legal action. You have until the end of the day to remove the track, after which I will consider additional steps to protect my intellectual property.
Please confirm when the removal has been completed. Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
[Your Full Name]
[Link to your song on Spotify]
[Link to the offending playlist on Spotify]
[Artist Name]
[Playlist Name]
For MusicArray Attacks:
To remove your song from MusicArray’s playlist, you can use a pre-filled, pre-addressed cease and desist email. Simply click the button below to load the email, replace the placeholder text with your details, and send it.
For MusicArray Attacks:
🔗 Click Below to Load Cease & Desist Email to MusicArray.
This will open your email and a pre-written email will load automatically. It will be pre-addressed to MusicArray. Fill in your specifics and hit send.
For Non-MusicArray Attacks:
You can use the same method, in theory, on any scam playlist company. You would need to figure out who to send the email to though. But don’t worry – bot attacks all have one thing in common: a contact method for the company will be listed somewhere in the playlist description. This is essential to their ability to make money off this scam. To learn more about how this works, visit our post on the topic here.
For Non-MusicArray Attacks:
🔗 Click the Button Below to Load Non-Addressed Email.
Click the button below to load a pre-written, un-addressed email to the bot playlist company. Don’t forget to fill in the email address on this one.
Step Two:
Optional: Email DistroKid a Head’s-Up
This Step Could Work Against You:
This step is optional, as some distributors may penalize artists for bot activity. It’s important to weigh your options carefully before proceeding.
Emailing DistroKid (or whomever you use as your Distributor) could help to prevent them from removing your song from Spotify following a bot attack.
Removing songs that have a lot of artificial streams (bot plays) isn’t actually Spotify’s doing. It’s your distributor’s doing.
Only your distributor can add or remove songs from a streaming platform like Spotify. But, Spotify has recently asked some of the major distribution companies to partner with Spotify in a joint effort to stop the bot streams problem.
While this is overall a positive step, there is some unexpected fallback you should probably be aware of. DistroKid will now remove any song that has more than a 90/10 ratio of bot streams to real streams.
This is an action which DistroKid has agreed to, in compliance with Spotify’s new artificial streaming policies (issued in the Fall of 2024).
In theory, emailing DistroKid and explaining to them that this was a bot attack (and not bot promotion you knowingly paid for) might create a sense of trust between you and the Distribution platform, and, with any luck, this could help you avoid an automatic takedown.
DistroKid is actually a very small company, so there’s a decent chance you’ll be talking to someone with actual authority when you email them.
Your email may get run up the proverbial ladder, but if there’s any room for showing mercy, it’s likely your email will end up in front of someone who has the power to do that.
On the other hand, it’s possible that you will be alerting DistroKid to an issue they may not have picked up on yet. This could work against you. I have never known anyone who has attempted to talk to DistroKid before DistroKid had already issued a takedown notice.
Common sense suggests that there may be some merit in “getting ahead of the problem” so to speak. Then again, you might be sounding the first alarm bell on yourself.
I would recommend performing this next step only if you have less than 1,000 streams on the song that’s been botted, as that’s when you’re in a danger of getting more bot plays than you have real plays to absorb them, staying within safe margins under the new 90/10 rule.
To read more about that important ratio, check out our blog post on the topic, located in the Learning Annex, here.
Notifying Your Distributor:
📧 Notify DistroKid (Optional)
This step is optional, as some distributors may penalize artists for bot activity. It’s important to weigh your options carefully before proceeding.
DistroKid Users:
If your release has been added to a bot playlist, you can send a pre-filled, pre-addressed email to DistroKid to notify them of the situation. This email explains the issue and requests that your release remains live on all platforms.
Preview the Email:
Email Content:
Subject: Notice of ‘Bot Attack’ Placement Without Consent
Body:
Dear DistroKid Support,
I am writing to inform you that my release, [Song Name], has been affected by a bot attack without my knowledge or consent. The playlist in question, [Bot Playlist Name], added my track without my permission, inflating my stream count.
I have already taken steps to address this by contacting the fraudulent playlist company, reporting the playlist to Spotify, and notifying you, my distributor. I kindly ask that I not be penalized for this unwanted interference and that my song remains live across all platforms.
I appreciate your understanding and assistance in this matter.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Artist Name]
Details of the release:
Song Title: [Enter Song Title]
Release Date: [Enter Release Date]
Artist Name: [Artist Name]
DistroKid Account Email: [Enter DistroKid Account Email]
UPC: [Enter UPC Here]
Playlist URL: [Bot Playlist Spotify URL]
Send a “Heads-Up” to DistroKid:
🔗 Click Below to Load Heads-Up Email to DistroKid
Non-DistroKid Users:
If you use a distributor other than DistroKid, you can send a similar email. Use the link below to load an unaddressed “Heads-Up” email, fill in the details, and send it to your distributor:
Send a “Heads-Up” to Distributor:
🔗 Click Below to Load Heads-Up Email to Your Distributor.
Step Three:
Report the Playlist to Spotify
How to Report to Spotify:
📝 If your song has been added to a bot playlist, it’s important to report it to Spotify. Watch the movie above for a step-by-step guide, right here on this page.
Or, click the link below to view the guide online:
Step Four:
Continue Monitoring on Artist.Tools
The Importance of Vigilance:
Once you have taken the steps above, it’s crucial to monitor the health of your releases. Use the tools available at Artist.Tools to keep track of your playlist activity and ensure no further issues arise.
Free Monitoring on Artist.Tools
🔗 Click Below to Access Monitoring Tools & Bot Detection Courtesy of Artist.Tools
Artist Tools: Stay informed about suspicious activity & playlist engagement
Need Further Assistance?
If you’re having trouble removing your song from a MusicArray playlist, feel free to contact us, and we’ll see what we can do to help.
Prevent Future Issues:
To avoid similar problems in the future, take steps to protect your music from bot playlists.
Learn more about prevention by clicking the link below:
Help Advocate for Control:
If you agree that artists deserve more control over which playlists they’re one, consider sending an email to Spotify advocating for a much-needed and simple-to-execute new feature. An Opt-Out button for large, suspicious user playlists. Click the button below to advocate for this change.
Email Spotify About Opt-Out Button:
🔗 Click Below to Load the Pre-Filled Email to Spotify
(The email is addressed to major executives and development team leaders. Simply fill in your name or send anonymously).
See Something, Say Something:
Need to Report a Scam?
🔗 Click Below to Send Us a Report