Last August, Tunecore, my distributor on streaming platforms, accused me of streaming fraud and boosting the streams of one of my songs on Spotify with a bot-driven playlist.
The penalty was the removal of the entire album containing this song from ALL platforms and a fine of 10 euros.
I had spotted these abnormal streams last May on a clearly illegal and artificial playlist and had myself reported this anomaly to Tunecore.
I strongly protested against the penalty imposed by Tunecore, which I considered unfair and arbitrary.
My emails went unanswered for two months.
I considered removing all my music from the platforms, fearing that any track of mine would once again be included in automated playlists without my knowledge and that I would be fined.
I have no illusions about my financial earnings with Spotify, but to actually lose money!
Last night, I received a mail from Tunecore, acknowledging their mistake and my good faith, refunding the penalty imposed, and committing to put the entire deleted album back online.
So be it.
While I appreciate Tunecore's move, which took my complaints into account and reached a fair decision, I realize how vulnerable independent musicians are compared to multinationals such as Spotify, Tunecore, and others, where everything is now governed by algorithms and automated. We are also at the mercy of unscrupulous operators who lure us with promises of exponential growth in our streams and followers in exchange for payment, and who do not hesitate to include our tracks in playlists controlled by bot farms without our consent...
All things considered, it would have been more sensible for Tunecore to conduct a minimal investigation into the situation before punishing me brutally and without recourse...
I know that dozens (hundreds?) of musicians and bands have found themselves in my situation...
I conclude that one should never hesitate to protest vigorously and assert one's rights.
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