How to Spot Music Promotion Scams: Red Flags, Questions to Ask and Safe Alternatives
How to spot music promotion scams before you pay: guaranteed streams, fake playlists, pay-to-play curators, impersonated labels and phishing DMs, with the questions that expose them.
Independent artists get a steady stream of offers: playlist placements, guaranteed streams, "label interest", features on big pages. Some are real. Many are built to take money and deliver nothing, or worse, deliver bot plays that get the song removed.
Promoters run into these too, both as competition and as traps. Knowing the patterns protects the artists you work with and your own reputation.
Twelve red flags
- 1Guaranteed stream numbers. Nobody honest can guarantee real people will listen.
- 2Guaranteed playlist placement for money. Against Spotify's rules and usually fake.
- 3Prices tied to plays, like a package of 10,000 streams.
- 4Results in hours. Real growth takes days and weeks.
- 5Playlists with huge followings and no activity, mixed genres, no known artists.
- 6Curators who accept everything. Real curators say no often.
- 7DMs out of nowhere praising a song they clearly haven't heard.
- 8"Label" or "A&R" contacts who ask you to pay to be signed or reviewed.
- 9Pressure to decide now, discounts that expire in an hour.
- 10Payment only by gift cards or crypto, with no business details.
- 11Login requests for your streaming dashboard or socials.
- 12No way to see who they are: no real site, no reviews, new accounts.
Common scam types
| Scam | How it looks | What really happens |
|---|---|---|
| Stream packages | "Buy 50k Spotify plays" | Bot plays, removed streams, possible takedown |
| Pay-to-play playlists | "Fee for a spot on our 200k playlist" | Fake followers, bot listening |
| Fake label offer | "Signing fee" or "development fee" | Money gone, no deal |
| Impersonation | A DM pretending to be a platform or a known page | Phishing for logins |
| Feature for a fee on dead pages | Big follower count, tiny real views | Nobody sees it |
Questions that expose a bad offer
- "Where exactly will listeners come from?" Real services name channels: creators, ads, communities.
- "Can you show recent results with the artist's permission?" Vague answers are a warning.
- "What happens if you don't like the song?" Honest curators can decline.
- "Do you guarantee any numbers?" The honest answer is no.
- "Who is the company and where is it registered?"
A real service answers these calmly and in detail. A scam changes the subject, pushes a discount or stops replying. If you are unsure, ask for a small first test with a tracked link and pay only after you can see the result yourself.
What legit promotion looks like
Real promotion sells effort, reach or content, not results. It is open about where the attention comes from and lets you check it.
| Legit | Why it's safe |
|---|---|
| Ads you run yourself | You see where every click goes |
| Paid creator posts with disclosure | A real person, a real audience |
| Curator review with no guaranteed add | The curator is free to decline |
| Performance deals for real actions, tracked | You pay for what you can verify |
Use the tracking link builder on any paid placement so you can see the clicks yourself, rather than relying on the seller's screenshot. For the bigger picture, read Spotify playlist promotion and why fake streams hurt artists.
If it already happened
Stop payments, change passwords if you shared any and turn on two-factor login. Tell the distributor if you suspect bot plays, so they hear it from you first. Report scam accounts on the platform where they contacted you. Then write down what happened; it's the best protection next time. For money you lost, ask your bank or a professional for advice.
FAQ
Are Spotify promotion services a scam?+
Not all, but any service that guarantees streams or playlist placement for money is a red flag and can get the song removed.
How do I know if a playlist is fake?+
Look for mixed genres, no well-known artists, sudden follower jumps and a curator who accepts everything. Real playlists stick to a sound and say no often.
Is it a scam if a label asks me to pay?+
Very often. Real labels invest in artists; a "signing fee" or "review fee" is a classic warning sign.
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