Spotify Playlist Scams: How to Spot Them and What to Do Instead
Someone just messaged you on Instagram. They can get your song on playlists with millions of followers. Only $200 for 50,000 streams. Guaranteed results.
It’s a scam. And if you fall for it, you might lose your entire Spotify presence.
Spotify playlist scams are everywhere in 2026. They prey on indie artists desperate for exposure. They promise shortcuts that don’t exist. And they can get your music removed from Spotify permanently.
This guide shows you how to spot fake playlist services, what actually happens when you use them, and legitimate ways to get playlist placement.
Why Playlist Scams Exist
The economics are simple.
Indie artists want streams. Streams equal visibility, credibility, and (some) income. The path to streams is playlists. Getting on playlists organically is hard and uncertain.
Enter the scammers.
They promise what artists want: guaranteed playlist placement, specific stream counts, rapid growth. Artists, often early in their careers and lacking industry knowledge, pay.
The scammer either:
- Does nothing (straight-up fraud)
- Places songs on fake playlists with bot listeners
- Uses stream farms to artificially inflate numbers
The artist sees streams go up. They think it worked. They don’t realize those streams will be removed—and their account might be flagged.
Red Flags to Identify Scam Services
Guaranteed Placements or Streams
Red flag: “We guarantee 50,000 streams” or “Guaranteed placement on our playlists”
Why it’s a scam: Legitimate playlist curators don’t guarantee placement. They listen to submissions and choose what fits their playlist. Anyone guaranteeing specific stream counts is either lying or using bots.
Real playlist promotion services connect you with curators. Those curators may or may not accept your song. That’s how honest playlist pitching works.
Suspiciously Cheap Bulk Packages
Red flag: “$50 for 100,000 streams” or “1 million playlist reach for $99”
Why it’s a scam: Real streams cost real money. Reaching 100,000 genuine listeners requires either significant organic traction or substantial ad spend. If someone offers you mass reach for pocket change, they’re selling bot streams.
Rough math: Legitimate playlist pitching through services like SubmitHub costs $2-8 per curator submission, with no guarantee of acceptance. Getting 100,000 genuine streams through paid playlist campaigns costs hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Playlists With Mismatched Genres
Red flag: A “Top Hip-Hop” playlist that also features ambient electronic, classical, and country
Why it’s a scam: Real playlists have cohesive themes. If a playlist accepts any genre, it’s not curated for listeners—it’s a dumping ground for paid placements. Listeners don’t follow these playlists. The “followers” are bots.
Followers Don’t Match Engagement
Red flag: A playlist with 500,000 followers but only 50 monthly listeners
Why it’s a scam: Real playlists with real followers have real listeners. If the follower count is massive but nobody’s actually listening, those followers are fake accounts.
Check this by looking at the playlist in Spotify for Artists (if you’re already on it) or by examining the songs on the playlist—do they have streams proportional to the playlist’s supposed reach?
No Track Record or References
Red flag: New service with no verifiable history, no reviews, no artists you can contact
Why it’s a scam: Legitimate playlist services have track records. They can point to artists they’ve worked with. Those artists can confirm results. If a service has no verifiable history, assume the worst.
Aggressive DMs and Cold Outreach
Red flag: Unsolicited Instagram DM: “Hey! I love your sound, I can get you 100K streams”
Why it’s a scam: Real industry professionals don’t cold-DM indie artists on Instagram promising streams. This is the hunting ground for scammers. Anyone reaching out unprompted with growth promises is almost certainly running a scam.
Payment Only in Crypto or Untraceable Methods
Red flag: “We only accept Bitcoin” or “Pay via gift cards”
Why it’s a scam: Legitimate businesses accept standard payment methods. Scammers prefer untraceable payments because you can’t dispute charges or track them down.
How to Verify a Playlist Is Legitimate
Before submitting to any playlist (or service that promises playlist placement), verify the playlist is real.
Check Follower-to-Listener Ratio
A healthy playlist has listeners proportional to followers. If a playlist has 100,000 followers, it should have thousands of monthly listeners on the tracks it features.
Look at songs currently on the playlist. Check their stream counts. Do they suggest real listening activity, or are they suspiciously low for a “popular” playlist?
Examine the Curator Profile
Real curators have profiles. They have listening history. They follow artists. They create multiple playlists with coherent themes.
Bot-operated playlists often have minimal curator profiles, no listening activity, and random playlist themes.
Analyze Song Variety and Quality
Real playlists are curated. The songs fit together. They’re generally decent quality. There’s a reason each song was selected.
Scam playlists accept anything. The songs don’t fit together. Quality varies wildly. There’s no apparent curatorial vision.
Look for Bot-Like Patterns
Signs of bot activity:
- All songs have suspiciously similar stream counts
- Streams spike suddenly, then stop
- Listener location is heavily concentrated in suspicious regions (click farms are often in specific countries)
- Stream-to-save ratio is abnormally low (bots stream but don’t save)
What Happens If You Use Fake Playlists
It’s not just that fake streams don’t help you. They actively harm your career.
Streams Get Removed
Spotify’s fraud detection is sophisticated. They identify artificial streaming patterns and remove those streams. You paid for 100,000 streams; a month later, you’re back where you started—minus the money you spent.
Your Account Gets Flagged
Repeated use of fake playlists can result in account warnings or removal from Spotify altogether. Artists have lost their entire catalog over artificial streaming.
Algorithmic Signals Get Polluted
Spotify’s algorithm learns from listener behavior. When your song gets bot streams, the algorithm learns nothing useful. Worse, it may learn wrong things—associating your music with patterns that don’t represent real listeners.
Real growth depends on real signals: genuine listeners who save, replay, and add to their libraries. Bot streams generate none of this.
You Waste Money
This is the simplest problem. The money you spent on fake streams is gone. It bought you nothing of value. It may have bought you harm.
It Becomes Addictive
Some artists get trapped in a cycle: they bought streams to look more successful, now they need to keep buying streams to maintain the illusion. It becomes a tax you pay forever, never building real audience.
Legitimate Alternatives
How do you actually get playlist placement without scams?
Spotify Editorial Submission
Free. Direct. The most legitimate path.
Submit through Spotify for Artists at least 4 weeks before release. Write a compelling pitch. Be specific about genre, mood, and context. Hope for the best.
Most submissions don’t get picked. But the ones that do can be career-changing. And it costs nothing but time.
For details, see our guide on getting on Spotify playlists.
SubmitHub
A platform connecting artists with playlist curators and bloggers.
How it works:
- You pay credits to submit to curators ($2-8 per submission)
- Curators listen and decide whether to add you
- No guarantee of placement—just guaranteed consideration
Why it’s legitimate:
- Curators are real humans with real playlists
- No promised stream counts
- Transparent feedback system
Costs: Budget $50-200 per release to submit to 10-30 relevant curators.
Playlist Push
A service that pitches your music to their network of playlist curators.
How it works:
- You pay for a campaign ($450+)
- They pitch to curators in their network
- Curators decide whether to add you
Why it’s legitimate:
- No guaranteed streams
- Real curators making independent decisions
- Track record of working with legitimate playlists
The catch: More expensive than SubmitHub. Results vary. Not a guarantee, just a service.
Daily Playlists and Musosoup
Similar to Playlist Push—services that connect you with curator networks.
How to evaluate any service:
- Do they guarantee streams? (Red flag)
- Can you see the playlists and curators? (Good sign)
- Are there verifiable artist testimonials? (Good sign)
- Is pricing suspiciously cheap? (Red flag)
Organic Outreach
Find playlists yourself. Contact curators directly.
How to do it:
- Search Spotify for playlists in your genre
- Look for user-curated playlists (not official Spotify playlists)
- Find curator contact info (often in playlist description or their profile)
- Send a personalized pitch
Email template: Subject: [Song Name] for [Playlist Name]
Hi [Name],
I’ve been following [Playlist Name] and think my new track “[Song Name]” could fit alongside [artist currently on playlist].
[1-2 sentences about the song]
Here’s a private link: [link]
No pressure either way—just wanted it on your radar.
Thanks, [Your name]
This is time-consuming but free. Response rates are low, but the placements are real.
Focus on Algorithmic Playlists
Instead of chasing editorial or user playlists, optimize for algorithmic placements: Release Radar, Discover Weekly, Radio.
How:
- Drive real engagement in first 24-48 hours (from your existing fans)
- Get saves, not just streams
- Encourage full listens (completion rate matters)
- Build genuine followers who will trigger Release Radar
Algorithmic playlists reach listeners based on their behavior. You can’t pay to get on them. But you can optimize your release strategy to trigger them.
The Uncomfortable Truth
The shortcut everyone’s selling doesn’t exist.
Building a real audience takes time. There’s no way around it. Most artists see minimal traction for 6-12 months of consistent effort. Playlist placements help, but they’re not the foundation—your music and your audience relationship are.
The artists who buy fake streams are often trying to skip this phase. It doesn’t work. You can’t fake your way into a real career.
If your music is good and you’re consistent, playlist placements will come—organically, through editorial submission, through legitimate services. If your music isn’t resonating, no amount of fake streams will change that.
Invest in your music. Invest in real promotion. Skip the scams.
Related reading:
- Getting on Spotify Playlists — legitimate playlist strategy
- Music Promotion for Beginners — free fundamentals first
- Music Marketing Not Working? — diagnosing real problems
FAQ
How do I report a Spotify playlist scam?
You can report suspicious playlists directly to Spotify through their support channels. If you’ve been scammed, document everything (payment receipts, communications, playlist links) and report to both Spotify and your payment provider. For outright fraud, consider reporting to consumer protection agencies in your jurisdiction.
Can Spotify tell if I used fake playlists?
Yes. Spotify has sophisticated fraud detection systems that identify artificial streaming patterns. They look at listener behavior, geographic patterns, and engagement metrics. Even if streams appear initially, they’re often removed within weeks when detected as fraudulent.
What if I already used a scam service?
Stop immediately. Don’t use them again. Monitor your Spotify for Artists for stream removals. If streams get removed, don’t panic—it’s Spotify cleaning up fraud, not punishing you personally. Going forward, focus on legitimate promotion only. One mistake won’t end your career, but repeated use of fake streams can result in account action.
Are all paid playlist services scams?
No. Legitimate services like SubmitHub, Playlist Push, and similar platforms connect you with real curators who make independent decisions. The key differences: legitimate services don’t guarantee stream counts, their playlists are real and curated, and they have verifiable track records. If a service promises specific results for suspiciously low prices, it’s likely a scam.