Spotify and Drake have been accused of generating billions of fake streams

Rap

Spotify and Drake have been accused of generating billions of fake streams

As reported by XXL, Spotify has been accused of allowing billions of fraudulent streams to be generated on the platform. Drake, who is said to be one of the artists with the highest number of falsified numbers on the streaming platform, was also cited in a complaint filed by rapper RBX against Spotify.

Rapper RBX filed a complaint against the music streaming service in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Sunday (Nov. 2), on his behalf and “on behalf of all other members of the public alike.” According to the complaint, Spotify enabled large-scale fraud on its platform, which led to billions of fake streams obtained through illegal methods.

Data analysis shows that billions of fraudulent streams have been generated against songs by the most streamed artist of all time, Aubrey Drake Graham, professionally known as Drake, but he's not the only one”.

RBX insists that from January 2022 to September 2025, much of Drake's 37 billion streams were “inauthentic and appeared to be the work of a widespread network of Bot accounts”.

In his statements, he notes that, through his research, Spotify listeners listen to an average of 10 songs a day. However, he claims that in some cases Drake's listeners would listen exclusively to his music for 23 hours a day. He also noted that many of Drake's listeners were “concentrated around areas whose populations could not support that volume of streaming”.

RBX is therefore asking for a jury trial and damages to be determined.

In response to this lawsuit filed by RBX, a spokesperson for Spotify stated “We can't comment on pending litigation, but Spotify in no way benefits from the industry challenge of artificial streaming. We invest heavily in better systems to combat it and safeguard artist payments with strong protections like removing fake streams, withholding royalties and paying fines. Our systems work”.

Staff

Written by

Christopher Johnson

Christopher Johnson is a dedicated writer and key contributor to the WECB website, Emerson College's student-run radio station. Passionate about music, radio communication, and journalism, Christopher pursues his craft with a blend of meticulous research and creative flair. His writings on the site cover an array of subjects, from music reviews and artist interviews to event updates and industry news. As an active member of the Emerson College community, Christopher is not only a writer but also an advocate for student involvement, using his work to foster increased engagement and enthusiasm within the school's radio and broadcasting culture. Through his consistent and high-quality outputs, Christopher Johnson helps shape the voice and identity of WECB, truly embodying its motto of being an inclusive, diverse, and enthusiastic music community.