Denmark Man Sentenced for Streaming Fraud, Exposing Industry Vulnerability

A Danish court has sentenced a man to 18 months in prison for using bots to generate millions in royalties, highlighting a significant issue within the music streaming industry.

• A 53-year-old man in Denmark was sentenced to 18 months in prison for creating fake streaming accounts, generating $290,000 in royalties.
• The case reveals a vulnerability in the music streaming industry, with 1 to 3 billion fake streams reported in 2021.
• The man used bots to play his own music on Spotify and Apple Music, affecting real artists and polluting data.
• Spotify and Apple Music declined to comment on the specifics but acknowledged the challenge of stream manipulation.
• In November 2023, Spotify introduced a new royalty system aimed at combating artificial streaming.

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