Fake Spotify Playlists: What Artists Should Check Before Spotify Playlist Submission

Spotify playlists keep shaping how indie artists are found online. One spot on the right playlist might bring waves of listeners, genuine followers and fans, algorithmic boosts, followed by momentum that carries far beyond one release. Curated independent playlists made stand out now, creating a doorway for artists to get their music heard. That’s why Spotify playlist submission remain some of the most searched topics by artists every year, as they hope to get their new music discovered through Spotify playlist placements.

But in the past years, the playlist world is more confusing than ever.

For every real curator helping artists grow, there are dozens of fake playlists, shady operators, and so-called music promotion services selling empty numbers. These scams don’t just waste money. They can quietly damage your artist profile, stall your growth, and make future Spotify promotion harder than it needs to be. Fake playlists might impact the artist in them in a several ways, from not generating any streams to bot streams that might damage your artist' reputation and get your profile deleted from Spotify.

This article is a complete guide on how to find and identify fake Spotify playlists, similar to the scrutiny given to the best Spotify playlists. It breaks down how to spot red flags before you submit your music, and how to protect yourself while still promoting your music the right way.

Why fake Spotify playlists still exist in 2026

You’d think fake playlists would be gone by now. Spotify has improved detection, cracked down on botted streams, and removed thousands of suspicious playlists over the years. But scammers adapt fast.

In 2026, fake playlists are rarely obvious. They don’t always look like empty lists with weird song selections anymore. Instead, many use a mix of real listeners and artificial activity. Some buy old playlists with existing followers. Others rotate names, genres, and branding to stay under the radar.

The reason they still exist is simple. Artists are desperate for streams and exposure. When artists spent months working on a track, and once it's uploaded to Spoitfy, it generate no streams, the promise of playlist growth could be very tempting. Many artists are eager to find playlists across different genres to maximize their streams and exposure.

That’s where fake playlist operators thrive. They sell hope, not results.

The biggest myth artists still believe about Spotify promotion

One of the most damaging myths in music marketing is the idea that streams alone equal success.

Many fake playlist services push the idea that if you just get enough plays, Spotify’s algorithm will magically reward you. That’s not how it works anymore.

Spotify doesn’t care about raw stream counts in isolation. Artificial streams can distort the share of streams and revenue that artists rightfully earn, making it harder for genuine artists to receive fair compensation. It looks at behavior. Are listeners saving the song? Are they listening all the way through? Are they visiting your artist profile? Are they coming back to listen again? Do they skip the song right after it started or after the first verse, or are they listening to the song until the end?

Fake playlists don’t create that behavior. If they do generate streams, they generate noise, not growth. And Spotify can tell the difference. In other cases they are not generating any streams at all.

The first red flag: guaranteed results

Let’s get this out of the way early. Any service that guarantees streams, placements, or algorithmic growth is lying to you. Specifically, music promotion platforms that guarantee Spotify playlist placements based on your money and not on your quality of music, are a sign of fake service and can lead to artificial streams which could lead to your user account and music content get removed from Spotify. Red flag could be “guaranteed Spotify playlist placement,” or “10,000 streams in the first week,” or “instant Spotify algorithm boost.” These promises still work because they target beginner artists who are new to music promo and don’t yet understand how Spotify and music discovery really works.

Real playlist curators can’t guarantee outcomes because they need to listen to your music first and figure out if your music can fit their playlist. Even the best music marketing companies can only guarantee effort, targeting, and transparency, not results.

If someone guarantees numbers, they’re selling manipulation, not promotion.

Fake playlists often look impressive at first glance

One of the reasons artists are falling for fake playlists is that numbers seems impressive. You might see 55,000 followers, a professional cover art, and a mix of indie and famous artists. Some fake playlists even claim to have featured famous artists to appear more credible. To really understand if a playlist is lefit, artist needs to look under the hood.

The giveaway isn’t the follower count. It’s the behavior and how much streams does a playlist generates for the artist in it.

There's actually a simple way, without the use of external tools to determine whether the playlist is legit and generates real streams or not.

We will explain it in a moment.

Why “pay me and I’ll add your song” is still a huge problem

Direct payment requests are still one of the most common fake playlist tactics. You’ll get messages on Instagram or email saying something like, “I run a big Spotify playlist, send $30 and I’ll add your track.”

Sometimes they even sound friendly or supportive. They’ll compliment your song, say they love your vibe, and claim they’re helping independent artists.

Here’s the problem. Real curators don’t operate like that. A genuine playlist curator will carefully select tracks that fit their playlist’s theme and maintaining a good reputation with their followers. Their credibility and follower count are built on trust and the quality of their selections, not on paid placements. They care about their audience first, not artists’ wallets. If a playlist exists mainly to extract money from musicians, it’s not built for listeners, and Spotify knows that.

Paying random curators directly doesn’t just waste money. It associates your track with suspicious activity you can’t control.

Genre chaos is another warning sign

A curator that features many differnet music genres under the same playlist is most likely a fake playlist. While some playlists may cover various genres, they are carefully curated to match what listeners taste, for example, 2026 chill hits, or Summer beach tracks. If you see hip-hop next to acoustic folk, EDM next to metal, and pop next to lo-fi beats, that playlist isn’t curated for listeners. It’s curated for submissions.

Genre-focused playlists help the system place songs in the right listening environments. Genre-chaotic playlists do the opposite.

Submitting your music to playlists that don’t make sense for your sound is one of the fastest ways to confuse Spotify's algorithm about who your audience actually is.

Fake playlists often add songs at an unrealistic pace

Real curators listen to music. That takes time. Fake playlisters don’t listen. They automate. It’s easy for fake playlists to add hundreds of tracks without any real curation. Scammers always look for short cuts.

If you see a playlist adding dozens or even hundreds of new tracks every week and at the same time and day, it’s a strong indicator that quality control doesn’t exist. No human curator can realistically vet that much music consistently.

This matters because playlists that add everything don’t send positive signals to Spotify. They look like submission funnels, not listening destinations.

“Free music promotion” isn’t always free

Free music promotion exists, but it’s often misunderstood. Real free music promotion usually means time, effort, and relationship-building, not shortcuts.

Be extremely cautious of anyone offering free playlist placement in exchange for access to your Spotify account, third-party app permissions, or data you don’t control. Spotify never requires artists to give away account access for promotion.

Research the playlist and check for links to the curator’s social media profiles to verify their authenticity. If a curator lacks links to legitimate social profiles, it could be a red flag.

If something feels invasive or rushed, it probably is.

The long-term damage fake playlists can cause

One of the biggest misconceptions is that fake playlists are harmless if you just “try them once.” In reality, they can quietly hurt your artist profile.

When Spotify sees streams without meaningful engagement, it learns the wrong things about your audience. Your song may stop getting recommended. Future releases may struggle to gain traction. Editorial teams may pass without explanation.

None of this happens instantly, which makes it harder to connect cause and effect. Artists often don’t realize fake playlisting hurt them until months later. In the past, many artists have experienced the disappointing feeling of seeing their growth stall because of fake playlists, only realizing the true impact long after the damage is done.

So how to recognize a real geniune playlist

Here's the big question, how can I tell if a playlist is genuine or fake?

Here's the best simple way, to figure if a playlist is legit without the need of external services.

Step 1 - Pick one of the artists on the playlist

If you have a link to the playlist you offered to be in, pick one of the artists on the playlist and visit their profile.

If the playlist has 2,000 followers, it's important you pick an artist with not more than 5,000 monthly listeners. If a playlist has 500K followers, pick an artist with at least 200,000 monthly listeners. Why is that? A playlist with a small number of followers will have small impact on a huge artist with a huge number of monthly listeners, and it will be hard to tell if a playlist makes a difference.

Step 2 - Scroll down to the discovered on section

On the discovered on section on the artist's profile, you would see all the playlists that contribute streams to the artist profile. It's not possible to understand which songs are streamed, but if a playlist generates streams for the artist, you would see it on the discovered on section.

If the playlist does not generate any streams at all, it won't be there.

The higher the playlist on the list, the more streams it generates for the artist.

Two crucial factors that need to be considered

It's not accurate science, because there are some factors that affect the number of streams that a playlist generates. The two factors are the ranking of the song on a playlist, meaning where it is located. If it's at the top of the playlist, it will generate more streams than a song that is placed at the bottom of the playlist. The second factor is when the song was added. If it's added yesterday, then you won't see any huge impact, and you'll need to wait a few days.

What real Spotify playlist promotion actually looks like

Legit Spotify playlist submission doesn’t feel magical. It feels methodical.

You target playlists that actually match your sound. The best playlists offer recommendations that set the right mood for listeners, curating tracks that enhance or create a specific vibe for any occasion. Some say no. Some don’t respond. A few say yes. Growth happens gradually. Streams turn into saves. Saves turn into followers. Followers turn into long-term listeners.

Real Spotify promotion works alongside blogs, TikTok, YouTube, and other channels. It’s part of a system, not a shortcut.

How to protect yourself when you submit your music

Before you submit your music anywhere, slow down. Research the playlist. Use online resources to learn how to spot red flags, such as guides on identifying fake playlists and curators. Look at engagement patterns. Check the curator’s presence outside of submissions, including their socials, to verify authenticity and assess follower quality. Ask yourself who the playlist is actually built for.

You can use our trusted playlist submission plan, it's a Spotify promotion with a roster of real, genuine playlist curators. We guarantee that you would receive a review for each song submission, and if a playlister find your music fits to his playlist, he/she will add your song to their playlist.

Final thoughts: smart promotion always beats fast numbers

In 2026, the artists who win aren’t the ones chasing every playlist placement. They’re the ones who understand how discovery really works.

Fake Spotify playlists promise nothing but troubles, but real growth comes from understanding and identifying real and genuine playlists. Following Spotify's policy helps protect royalties and ensures fair play across streaming platforms, safeguarding artists' earnings and the integrity of the music industry.

Bots and fake playlists steal dollars from artists and the music community by diverting royalties through artificial streams. This post is part of a broader effort to educate our artists and the music community to continue to stay informed about these issues.

Whether you’re investing in Spotify playlist promotion with platforms like One Submit, or using a free music promotion, or marketing companies, always ask the right questions, don't be shy.

Now that you have the right tools, you can separate the good and the bad when it comes to playlists.

Spotify is proud to be a home for artists, and it's up to the community to work together to fight fraud and protect the value of music.

If you're interested in learning more or sharing your experiences, join the conversation and help strengthen our community.

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