Spotify is under fire once again — this time over allegations of massive fake streaming activity tied to one of the platform’s biggest stars, Drake. According to Rolling Stone, the streaming giant has been hit with a class action lawsuit accusing it of turning a “blind eye” to “mass-scale fraudulent streaming” that allegedly generated billions of bot-driven plays.
The lawsuit, filed by veteran rapper RBX both individually and on behalf of a proposed class of affected artists, claims there is “voluminous information” proving that Drake benefited financially from fake streams on Spotify. While the Toronto superstar is named in the filing, he is not listed as a defendant, nor is he accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
“Every month, under Spotify’s watchful eye, billions of fraudulent streams are generated from fake, illegitimate, and/or illegal methods,” the complaint states. “This causes massive financial harm to legitimate artists, songwriters, producers, and other rightsholders.”
The lawsuit targets Spotify’s “streamshare” royalty model, which pools all streams and pays artists based on their percentage of total plays. Plaintiffs argue that fake streams artificially inflate the numbers for top performers like Drake, effectively reducing royalty payouts for smaller, independent artists.
The complaint also alleges that Spotify “knows or should know” about the widespread use of bots but has failed to take meaningful action — accusing the company of prioritizing profits over fairness. The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages, estimating that legitimate rights holders have been defrauded out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
This isn’t the only legal battle orbiting Drake right now. The rapper is also facing a separate class action alongside streamer Adin Ross and online casino Stake, alleging the promotion of illegal and predatory gambling activities.
As for Spotify, this case could have major implications for how the platform manages fraudulent activity and compensates artists — especially as concerns over streaming manipulation continue to dominate the music industry.
