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RBX Files Class Action Accusing Spotify of Bot-Inflated Drake Streams

Plaintiffs say Spotify’s oversight of fake plays allowed inflated counts for Drake that drained royalties from other artists.

Overview

  • RBX filed the federal class action in the Central District of California, alleging “billions” of bot-generated plays for Drake on Spotify from January 2022 through September 2025.
  • The suit argues Spotify failed to stop artificial streaming under a pro‑rata model that reduces payments to other artists, estimating losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
  • Drake is not accused of criminal conduct and is not named as a defendant, though the complaint says his songs benefited from the alleged fraud.
  • The filing cites data analysis but does not include the underlying appendix or identify who conducted it, and reporters say they could not independently verify the findings.
  • Spotify said it cannot comment on pending litigation, asserted it does not benefit from artificial streaming, and cited systems that remove fake plays, withhold royalties, and levy penalties, pointing to a prior case where it said only $60,000 of $10 million in alleged fraud touched its platform.