How Spotify is tackling fake streaming

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is Buzzfeed's social media editor and q's online columnist. Every week, he brings us up to speed on the big headlines taking over the internet right now. This week, he joins host Tom Power to break down the meaning of streaming manipulation and how it affects artist revenue on platforms like Spotify.

Streaming manipulation is the artificial creation of plays by automated accounts on human "troll farms" that don't represent genuine listens. It's become so common that artists are losing upwards of $300 million a year to fake streams. Now, major record labels like Sony and streaming platforms like Spotify have joined forces with a new agreement called The Code in an effort to fight streaming manipulation.

— Produced by ​Ben Jamieson