Spotify Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Billions of Fraudulent Drake Streams

A new class action lawsuit has been filed against Spotify, alleging widespread streaming fraud on the platform. The suit claims that the rapper Drake significantly benefits from billions of fake streams. Filed in federal court in California, the lawsuit is led by RBX, the cousin of Snoop Dogg.

Details of the Lawsuit

The lawsuit alleges that Spotify turns a blind eye to streaming fraud. RBX, whose real name is Eric Dwayne Collins, emphasizes that between January 2022 and September 2025, a notable percentage of Drake’s approximately 37 billion streams were fraudulent, allegedly generated by a network of automated bot accounts. It is crucial to note that the suit highlights Drake as a beneficiary, not a perpetrator of the alleged fraud.

• Defendant: Spotify
• Filed by: RBX (Eric Dwayne Collins)
• Duration of Alleged Fraud: January 2022 – September 2025
• Alleged Streams: ~37 billion for Drake

Impact on Artist Royalties

The complaint argues that Spotify’s pro-rata model for paying artists allows for inflated stream counts, diminishing royalties for genuine artists. It points out that if artists use fraudulent methods to increase their streams, it would disproportionately benefit them financially.

Spotify’s practices are described as inadequate, with the lawsuit claiming their efforts to combat fraud are merely “window dressing.” The lawsuit contends that Spotify requires an expanding user base to satisfy shareholder demands, further complicating the fight against fraudulent activity.

Response from Spotify

In response to the allegations, a Spotify spokesperson stated that the company does not benefit from streaming fraud and has invested significantly in measures to combat it. They noted that Spotify removes fake streams and implements penalties for fraudulent behaviors. A statement revealed that in a recent case, fraud led to a loss of $10 million across several streaming services, with only a small fraction occurring on Spotify.

Specific Allegations Against Drake

Interestingly, while Drake is not named as a defendant, the suit focuses on abnormal streaming patterns associated with his music. Collins claimed that a significant number of streams exhibited unusual behavior, such as VPN usage to mask origins. He cited an incident where 250,000 streams of Drake’s song “No Face” reportedly originated in Turkey but were mapped to the UK.

• VPN Usage: Alleged manipulation of stream origins
• Specific Track: “No Face”
• Discrepancy: 2% of accounts generate 15% of total streams

According to the lawsuit, the streaming revenue that should have been allocated to legitimate rights holders could total in the hundreds of millions of dollars due to these fraudulent practices. The accuracy of these claims remains uncertain, as the complaint does not include supporting documents or data sources.

The lawsuit’s timing is notable, given that Drake previously accused Universal Music Group of similar fraudulent practices to boost another artist’s work. He is currently appealing a dismissal of his defamation suit against the label.

As the case unfolds, the implications for Spotify and the broader music streaming ecosystem could be significant, especially for how royalties are distributed among artists.