Streaming Farms: Digital Fraud or New Visibility Strategy?

By Manuel Pittaluga, Pittaluga Abogados, Partner specializing in Data Privacy, manuel@pittaluga.com

In recent years, we’ve been hearing more and more about the so-called “streaming farms.” What are they? Essentially, they are spaces—physical or virtual—filled with cell phones, computers, or automated programs that repeatedly play songs, videos, or any content on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, or TikTok. The goal? To artificially inflate play counts, views, or “likes,” making it seem like content is far more popular than it actually is.

These farms use bots, fake accounts, VPNs to simulate different locations, and a host of other tools to trick platform systems. Why? Because more plays can translate into greater visibility, higher rankings, more revenue from ads or royalties, or even attract the attention of record labels, sponsors, or brands.

Although these practices are not always directly penalized by law, they do violate platform terms of use. If discovered, they can lead to consequences ranging from account suspension to loss of income or contracts. Depending on the country, they may even be considered fraud, unfair competition, or a cybercrime.

For those of us working in intellectual property, this presents complex challenges. First, it is very difficult to prove that someone used a streaming farm. Key data—such as IP addresses, geolocation, or behavior patterns—are held by the platforms, and they are not always willing to share them. Without that information, initiating a claim or defending a client becomes much more cumbersome.

As if that weren’t enough, some artists can be unwitting victims: a team member (a marketing agency or third party) might hire a farm without the artist’s knowledge, and the artist ends up facing the consequences. Conversely, a client can be disadvantaged because another artist used these methods to climb the rankings undeservedly.

Streaming farms also affect royalty distribution: those who use these methods earn more money at the expense of those with legitimate plays. This distorts the entire system.

In short, streaming farms are a real and growing problem. For IP lawyers, it challenges us to combine legal knowledge, technical understanding, and strategic thinking. We must guide our clients, review contracts, warn them of the risks, and also participate in the broader debate to push for clearer and fairer rules for everyone.