In the current era of digital revolution and the rise of music streaming platforms, the Nigerian music industry is faced with practices of manipulating streaming figures, posing a major challenge to artists and labels in the country.
Music streaming has undoubtedly opened up new avenues for Nigerian music on the international stage, providing a global showcase for talented artists. However, this development has also introduced a new challenge: the temptation to artificially inflate streaming figures to gain greater visibility and recognition.
This race for numbers and charts has created a problem of “stream farming” in the Nigerian music industry, where artists and labels seek to manipulate streaming statistics to increase their popularity. These practices have gradually transformed the streaming platform charts into a breeding ground for manipulation and deceptive marketing.
Major music streaming players such as Apple Music and Spotify have responded by putting in place measures to combat this manipulation of figures. They are investing heavily in surveillance technology to detect fraud attempts and conducting in-depth audits to ensure the authenticity of streams.
Apple Music, for example, has set up a dedicated team to constantly monitor streaming activity around the world. Spotify, for its part, verifies streams in real time to prevent any manipulation of charts.
Despite these efforts by streaming platforms, some critics believe that their action may be insufficient. It appears that smaller stars are mainly targeted by these measures, while larger artists, with their greater financial resources, are better able to circumvent the controls.
To truly combat the phenomenon of “stream farming”, it is essential that music streaming platforms also target the internationally renowned artists who participate in these manipulations. Taking fake songs offline, accompanied by financial penalties and sanctions, would send a strong message to the industry and help restore the integrity of music charts.
Ultimately, the primary responsibility for putting an end to streaming manipulation lies with the artists, labels, and distributors themselves. By refusing to participate in these fraudulent practices, they would help preserve the fairness and authenticity of the Nigerian music industry, for the benefit of all involved.