In a revealing investigation, journalist Liz Pelly has uncovered how Spotify is populating its popular playlists with music from non-existent artists, raising serious questions about streaming transparency and artist compensation.
The practice, known internally as "Perfect Fit Content" (PFC), involves Spotify partnering with production companies to fill prominent playlists with music from fictitious artists. These "ghost artists" appear predominantly in background listening playlists spanning genres like ambient, jazz, classical, and lo-fi hip-hop.
According to Pelly's research, by 2023, hundreds of Spotify playlists were managed under the PFC program. Popular playlists like "Ambient Relaxation," "Deep Focus," and "Cocktail Jazz" now consist almost entirely of music from these phantom creators.
The investigation reveals that established artists are being displaced by these fabricated profiles. Music writer David Turner documented how Spotify's "Ambient Chill" playlist removed works from renowned artists like Brian Eno and replaced them with tracks from production music companies like Epidemic Sound.
While Spotify denies creating fake songs directly, the company has formed partnerships with at least a dozen PFC providers. This arrangement allows Spotify to maximize profits by paying lower royalties compared to real artists. The practice has sparked internal discord, with some former employees expressing discomfort about replacing legitimate artists with ghost-produced content.
The scale of this operation is substantial. One Swedish artist, Johan Röhr, allegedly created music under more than 650 different artist profiles, accumulating approximately 15 billion streams. This revelation highlights how ghost artists are diverting both royalties and promotional opportunities from authentic musicians, particularly affecting independent and unsigned artists.
As streaming continues to dominate music consumption, the prevalence of ghost artists raises concerns about the future of authentic music creation and fair compensation in the digital age.