How Hacks Happen
Hacks, scams, cyber crimes, and other shenanigans explored and explained. Presented by your friendly neighborhood cybersecurity gal Michele Bousquet.
How Hacks Happen
Spotify: Making Millions With Bots
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Many Worlds Productions
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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When musician Michael Smith couldn't find an audience for his music, he manufactured it. By unleashing thousands of bots to listen to thousands of fake AI-generated songs on Spotify and other platforms, Smith earned millions in royalties before getting caught.
Resources:
- North Carolina Musician Charged with Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of Justice
- North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of Justice
- Indictment: United States v. Michael Smith — U.S. Department of Justice PDF
- Spotify says it now has more than 100 million songs
- Spotify Q4 2025 Earnings Report
- Although the songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real — MusicRadar
- Spotify’s fake artists problem gets weirder with AI-generated albums — The Verge
- Artificial Streaming — Spotify for Artists
- How Royalties Work on Spotify — Spotify Loud & Clear
- Deezer launches artist-centric payment system
- Billie Eilish Was Discovered on Spotify and SoundCloud Before Global Fame — Rolling Stone
- Sofi Tukker on Streaming Success and Spotify Discovery