Is like payola on credit! 
I guess if listeners 'discover' their music they have a chance to getting some fame and then earning more in the future.
Basically sacrifice current earnings for a chance to get out of obscurity and earn more later.
But the tool is probably going to be used by companies to pad stats.
one positive is that fandoms can't use this to help their faves, is not like youtube where fandoms could try to buy ads or views for their faves to help the stats.
Tell that to companies who are so broke that the 10 cent they earn trought Spotify would be a big los if they pay more money for "exposure" than they make with streams
They are already paying thousands of dollars for YouTube ads. Their main source of income isn't from Spotify plays either. Kpop groups don't work like indie artists.
There should be some kind of indication that it's promoted content if it's going to be boosted over other songs...
I left Spotify because I didn’t like their treatment re royalties for artists too, especially indies and smaller musicians.
Oh so it's finally here. Big hoopla over this...
This can be effective to artists who most of their incoming doesn't come from streaming plataforms (like K-pop acts) and want to widen their reach. For artists who depend on Spotify's payment... I don't know, cause they will sacrifice their earnings for something that doesn't have guarantee to work in the long run.
Exactly. Spotify already pay almost nothing.
I left Spotify because I didn’t like their treatment re royalties for artists too, especially indies and smaller musicians.
What do you use?
If they even want to make .001% from royalties they won't cave into this automatic forced passive listening scheme that won't pay them shit but still take high risks hoping their music will catch on.
From the way it looks isnt it the opposite of payola? Like you’re literally getting paid less in order to be more discoverable?
Also why do kpop fans get so mad at different legitimate marketing techniques?? Like you have picture of Tzuyu and her group had a LITERAL TV SHOW. How much do you think JYP paid for that??? Payola.
From the way it looks isnt it the opposite of payola? Like you’re literally getting paid less in order to be more discoverable?
Also why do kpop fans get so mad at different legitimate marketing techniques?? Like you have picture of Tzuyu and her group had a LITERAL TV SHOW. How much do you think JYP paid for that??? Payola.
From the way it looks isnt it the opposite of payola? Like you’re literally getting paid less in order to be more discoverable?
Also why do kpop fans get so mad at different legitimate marketing techniques?? Like you have picture of Tzuyu and her group had a LITERAL TV SHOW. How much do you think JYP paid for that??? Payola.
honey, payola is paying money from the company/artist pocket for positions in charts, spins in radio.
clearly you have poor understanding of what payola means so why don't you sit this one out?
This thing has been around though. I remember it being launched in 2020.
Also it goes beyond just auto play. I’ve never in my life listened to the Die for you remix but I had to mute it in my spotify curated personal playlists. It was a very weird experience, pretty similar to Good 4 u also popping up in my pop playlists and a lot of other big charting songs I’ve never streamed.
And yet Spotify rarely recommends BTS songs on my playlists even though they are one of my most played artistes. The algorithm is all fucked up nowadays
Honey spotify isnt a chart, its a streaming service.
Payola is when you pay for more plays but thats LITERALLY just marketing. Like its much more direct marketing but why would you ever pay for a promo that only might result in listeners when you could pay directly for the streams?
Don’t act like I’m illiterate in order to be condescending because YOU lack perspective on a macro level.
Youre trying to say that its a bribe because that’s when paying for promotion of a product becomes payola, but this is NOT payola, its equally payola as say… paying for an entire timeslot on TV for months.
Stop believing the TikTok definitions of words because its making you look stupid
Display MoreHoney spotify isnt a chart, its a streaming service.
Payola is when you pay for more plays but thats LITERALLY just marketing. Like its much more direct marketing but why would you ever pay for a promo that only might result in listeners when you could pay directly for the streams?
Don’t act like I’m illiterate in order to be condescending because YOU lack perspective on a macro level.
Youre trying to say that its a bribe because that’s when paying for promotion of a product becomes payola, but this is NOT payola, its equally payola as say… paying for an entire timeslot on TV for months.
Stop believing the TikTok definitions of words because its making you look stupid
I should have clarified for you. Getting certain positions on top playlists is payola. That’s what I meant by getting in charts. My bad.
Entire essay of ranting but still missing the point.
Spotify might promote certain songs/artists on purpose instead of leaving it to the algorithm. That’s when payola comes in.
You can call it marketing but it is payola. You believing appearing on talk shows is payola and equivalent to this alr tells me what I need to know about your understanding.
I don’t learn this in tiktok, maybe you do.
From the way it looks isnt it the opposite of payola? Like you’re literally getting paid less in order to be more discoverable?
Also why do kpop fans get so mad at different legitimate marketing techniques?? Like you have picture of Tzuyu and her group had a LITERAL TV SHOW. How much do you think JYP paid for that??? Payola.
thats called promo not payola 
EDIT: I AM ANSWERING THIS SENTENCE IN PARTICULAR: "Also why do kpop fans get so mad at different legitimate marketing techniques?? Like you have picture of Tzuyu and her group had a LITERAL TV SHOW."
I never said op is wrong about spotify doing payola, i was correcting the user i quoted above specifically
it's 2023 and we are still supposed to get mad because of basic marketing? I thought we left this in 2022... 
thats called promo not payola
it's 2023 and we are still supposed to get mad because of basic marketing? I thought we left this in 2022...
So in the old days, a company could go to a radio station and tell them, 'I need you to play my artist 1 time per hour over the next few days, in exchange for that, I will give you X amount of money'.
Was that was payola or just marketing?
Now things are different, spotify has a program that is supposed to look at your profile and based on some algorithm recommend you new artists that you may like.
But, let's take the same company from the first sentence, now they go to spotify and say 'I need you to recommend my artist to as many people as possible with your discover program, in exchange of that, you have to pay me less money per stream played over the next few days"
To you all, that is not payola, but just marketing?
Here is an article talking about this
QuoteAs initially mentioned, Spotify announced six days back that it will enable artists and labels to influence recommendations in exchange for accepting a lower per-stream royalty rate. It remains to be seen whether the practice will compel indie musicians – those who can least afford a royalty reduction – to settle for the “promotional recording royalty rate” to better compete with other Spotify artists.
QuoteLastly, Spotify indicated in March that it intended to expand its pay-for-promotion program (dubbed a “pay-for-play” program by some critics). Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG album turned in a strong commercial performance partially because it was advertised on Spotify. And playlists – which are capable of dramatically enhancing the reach and popularity of tracks – re-entered the spotlight earlier this year, when higher-ups at the streaming service stated that artists and labels “cannot pay to get on an official Spotify playlist.”
Display MoreSo in the old days, a company could go to a radio station and tell them, 'I need you to play my artist 1 time per hour over the next few days, in exchange for that, I will give you X amount of money'.
Was that was payola or just marketing?
Now things are different, spotify has a program that is supposed to look at your profile and based on some algorithm recommend you new artists that you may like.
But, let's take the same company from the first sentence, now they go to spotify and say 'I need you to recommend my artist to as many people as possible with your discover program, in exchange of that, you have to pay me less money per stream played over the next few days"
To you all, that is not payola, but just marketing?
Leave me out of this I was correcting that other user who tried to equal tv promo to payola lmao
When is this gonna start working tho, I don’t see it on my Spotify
it already did isn't it obvious with the playlisting thing too? this kind of things has been in a process of experimentation
and people here were saying it wasnt true when I brang this up lmfao.
Display MoreHoney spotify isnt a chart, its a streaming service.
Payola is when you pay for more plays but thats LITERALLY just marketing. Like its much more direct marketing but why would you ever pay for a promo that only might result in listeners when you could pay directly for the streams?
Don’t act like I’m illiterate in order to be condescending because YOU lack perspective on a macro level.
Youre trying to say that its a bribe because that’s when paying for promotion of a product becomes payola, but this is NOT payola, its equally payola as say… paying for an entire timeslot on TV for months.
Stop believing the TikTok definitions of words because its making you look stupid
Are you prending or something?
If you do payola you would have better charting and exposure...
Marketing doesnt force the song to be played in front of you.. Payola on spotify literally does.
thats called promo not payola
Paying for your song to get more exposure on a streaming service is payola.. literally no different than youtube ads.
If paying to get higher postions on spotify playlists is payola how is this not when it literally boosts your streaming numbers.
Display MoreSo in the old days, a company could go to a radio station and tell them, 'I need you to play my artist 1 time per hour over the next few days, in exchange for that, I will give you X amount of money'.
Was that was payola or just marketing?
Now things are different, spotify has a program that is supposed to look at your profile and based on some algorithm recommend you new artists that you may like.
But, let's take the same company from the first sentence, now they go to spotify and say 'I need you to recommend my artist to as many people as possible with your discover program, in exchange of that, you have to pay me less money per stream played over the next few days"
To you all, that is not payola, but just marketing?
definiton of payola:
"Payola, in the music industry, is the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio station to play a song without the station disclosing the payment."
I dont see how this feature on spotify is comparable considering they are upfront and marketing it as a tool labels can pay for to use, theres nothing hidden about it really. This is assuming either all songs in this mode will be "paid" for or those that are, are labeled as such in some way (i doubt they would release it without such a system in place considering the laws in usa and europe regarding this)
With that said i think this feature is bad. But then again i dislike tiktok/shorts and such formats as a whole because i think it actually makes people dumber in general.
Display MoreAre you prending or something?
If you do payola you would have better charting and exposure...
Marketing doesnt force the song to be played in front of you.. Payola on spotify literally does.
Paying for your song to get more exposure on a streaming service is payola.. literally no different than youtube ads.
If paying to get higher postions on spotify playlists is payola how is this not when it literally boosts your streaming numbers.
Omg im gonna edit my comment since its the second misunderstanding. I promise you guys im not that dumb
Leave me out of this I was correcting that other user who tried to equal tv promo to payola lmao
definiton of payola:
"Payola, in the music industry, is the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio station to play a song without the station disclosing the payment."
I dont see how this feature on spotify is comparable considering they are upfront and marketing it as a tool labels can pay for to use, theres nothing hidden about it really. This is assuming either all songs in this mode will be "paid" for or those that are, are labeled as such in some way (i doubt they would release it without such a system in place considering the laws in usa and europe regarding this)
With that said i think this feature is bad. But then again i dislike tiktok/shorts and such formats as a whole because i think it actually makes people dumber in general.
Payola has evolved way past that.. Playlisting on spotify is for example called payola now.
Payola literally means paying to boost a song thats not natural.
Playlisting on spotify is not "hidden" either but its not like companys just admit they are doing it.
Also by that defintion of Payola if a company pays spotify to boost a song on this format or in playlists is that not payola? Lets say a company pays extra for even more exposure with this service.
Display MoreHoney spotify isnt a chart, its a streaming service.
Payola is when you pay for more plays but thats LITERALLY just marketing. Like its much more direct marketing but why would you ever pay for a promo that only might result in listeners when you could pay directly for the streams?
Don’t act like I’m illiterate in order to be condescending because YOU lack perspective on a macro level.
Youre trying to say that its a bribe because that’s when paying for promotion of a product becomes payola, but this is NOT payola, its equally payola as say… paying for an entire timeslot on TV for months.
Stop believing the TikTok definitions of words because its making you look stupid
I agree that it is a marketing strategy
I guess the difference between this and other marketing strategies are fandoms bragging rights.
People won't brag about who got the most teaser pics as an achievement but they do about streams and chart positions
Display MorePayola has evolved way past that.. Playlisting on spotify is for example called payola now.
Payola literally means paying to boost a song thats not natural.
Playlisting on spotify is not "hidden" either but its not like companys just admit they are doing it.
Also by that defintion of Payola if a company pays spotify to boost a song on this format or in playlists is that not payola? Lets say a company pays extra for even more exposure with this service.
The keyword is "without disclosing the payment (in other word, that its an ad)", thats what makes it illegal (=payola)
And sure its not old radio stations anymore, and playlisting of course exists and the legality of most of it is dubious at best. But afaik (correct me if im wrong here), the playlistings are not actually done by spotify themselves.
The difference in this case would be that if its done undisclosed, the courts and other parties would not hesitate to sue spotify, a multibillion global company, and drag them into legal proceedings that could end up being very costly, especially in the EU. Compared to hundreds of small shady companies/individuals owning some popular playlists with hard to find evidence and little payout to be had from taking it anywhere.
Display MoreSo in the old days, a company could go to a radio station and tell them, 'I need you to play my artist 1 time per hour over the next few days, in exchange for that, I will give you X amount of money'.
Was that was payola or just marketing?
Now things are different, spotify has a program that is supposed to look at your profile and based on some algorithm recommend you new artists that you may like.
But, let's take the same company from the first sentence, now they go to spotify and say 'I need you to recommend my artist to as many people as possible with your discover program, in exchange of that, you have to pay me less money per stream played over the next few days"
To you all, that is not payola, but just marketing?
Umm yes... thats basically how marketing promotions work. U pay for exposure. Nobody is asking people on the streets what they would like to see or hear. Thats how marketing works. Sure we have programs that do more specific target margeting but that just a one part of it.
What do you use?
I use Apple Music since (truth - it’s probably not perfect either re royalties but at least they aren’t as shady as Spotify and bonus their sound-audio is soooo much better.)
I found this article that breaks down a bit more re how streaming royalties work- most of it goes to the record company. Also lots of media articles re this are sloppy but I tried to do research and follow news on it since I buy music for my favorite artists etc.
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