TIDAL accused of deliberately falsifying streaming numbers

[leonroy]

Serious stuff, following an investigation into Tidal's streaming figures it's been found that Tidal have falsified a lot of data.

Money quote:

Its central accusation: ’Beyoncé‘s and Kanye West’s listener numbers on TIDAL have been manipulated to the tune of several hundred million false plays… which has generated massive royalty payouts at the expense of other artists.’

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide....ms-to-bulk-up-kanye-west-and-beyonce-numbers/

 

[svart-hvitt]

Third party report from Norwegian engineering university:

https://www.dn.no/staticprojects/sp...ocumentation/NTNU-rapport_til_publisering.pdf

 

[RayDunzl]

Why I dropped Tidal after one month...

Their lame response...

 

[Sal1950]

And people wonder why I refuse to do business with JayZ and his gangster crew.

 

[Rod]

As a rural grizzly growing up I always thought that I had missed out on all the gangster lifestyle. Now I can claim membership. Rihanna's "Bitch, better have my honey" is my go to song.

 

[dallasjustice]

JZ needs a good criminal defense lawyer. I’m available.

 

[dc655321]

Isn't this story 1.5 years old already?
If so, there doesn't really seem to be any conclusions or consequences...

 

[RayDunzl]

JZ needs a good criminal defense lawyer. I’m available.

Good luck on getting paid.

 

[dallasjustice]

Good luck on getting paid.

I get paid upfront.

 

[oivavoi]

 

[svart-hvitt]

What will Roon do? All streaming eggs in the Tidal basket.

 

[oivavoi]

Yes, that's a bummer. Really hope they team up with others. But I can't in good conscience keep on supporting Tidal now.

 

[svart-hvitt]

Yes, that's a bummer. Really hope they team up with others. But I can't in good conscience keep on supporting Tidal now.

Qobuz have, previously when they detailed their US expansion plans after summer 2018, said they will support a cooperation with Roon.

I guess Roon needs to secure that relationship now.

 

[amirm]

Isn't this story 1.5 years old already?
If so, there doesn't really seem to be any conclusions or consequences...

The original story was that they had exaggerated number of members they had.

This one implies they funnelled money from investors into their own pockets. By over-reporting the number of plays, they paid more to labels who in turn paid them more.

If true, they are being so stupid. For this "little" money risk going to jail?

Maybe they thought in the process of inflating plays, they make themselves look more popular than others.

 

[amirm]

This could easily take down Tidal and get it shut down....

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Well, yes, if Beyoncé and, especially if the ever credible, Kanye West say so against their evil rival JayZ, it must be true, right?

 

[svart-hvitt]

This could easily take down Tidal and get it shut down....

It could also lead to change in ownership.

 

[Cosmik]

This one implies they funnelled money from investors into their own pockets. By over-reporting the number of plays, they paid more to labels who in turn paid them more.

I wondered if there was a system where they simply divide up their total subscription receipts between the artists based on number of plays (and keep a percentage as profit)..? That would fit with the idea of falsifying plays in order to channel money to favoured artists - otherwise it seems a bit counter-intuitive.

(But I have long since realised that I don't have any business acumen at all so I'm probably just embarrassing myself with this suggestion...)

 

[dallasjustice]

I’m surprised there isn’t more fraud and theft inside streaming businesses. It seems like there’s no transparency or controls over exact streaming counts.

 

[dc655321]

I’m surprised there isn’t more fraud and theft inside streaming businesses. It seems like there’s no transparency or controls over exact streaming counts.

As my philosophically brilliant but morally ambiguous grandfather used to say, "...it ain't illegal if you don't get caught..." ;-)