Spotify denies filling popular playlists with 'fake artists'

Streaming music company rejects accusations that it is padding out popular playlists such as Sleep and Ambient Chill with fake artists

Spotify has denied filling its most popular playlists with “fake artists”, after it was accused of creating songs to bulk out its most popular ambient playlists at low cost to itself.

The allegation, first made by industry website Music Business Worldwide and brought to wider attention by culture publication Vulture, is that some playlists on Spotify are full of bands with no public profile, few songs, but millions of song plays – all as a result of their position on the service.