Spotify has firmly denied Drake‘s claims that it conspired with Universal Music Group to boost Kendrick Lamar’s song streams. According to Billboard, Spotify labeled Drake’s accusations as “legally deficient” and insisted they should be dismissed.
In the New York Supreme Court, Spotify countered Drake’s allegations about using bots for 30,000 fake plays of “Not Like Us” when it first came out. They also rejected claims of secret payments and biased song suggestions to promote Lamar’s track.
The court documents state: “Contrary to the allegations in the Petition,” there’s no agreement where UMG gave Spotify a discount on licensing rates for “Not Like Us” in exchange for pushing the song to users looking for other music.
David Kaefer from Spotify added that the company spends a lot on both automated and manual checks to catch fake streaming activities. He mentioned how they remove manipulated streams from charts and may penalize offenders by withholding royalties or charging fees. This way, genuine artists get their rightful earnings.
Fans sometimes wonder why these big companies can’t just settle things quietly instead of dragging them through courts.
Spotify criticized Drake’s legal approach, saying he filed a “pre-action” instead of an actual lawsuit, trying to sidestep normal legal procedures. They called this move an attempt at bypassing standard judicial steps.
A spokesperson from Spotify stated clearly: “There is no financial benefit for us if users choose ‘Not Like Us’ over any of Drake’s songs.”
Drake’s lawyers responded, arguing it’s not unexpected that Spotify wants distance from UMG’s alleged tactics. They believe if there’s nothing shady going on, complying with discovery requests should be easy for them.
UMG hasn’t made its official court filing yet but did respond last month after Drake’s petition. Their spokesperson said suggesting they’d harm their artists is offensive and false because they follow ethical practices in marketing campaigns. Also emphasizing that no amount of strange legal arguments can hide that people pick what tunes they want themselves!
