Merlin Joins Music Fights Fraud Alliance to Combat Streaming Manipulation and Protect Artists
Merlin, the independent music rights organization, has joined the Music Fights Fraud Alliance (MFFA), strengthening efforts to combat streaming fraud in the digital music ecosystem.
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The MFFA, established in 2023, works alongside the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) to maintain a database of fraud markers, enabling real-time tracking and investigation of fraudulent streaming activity.
Current MFFA members include major industry players such as Downtown, Spotify, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, DistroKid, and Believe, with Merlin being the latest addition to this coalition.
Jeremy Sirota, Merlin's CEO, emphasized that illegitimate streaming activity diverts revenue from genuine artists and damages ecosystem trust. "By joining the MFFA, we can help to better defend the rights of genuine artists and build a more ethical digital marketplace," stated Sirota.
This partnership comes at a crucial time as streaming services face increasing challenges from AI-generated music and sophisticated fraud schemes. Recently, Spotify reported stopping a multimillion-dollar AI royalty scam, highlighting the growing need for industry-wide fraud prevention measures.
The issue extends beyond individual platforms, with reports revealing streaming farm operations across multiple services. Of particular concern are patterns of suspicious activity, such as multiple identical short tracks from generic artist profiles accumulating thousands of streams despite minimal listener engagement.
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