109. Spotify's Stream Farm Problem & Amazon's Fake Walk-Out Stores

Game Theory

Summary

The conversation explores the fraudulent practices of buying followers and streams in the music industry and social media platforms.

It discusses the incentives for marketing firms to manipulate engagement numbers and the challenges of creating a level playing field.

The conversation also touches on the impact of these practices on the broader public and the difficulty in distinguishing between real engagement and bot activity. The episode highlights the need for platforms to crack down on these fraudulent practices and the potential financial losses for artists and the industry.

In this conversation, the hosts discuss various topics including the decline in the number of teenagers getting driver's licenses, the decrease in sexual activity among teenagers and adults, Amazon's use of workers in India to monitor its just walk out stores, and the manipulation of streaming numbers on platforms like Spotify and TikTok.

They also touch on the formula for writing a popular pop song and the prevalence of content farms and click farms. The hosts express their fascination with these topics and speculate on the future of these issues.

Keywords

fraudulent practices, buying followers, buying streams, music industry, social media platforms, marketing firms, engagement numbers, level playing field, bot activity, driver's licenses, decline, teenagers, sexual activity, Amazon, just walk out stores, India, streaming numbers, Spotify, TikTok, pop songs, content farms, click farms

Takeaways

Fraudulent practices of buying followers and streams are prevalent in the music industry and social media platforms.

Marketing firms manipulate engagement numbers to guarantee results, creating an artificial advantage and raising the bar for competitors.

Distinguishing between real engagement and bot activity is challenging, leading to an unequal playing field.

These practices have broader implications for the public, as the internet becomes inundated with artificial engagement.

Platforms need to crack down on fraudulent practices to protect artists and maintain the integrity of the industry. The number of teenagers getting driver's licenses has declined significantly over the years.

There has been a decrease in sexual activity among teenagers and adults.

Amazon's just walk out stores rely on workers in India to monitor customer behavior.

Streaming platforms like Spotify and TikTok have been accused of manipulating streaming numbers.

There is a formula for writing a popular pop song.

Content farms and click farms are prevalent in the digital world.

Titles

The Impact on the Public: Navigating the Dead Internet

Cracking Down on Fraud: Protecting Artists and the Industry The Decrease in Sexual Activity

The Formula for Writing a Popular Pop Song

Sound Bites

"They're just pressing play over and over and over again."

"They can guarantee a minimum amount of streaming increase and a minimum amount of sales increase."

"It's impossible to put artists on an equal footing with each other or record labels on an even footing with each other."

"Driver's license was where she broke up with a guy and just kept driving past his house. And like, who doesn't relate to that, you know? Like, who doesn't relate to that?"

"So in 95, two thirds of American teenagers 16 to 19 had driver's licenses. And today it's less than half."

"People have been having less sex, whether they're teenagers or 40-somethings. It's just having less."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates

09:06 Unveiling the Fraud: Buying Followers and Streams

26:09 The Impact on the Public: Navigating the Dead Internet

38:00 Amazon's Use of Workers in India for Just Walk Out Stores

47:31 The Prevalence of Content Farms and Click Farms