Drake says UMG and Spotify used bots and payola to make ‘Not Like Us’ seem popular
In 2024, UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices, to “break through the noise” on Spotify, and likely other music platforms. It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves with a song, “Not Like Us.” in order to make that song go viral, including by using “bots” and pay-to-play agreements.