This kind of fraud would be impossible if revenue from each subscriber is distributed just to the artists they listened to. Bots listening to thousands of songs would not make a difference in this model. And I would be much happier if my money went to struggling artists I like and support, rather than to the global top 10, of whom I never played a single song.
I don't have data, but my gut feeling is that it would make a significant difference to niche artists with small but loyal listeners.
I don't have data, but my gut feeling is that it would make a significant difference to niche artists with small but loyal listeners.