Anti-Fraud Policy

Effective Date: 14.05.2023

Last Updated: 29.03.2026

At Waves Music Group ("we", "our", "us"), we are committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and compliant music distribution environment. Fraudulent activities harm artists, digital platforms, and the music industry. This policy outlines our measures to detect and combat fraudulent behavior.

1. Definition of Fraud

Fraudulent activity includes, but is not limited to:

• Artificial Stream Inflation (ASI): Increasing streams, downloads, or views through bots, click farms, automated scripts, or "looping" playback.

• Incentivized Listening: Paying users or services to listen to music in exchange for rewards.

• Copyright Infringement: Uploading content (audio, artwork, or lyrics) without full ownership, proper licenses, or legal permissions.

• Metadata Manipulation: Providing false information regarding artist names, titles, or contributors to mislead listeners or platforms.

• Payment & Account Fraud: Providing false identity details, using stolen credit cards, or attempting money laundering through royalty systems.

2. Detection & Monitoring

We actively monitor all distribution activity using:

• DSP Alerts: Real-time notifications from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other partners regarding suspicious activity.

• Internal Data Analytics: Screening for unusual spikes in traffic, abnormal geographic distribution of listeners, or repetitive playback patterns.

• Manual Compliance Reviews: Auditing metadata and ownership documentation for high-performing releases.

• Industry Collaboration: Partnering with anti-piracy and anti-fraud organizations to identify known bad actors.

3. Consequences of Fraudulent Activity

If Waves Music Group, in its sole discretion, determines that fraudulent activity has occurred, we reserve the right to:

• Immediate Takedown: Permanently remove the affected content from all digital stores and social media platforms.

• Royalty Forfeiture: Permanently withhold and/or forfeit all royalties generated from the fraudulent activity.

• Financial Penalties: Pass on any fines or "penalty fees" issued by streaming platforms (e.g., Spotify's per-track fraud fine) directly to the user.

• Account Termination: Close the user’s account without prior notice and without a refund of any fees paid.

• Legal Action: Report the fraud to law enforcement or industry bodies and pursue legal claims for damages to our reputation.

4. Artist & Label Responsibilities

• Ownership Warranty: You must guarantee that you own 100% of the rights to the audio, lyrics, and artwork you upload.

• Organic Promotion: You must only use legitimate, organic marketing strategies. Using "Guaranteed Playlist" services that promise a specific number of streams is strictly prohibited.

• Cooperation: You must provide requested documentation (e.g., project files, stems, or marketing invoices) within 72 hours if your content is flagged for investigation.

5. Appeal Process

If your account is flagged, you may submit an appeal within 14 days by emailing ceogor@wavesmusicgroup.com

Appeals must include`

• Proof of legitimate marketing campaigns (invoices from Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc.).

• Screen recordings of project files (DAW) to prove originality.

• Detailed explanation of any sudden traffic spikes.

6. Policy Updates

We may update this policy at any time to adapt to new fraud methods. Continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

7. Contact

Waves Music Group 

Email: ceogor@wavesmusicgroup.com

Address: Armenia, Gavar, Noratus, Sevan St 14-4