SoundCloud has emerged as the most accurate music streaming platform in Legitary’s latest rankings, surpassing Spotify and Apple Music in reporting transparency and accuracy. The rankings, based on Legitary’s Anomaly Scores for 2023, evaluate how reliably digital service providers (DSPs) report play counts. Platforms with significant misreporting have higher scores and lower rankings, while more accurate platforms rank higher.
Legitary, an AI-powered auditing company based in Vienna, has become a key player in monitoring streaming data. The company works with major content owners to ensure accurate reporting and recently partnered with DMN to expand its mission. By analyzing billions of streams across multiple DSPs, Legitary has identified widespread overcounting and undercounting of plays, prompting further investigation into reporting discrepancies.
While Spotify led the rankings last year, SoundCloud now holds the top spot despite having fewer subscribers and lower revenue than its competitors. TikTok remains among the lowest-ranked platforms due to challenges in tracking its viral, short-lived spikes in song plays.
Outside the top three, Deezer and Apple Music improved their reporting accuracy, while YouTube’s ranking declined. Legitary CEO Nermina Mumic emphasized the importance of transparency in streaming, stating that accurate reporting is essential for a sustainable music industry.
The rankings highlight the significant variation in reporting quality among DSPs, with smaller platforms proving they can match or surpass larger competitors. Mumic expressed optimism that all DSPs will improve their accuracy to ensure fair compensation for artists and rights holders.
