Spotify users demand refunds over Drake promotion

[Ulquiorra]

Drake's new album Scorpion has only been out since Friday, but it's already made history.

The album broke streaming records on both Apple Music and Spotify, with more than 302m plays in a single day.

But some users complained that Spotify put his photo on hundreds of playlists - including ones that didn't feature his music, such as "Best of British".

Subscribers who'd paid for premium, ad-free accounts said it amounted to advertising and demanded refunds.

One subscriber said he had been offered one month's free subscription as a result of his complaint.

"I pay for premium because I do not want to see or listen to ads," he wrote in a chat with Spotify's customer support team, a transcript of which was posted on Reddit.

"Why then is my personalised homepage literally covered in advertisements for Drake? I have not listened to this artist, nor do I listen to music similar to this artist."

A member of the support team replied: "I agree with all the things you've mentioned" and offered to refund his most recent payment.

Other subscribers who attempted to submit a claim got mixed results: Some were given a month's free subscription, while others had their request denied.

Spotify declined to comment on the situation; but the BBC understands no official refund policy has been put in place - and that the number of complaints has been relatively small.

That does not rule out some customer service assistants offering refunds on a case-by-case basis; but it seems most people were relaxed about the takeover.

Album updated
In fact, they streamed his album more than any other in history. According to Billboard, Scorpion broke Spotify's one-week streaming record in just three days - racking up 431m streams over the weekend.

In the UK, the album is set to reach number one - beating new releases by Florence + The Machine and Gorillaz. All 25 of its tracks would appear in the top 40, if the chart rules hadn't been changed last year to prevent such a phenomenon.

Meanwhile, Drake has quietly tweaked the record since its release; with an updated version of the record appearing on streaming services on Monday.

Although most of the changes are minor, In My Feelings has gained new vocals from Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z's contribution to Talk Up has received a volume bump, after some fans complained he was mixed too quietly.