Friday 28 December 2012

Britney Spears And Beyonce Penalised By YouTube For "Fake Views"



In a surprising move by YouTube, the most watched video sharing site on the internet, the Google owned company has slashed billions of views off of videos it considers having obtained those numbers via shady means.

The largest channel to suffer from the number cull is record label Universal, which has lost a staggering 1,015,800,118 views! However, our Diva's didn't come off too well either, with Britney Spears and Beyonce's videos dropping 462,567,893 and 151,445,205 views respectively, placing them at number 3 and 10 of the channels most penalised for fake views.

But why would anyone want to fake views? Well, according to the Huffington Post- and common sense- having a higher view count will make "clips appear far more popular, increase their exposure and draw advertising revenue".

But on a more grassroots level, the amount of views are often cited as a last resort by fans/"stans" to prove an artist's star power and general relevance when other indicators of success-ie sales/hits- are currently scarce.

Other Diva's on the list include:

12 YouTubeshakira -137,394,924
15 AvrilLavigne -124,277,862
18 JordinSparks -107,013,443
19 kellyclarkson -95,918,188

Check out the full list at Socialblade.

But what do you guys think about this? Is this even an issue for anyone bar Google and it's advertisers?

34 comments:

  1. It is known for a long time that record labels can buy 'video views' to gain more exposure and attain some fake 'success'.

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  2. Somehow my channel had it's views cut as well, I lost 30,000 views :/
    Also, I'm not shocked at the false view counts.

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  3. Many popular youtube personalities also buy subscribers and views.

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  4. Are you sure? Because I thought the same but it turns out ''analytics'' is standard set on ''last thirty days''

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  5. Hey, here's my chance for some soul enrichment! I can sell my channel with over two million legit hits for mostly acoustic music and sans auto tune singers to Rounder records.

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  6. @facebook-100000090078915:disqus @divadevotee:disqus I' think I've figured it out. I deleted several videos a few weeks ago and the view count off the videos rounds off to roughly 30,000 views IIRC. I'm guessing Youtube removed views because of videos I no longer have. That is the only answer I can think of to this.

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  7. That wouldn't explain my diffence though since I didn''t remove any vids
    The whole thing is just a complete mystery.:-)

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  8. Seems I don't have any difference in views at all, the views on my channel apparently don't reflect the view count shown in Analytics. My view count in Analytics comes out to an even 160,000 while the view count on my channel only comes to 136,573.


    Back to square one. Youtube is probably still ironing out the wrinkles in the new format.

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  9. Errbody knw Britney aint losing no sleep ova this! The gurl always be sleeping these days anyway, regardless of what be going on around her. "King B" on the other hand is prob tearing at that weave, watching that legacy crumble! Gna have to come back with more than a crusty blonde weave and coochie popping this time beYAWNce

    http://24.media.tumblr.com/430c7497f16adf01e4c17a7b1c718be8/tumblr_mf6adn1MJA1riqt56o2_r1_250.gif

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  10. This is off-topic, but why doesn't Britney Spears write more songs? One of the songs she penned is about masturbation, and it was strangely eloquent. it's baffling. The melody is meh, but the lyrics flow so well...


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM3pnBRvG1M

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  11. More importantly than it being off topic is ..why would you ask me???

    Did you not notice I mentioned my interests are acoustic music and folks who don't need autotune. Britney at no point, ever, had my interest.

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  12. That is HILARIOUS that was posted at you, opie! HILARIOUS!!

    As for Britney writing, I'm inclined to believe her credits as a writer. My reasoning: she's not credited on most of her material- especially the big hits- and we all know someone who is greedy for that publishing money will try worm their way on to anything they can.

    This is Britney talking about her song "Everytime";

    "... Like with “Everytime” I wrote the whole thing from scratch on the piano. Musically there was no track or anything. I was just at my house and I did the whole thing by myself. And then I went and I played it for [Guy Sigsworth] and I just basically told him exactly how I wanted the song to sound. And he was so amazing because there's a lot of producers you tell them things and they don't get it. And you're like oh, that's not the right way. He got it just right. He was amazing. And so that song specifically, you know, I did everything.""

    and her playing it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN3Ww-jA_yI ... I'm not sure about her definition of "everything" though...lol

    She ain't no Joni Mitchell, but I think her input- when noted- is more than a word change.

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  13. lawls. I was scrolling through the comments, and I accidentally posted this as a reply, rather than a general comment.

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  14. Apparently she has writing credits on this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v-zZa0P__Y , her and Guy Sigsworth. I don't know Britney or Guy well enough to really tell who had a majority in writing what.

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  15. I thought it was quite funny myself. As well as an honest mistake.

    I have to admit, that quote sounds like truthful. Guess I will have to check out that song.
    I did also checked the link julian posted and agree with him that those lyrics flow well.

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  16. I figured it must have been some kind of mistake Julian. :-)

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  17. Everyone of those Kelly Clarkson votes I am responsible for, you her that huffington you b***h lol

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  18. I may have to challenge you to this claim Stuey.
    Be prepared to duel for the view count claim.

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  19. Hehe I was about to type "I have my sword at the ready", but then realised my sick and dirty mind would not allow for such a post to exist lol


    Seriously though, out of that list she deserves the most views, particularly for her breathtaking live performances!

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  20. She basically wrote the Britney and In the Zone albums

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  21. Now those are the kind of writing credits I don't put much store in. Most of them are shared with two or more people who all also are listed as producers. Basically the same thing as all these pop ''divas''.

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  22. But shes not like those divas that write one word and call it writing songs, (cough*Beyonce) (cough*Chrisitna), If she says she wrote a song, she wrote the song, and all of her producers will tell you so. She ever wrote a song for Selena Gomez called Whiplash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahMVLSTY8PI

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  23. ''All of her producers will tell you so''
    Of course they would. They would have good reason to tell us that. To me they are not a reliable source.

    I already said that seeing that video DD linked to and that quote make me inclined to believe that some songs are largely written by her. I am just saying that when I see those credits on the albums you mentioned, they look like the credits on other divas albums of which we know or strongly suspect they are untrue.

    This is the effect of liars...they make everybody look suspicious and devalue all.

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  24. I know what you are saying, its just that I get annoyed when people insinuate that she is a manufactured product,not that you did so, but others do. Shes not just a transparent,white trash, untalented person.

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  25. Well, like you noted, I was just talking about writing credits in today's popmusic but I also do think Britney was a highly manufatored Product. That doesn't mean she is untalented though. Certainly I see no correlation between being a manufactored product and being ''white trash''.
    Some are one of either, some are both.
    Frankly I know little of Britney but she never struck me as white trash.

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  26. Well as you said, you know little of Britney,thats fine but she is not just a product she is an artist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdd4dlss7TA .

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  27. Read it again! I said you can be talented and still be a manufactured product if you let your record company or lust for money and fame call all the shots and turn you into something you wouldn't have been otherwise.
    We are discussing her in a thread about artists whose youtube viewcounts have been bought after all.

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  28. Its not like you have a choice once you sign the contract, everyone with a contract is manufactured, and I was not talking to you personally, i was talking to everyone

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  29. Okay...we seemed to have officially moved from fandom into stan nation.
    Guess in order not to upset any tender personalities, I should at this point not respond to such a blatantly incorrect assertion but alas....
    Nope, not ''everybody is manufactored' after signing a contract nor are you without say over the content of your contract nor are you left without a choice after signing a contract. It's called 'breach of contract'' and you will have to pay a price for that choice but nevertheless...it IS a choice.

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  30. Okay...we seemed to have officially moved from fandom into stan nation.
    Guess in order not to upset any tender personalities, I should at this point not respond to such a blatantly incorrect assertion but alas....
    Nope, not ''everybody is manufactored' after signing a contract nor are you without say over the content of your contract nor are you left without a choice after signing a contract. It's called 'breach of contract'' and you will have to pay a price for that choice but nevertheless...it IS a choice.

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  31. Lol, some fantastic conversation with a wall you're having there, Opie :P..

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  32. :-D I'll talk to anybody and anything and the conversations are always fantastic. Only thing stopping me is two whiskeys. Third will negate the effect though. And will make the conversation even more fantastic to boot.

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  33. Leona? Xtina? Westlife? OMG, disappointed in my faves. At least Mimi wasn't on the list.

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