Hi Nick!
I hope you’re doing well, and it was interesting reading your ideas!
I’ve heard many sad stories about artists who, without understanding their drawbacks, have used bot playlists. Initially, they were excited about the high number of streams they received, but those streams weren’t genuine listens and didn’t translate into income.
Nowadays, Spotify seems to reset streams that originate from bot playlists, which is a positive development. However, it’s frustrating that bot playlists and services promising huge streams often add artists’ songs to their playlists without their consent. I also know artists whose songs have ended up on these playlists, resulting in significant stream numbers that can’t be traced. I’ve been contemplating what can be done in this situation, but sometimes requesting removal the song from their playlists doesn’t yield results. 
Regarding distribution platforms, I’m familiar with iMusician, Amuse, Soothesound, and indirectly TuneCore and CDbaby. TuneCore has poor customer service and fails to respond to inquiries. On the other hand, Amuse has good reviews on Trustpilot. Their software is easy, simple, and user-friendly, as well as affordable. iMusician is affordable, and the website is easy to use. They also had a comprehensive pitching form for pre-marketing, but I’m not sure if they still have it.
