AI-crafted songs fuel streaming fraud, prompting new industry safeguards
AI-generated music is being used to inflate streaming counts, leading music companies and platforms to tighten rules to protect artists' royalties.
The rise of generative AI has enabled large-scale creation of music that can be uploaded and streamed en masse, allowing fraudsters to manipulate royalty pools. Industry body IFPI announced new distributor guidelines to block fraudulent content, while Deezer says over half of July uploads were AI-generated and most of those streams were fake. In the United States, Michael Smith pleaded guilty to an AI-assisted scheme that generated billions of counterfeit plays and netted more than $8 million in royalties.
Streaming services are responding: Spotify will label AI-created artist profiles and exclude them from recommendations, and YouTube is adding AI disclosure tags and detection tools. The coordinated Streaming Integrity Initiative, backed by major labels such as Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music and The Orchard, aims to verify rights, check for AI-related risks and share fraud data.
Why it matters
AI-driven fake streams threaten musicians' earnings and force the industry to overhaul royalty safeguards.
In this story
