{"id":23957,"date":"2026-05-03T16:40:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T16:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/23957\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T16:40:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T16:40:18","slug":"ai-music-is-flooding-streaming-services-but-who-wants-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/23957\/","title":{"rendered":"AI music is flooding streaming services \u2014 but who wants it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is The Stepback<\/a>, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on how AI is changing music and the music industry, follow Terrence O\u2019Brien<\/a>. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers\u2019 inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The use of generative AI in pop music started almost as a gimmick. There was a sense of experimentalism to 2018\u2019s I AM AI by Taryn Southern<\/a> and 2019\u2019s Proto by Holly Herndon<\/a>, albums that were created with significant assistance from AI. Others got in on the action too, exploring the outer limits of tools like Google\u2019s Magenta<\/a> and even training their own models. But things quickly changed with the launch of Suno in December of 2023 and Udio in April of 2024.<\/p>\n

Suno and Udio allow users to quickly create entire compositions with a simple text prompt. AI-generated music was no longer the realm of technical experts and fringe experimenters<\/a>, it was now accessible to anyone with an internet connection. This led to an influx of machine-made music hitting streaming platforms.<\/p>\n

In September of 2025, Deezer said that 28 percent of music uploaded was fully AI-generated. By the end of the year, that had grown to over 50,000<\/a> tracks per day, accounting for 34 percent of uploads. Both users and artists have expressed frustration<\/a>, demanding streaming platforms do something to combat the growing problem that is watering down playlists and siphoning millions in royalties<\/a> away from legitimate artists. Udio did not reply to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Things have only gotten worse at Deezer, where daily uploads of AI-generated content have grown to 75,000, and are threatening to overtake actual human-made music. And Spotify removed over 75 million spam tracks<\/a> in just 12 months.<\/p>\n

Deezer was the first major streaming platform to implement a system that detects and labels<\/a> AI-generated content. The service also prevents its algorithm from recommending it and has demonetized 85 percent of the streams. In a recent press release<\/a>, Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier said that, \u201cAI-generated music is now far from a marginal phenomenon and as daily deliveries keep increasing, we hope the whole music ecosystem will join us in taking action to help safeguard artist\u2019s rights and promote transparency for fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qobuz<\/a> was next to implement a detection system. It also published an AI charter<\/a>, promising that it would never use AI for its editorial or curation content. While the company stopped short of banning AI-generated content, it did lean into the discontent, saying, \u201cThe heart of Qobuz is and will remain human.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apple soon followed. Though its labeling system has an obvious flaw \u2014 it relies on self-reporting. Apple Music \u201crequires\u201d labels and creators to voluntarily add Transparency Tags<\/a> to their metadata. When asked how it was enforcing requirements, or what penalties, if any, there were for failing to label AI-generated content, Apple declined to comment and pointed me to an industry newsletter<\/a> from early March that says it \u201cdefers to content providers to determine what qualifies as AI content.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spotify also opted for a voluntary system. It recently launched AI credits, which identify tracks made using generative AI. It\u2019s working with the standards group DDEX<\/a> to create an industry standard for labeling AI content. It goes beyond blanket labeling, allowing artists to specify whether AI was used to create the lyrics, vocals, or backing music. Initial glimpses of those efforts began rolling out in mid-April, with DistroKid as its first partner.<\/p>\n

While DDEX counts most of the industry\u2019s heavyweights as members \u2014 including Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple, Songtradr (home of Bandcamp), Pandora, BMI, UMG, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group \u2014 not everyone is necessarily on board with Spotify\u2019s standard yet.<\/p>\n

Spotify has come under criticism for its handling of AI slop and so-called ghost artists<\/a>. But recently, it has gone out of its way<\/a> to talk up its transparency efforts and its increased offensive against spam and impersonation. The company also recently launched a Verified by Spotify<\/a> badge that is supposed to guarantee there\u2019s a human behind an artist profile. Sam Duboff, global head of Marketing & Policy, Spotify for Artists, told The Verge that it is experimenting with third-party detection tools, but that they still make a \u201cmaterial amount of incorrect assessments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Google also requires that AI-generated content be labeled, whether that\u2019s on YouTube or YouTube Music. While the company won\u2019t publicly detail how its systems to combat AI slop<\/a> work, it has said that it\u2019s \u201cbuilding on\u2026 established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low quality, repetitive content.\u201d It also says that failing to disclose can carry penalties<\/a>, including the removal of content or suspension from the YouTube Partner program.<\/p>\n

In survey after survey, public opinion toward AI music is pretty unfavorable. A study by Deezer and Ipsos showed that 51 percent of respondents think AI will \u201clead to the creation of more low-quality, generic-sounding music.\u201d<\/p>\n

A poll<\/a> conducted by The Hollywood Reporter and the Frost School of Music found that 66 percent of people never knowingly listen to music generated by AI. And 52 percent said they wouldn\u2019t even want to listen to music from their favorite artist if they knew it was made with help from AI.<\/p>\n

Researchers from Singapore also found significant negative bias<\/a> toward AI-generated content. The paper\u2019s authors claim that this is because emotion plays such a central role in how we engage with music. They say that \u201cdue to its lack of expressive intent, AI-generated music may be perceived as less capable of conveying authentic emotion or fostering meaningful connections with listeners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite this, only Bandcamp has banned generative AI music<\/a> outright. Of course, it says that \u201cMusic and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted,\u201d but enforcing that policy is easier said than done. Bandcamp is not proactively scanning uploads to catch AI music. Instead it\u2019s relying on manual reports from users to flag suspicious content.<\/p>\n

The flood of AI music shows no signs of abating. The number of AI tracks uploaded has grown steadily over the last year, and according to Deezer\u2019s Director of Research, Manuel Moussallam, \u201cIt is likely that deliveries will keep increasing.\u201d<\/p>\n

If there is a silver lining, it\u2019s that while the number of generative AI uploads has grown by nearly 40 percent, there doesn\u2019t seem to be a marked increase in streams. Moussallam says, \u201cThe consumption after fraud removal is not gaining much traction and is still very concentrated on a few viral tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n

AI generated music accounts for as little as 1 percent<\/a> of streams on Deezer as of April, up from about 0.5 percent<\/a> in early November. But in that time the percentage of fraudulent streams of AI music has increased dramatically from \u201cup to 70 percent\u201d to 85 percent. That suggests people are seeking out AI music less often \u2014 perhaps the novelty has worn off.<\/p>\n

YouTube Policy communications manager Jack Malon told The Verge the company is \u201cinvolved in the active development of new industry standards for AI disclosures in music credits,\u201d though stopped shy of saying that it was collaborating with Apple or Spotify specifically. Google was heavily involved in the creation of C2PA for authenticating content, but it\u2019s been criticized for inconsistent implementation<\/a>, potential for abuse<\/a>, and creating a false sense of security<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Neither Google nor Spotify seems ready to start demonetizing or excluding AI-generated music from its recommendation engine. Duboff says that, \u201cOver time, we believe the use of AI in music will increasingly be a spectrum, not a binary. Tracks won\u2019t be \u2018categorically AI\u2019 or \u2018not AI at all\u2019 with no in between.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creations like Velvet Sundown, Breaking Rust, and Solomon Ray might be anomalies at the end of the day. They\u2019ve generated more attention for being AI than they have for the quality of the music. Fully generative AI music will continue to be a threat to working musicians, session artists, library music composers, and the like. But they may struggle to find footing on the charts.<\/p>\n

However, artists are more frequently embracing AI, even if it\u2019s largely behind the scenes. It\u2019s worked its way into songwriting sessions in Nashville<\/a> and replaced sampling<\/a> for hip-hop producers, and Diplo says creatives need to adapt<\/a>. (Or \u201cjust like give up and become an Uber driver until everyone has a Waymo.\u201d) Duboff says, \u201cWe hear from top artists, songwriters, and producers all the time who are incorporating AI technology into their creative processes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Companies are hesitant to penalize AI use in part because they expect it to become a standard tool in the industry. Even when launching its Verified by Spotify program, the company left the door open to AI acts saying, \u201cthe concept of artist authenticity is complex and quickly evolving.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when Suno users are churning out an entire Spotify\u2019s worth of AI slop<\/a> every two weeks, the demand for dramatic steps is likely to grow. That Deezer \/ Ipsos study found that 45 percent of people would like to filter out all AI-generated music from their music streaming library. It\u2019s a solution that neither Deezer nor any other streaming service has committed to. And it would face its own steep hurdles, including an industry-wide standard for labeling that is consistently implemented, and robust, reliable AI detection tools.<\/p>\n

If someone wants to listen to Xania Monet<\/a>, nobody should stand in their way. If you could flip a switch and instantly hide all generative AI music on Spotify, I bet a lot of people would.<\/p>\n

Suno and Udio have spawned an entire subculture of AI creators who claim to only listen to the music they prompt<\/a>, and nothing else.The first widely recognized AI pop song is \u201cDaddy\u2019s Car<\/a>,\u201d composed using Sony\u2019s Flow Machines<\/a> tech trained on the Beatles\u2019 catalog. (You can tell.)Companies are working on tech that would allow them to reverse engineer<\/a> what data AI is trained on, which could lead to a whole new set of lawsuits.Artists are considering adopting a certified \u201chuman-made<\/a>\u201d label.The story of Mike Smith is a wild one. This story<\/a> from Kate Knibbs at Wired charts how he exploited generative AI, bot farms, and unwitting collaborators to make over $10 million in streaming royalties.The Hollywood Reporter and the Frost School of Music collaborated on what might be the most comprehensive survey<\/a> of American attitudes toward AI music. Illiac Suite: String Quartet No. 4 is a fascinating, if often overlooked, bit of musical history. The Guardian<\/a> tells the story of what is generally considered to be the first piece of music composed by a computer.Jess Weatherbed looks at how Big Tech\u2019s attempts to fight AI slop might actually be making things worse<\/a>.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O’BrienClose\"Terrence<\/p>\n

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