The rise of AI-generated music is causing alarm in the music streaming industry due to its potential to facilitate fraudulent activities that undermine the earnings of real artists. As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, platforms like Deezer and Spotify are grappling with the influx of AI-created tracks and the associated fraudulent streams that inflate play counts artificially.
AI-generated music has become a significant presence on streaming services, with platforms like Deezer receiving over 60,000 AI-created tracks daily, accounting for more than 39% of its daily uploads. In 2025, Deezer identified over 13.4 million AI tracks, with approximately 85% of their streams deemed fraudulent, often generated by bots or fake listeners. This manipulation affects royalty payments, as fraudulent streams divert funds away from legitimate artists.
Fraud in streaming is not new, but AI has made it easier and faster to execute. Some individuals even offer courses on how to profit from AI-generated music. Despite the ease of creating music with AI, platforms set criteria for monetization, such as minimum stream counts and listening duration, which are often bypassed through fraudulent means. Spotify, for example, has banned over 75 million spam tracks in response to the surge in AI-generated content.
Streaming services are under pressure to implement measures to detect and prevent fraud. Spotify plans to introduce a filter to identify and label AI-generated tracks, ensuring they are not recommended in playlists. Deezer has already taken steps by labeling AI music and removing it from algorithmic recommendations, aiming to provide users with transparency and reduce fraudulent activity.
While AI-generated music is often viewed with skepticism, it is becoming an integral part of the creative process. In Brazil, AI has been used to create viral hits, such as “Sina de Ofélia,” a reinterpretation of a Taylor Swift song, and other tracks that have gained popularity as memes. Despite these successes, AI music still represents a small fraction of total streams, with many listeners unable to distinguish between AI and human-created music.
Slug: ai-music-fraud-streaming-concerns
