The outrage over fake songs has turned into action. Musicians, producers and others in the industry describe the relentless spread of AI clones with phrases like “Not ideal,” “Completely unacceptable,” “Cheeky,” “Predatory,” “Nonsense,” and “Total nonsense.” While fake AI is nothing new, the problem has escalated as the scammers have become more brazen, forcing artists to respond with increasing outrage.
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In 2023, multiple AI-generated Drake tracks surfaced, but the issue has only gotten worse in the past two years. Artists from Beyoncé to experimental composer William Basinski have seen fake songs, presumably created by AI, appear next to their names. Recently, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard became the latest target, with singer Stu Mackenzie expressing both anger and resignation, stating, “we are truly doomed.”
Spotify way the current system works have made it difficult to control. Deezer says that 50,000 AI-generated tracks are uploaded to its library every day, representing over 34 percent of the music it imports.
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The attackers are exploiting the fact that music is not uploaded directly to Spotify and many other streaming services. Instead, it goes through third-party distribution services like DistroKid. It remains unclear what, if any, checks are being made to verify the identity of those uploading songs.
This situation explains how an AI-generated reggaeton song ended up on William Basinski’s Spotify page. Basinski, known for his ambient tracks based on the sounds of colliding black holes, crashing cassette tapes, and shortwave radio broadcasts, expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s total nonsense. Luckily, my label and distributors are watching this nonsense… What a mess.”
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Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic, whose dormant band was reactivated by AI scammers, shared similar sentiments. Although Here We Go Magic haven't released new music since 2015, an AI track appeared on the band's Spotify page, prompting Temple to tell NPR, "It's so awful."
