Quote from Alex bobby on September 16, 2025, 2:59 AM

Deezer Reveals 28% of Uploaded Music Is AI-Generated: A Wake-Up Call for the Industry

In a revelation that has sent ripples through the music industry, French music streaming service Deezer has disclosed that 28 per cent of all tracks uploaded to its platform are fully AI-generated. According to the company’s newly released report, that amounts to around 30,000 AI-created songs being added to Deezer every single day — a sharp 10 per cent increase compared to April, and nearly triple the figures from February this year.

The disclosure underscores how quickly artificial intelligence has penetrated the music world, and raises pressing questions about its long-term impact on human artistry, royalties, and the sustainability of creative careers.

Detecting the AI Surge

Deezer says it installed an AI-detection system at the start of 2024 to gain more visibility into the explosion of synthetic content on its platform. In June, the company began tagging any track that uses AI tools with a visible label — a first among major music streaming platforms.

“Following a massive increase during the year, AI music now makes up a significant part of the daily track delivery to music streaming,” said Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier in a press release. “We want to lead the way in minimising any negative impact for artists and fans alike.”

Lanternier added that Deezer has adopted a “zero-promotion” stance for fully AI-generated tracks: the platform actively removes them from algorithmic recommendations and excludes them from editorial playlists. The goal, he explained, is to shield royalty pools from being diluted by synthetic content and to prevent bad actors from flooding the system with cheap, automated music uploads in order to siphon royalties.

“Our approach is simple,” Lanternier said. “We ensure the impact on the royalty pool remains minimal, while providing a transparent user experience. And most importantly, we continue to fight fraudulent activity, which is the main driver behind uploading fully AI-generated content.”

A Sharp Rise Since February

Back in February, Deezer said it was receiving around 10,000 AI-created tracks per day. That figure has now surged to 30,000 daily, marking an 18 per cent jump in the share of AI music on the platform in just a few months. The trend highlights how quickly music generation tools — powered by large language models and audio synthesis systems — have lowered the barrier to creating professional-sounding songs with minimal human input.

This development has sparked fears among many artists and industry groups that streaming platforms could be flooded with AI content, reducing listener exposure to human artists and ultimately cutting into their earnings.

Spotify Under Fire for AI Music

Deezer’s rival Spotify has already faced criticism for allowing AI-generated music to gain traction on its platform. Earlier this year, the band The Velvet Sundown was revealed to be entirely AI-generated, yet amassed more than 400,000 monthly Spotify listeners within just one month. This revelation reignited debate about whether streaming services are doing enough to label synthetic content — or whether they are even incentivized to allow it to proliferate.

Spotify has also been accused of quietly padding out its playlists with so-called “ghost artists” — anonymous, low-royalty tracks allegedly created to decrease overall royalty payouts to legitimate artists. A 2023 report in Harper’s Magazine spotlighted these practices, and journalist Liz Pelly examined them in her book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. Pelly argues that Spotify has “no qualms” about slipping AI-generated tracks by fake artists into popular playlists to cut costs.

Economic Impact on Human Creativity

The explosion of AI music is not just a cultural or ethical issue — it’s an economic one. A landmark study released in December by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) warned that, without government intervention, people working in music could lose up to 25 per cent of their income to AI by 2028, amounting to a potential loss of €4 billion worldwide.

This alarming forecast has put pressure on policymakers to reconsider how copyright law applies to AI-generated works. Currently, most jurisdictions offer little protection to human artists whose styles or voices are mimicked by AI systems trained on their work.

Artists Sound the Alarm

Prominent musicians have been outspoken about the existential threat AI poses to human creativity. From Nick Cave and Paul McCartney to Elton John, Radiohead, Dua Lipa, Kate Bush and Robbie Williams, many have called on the UK government and other authorities to modernise copyright laws and ensure that artists are fairly compensated in the age of AI.

Nick Cave, in particular, has described AI music as “a grotesque mockery” of human expression, while Paul McCartney has warned that AI technology could soon make it “impossible to tell what is real and what is fake” in music. Their concerns echo those of countless smaller, independent musicians who fear they will be drowned out in an increasingly automated music landscape.

A Pivotal Moment for the Industry

Deezer’s revelation of the scale of AI content on its platform marks a pivotal moment for the music industry. While AI tools hold potential for creative collaboration and innovation, the current surge of fully automated tracks threatens to overwhelm human-made music, distort royalty systems, and erode listeners’ trust.

By choosing to label and limit the exposure of AI-generated songs, Deezer has taken a bold stance that could influence other streaming platforms. Whether competitors like Spotify will follow suit remains to be seen — but as AI-generated music becomes impossible to ignore, the industry will soon have to confront the question of how to balance technological progress with artistic integrity.

For now, Deezer’s figures serve as a stark warning: the age of AI music is no longer on the horizon — it is here, and it’s growing at breakneck speed.

Final Thoughts

The rise of AI-generated music is both a remarkable technological achievement and a looming challenge for the music world. Deezer’s move to track, label, and limit AI content shows that the industry can act responsibly — but it also highlights just how urgent this issue has become. If left unchecked, AI could overwhelm streaming platforms, erode royalties, and diminish the value of authentic human expression.

As listeners, creators, and policymakers, we now stand at a critical juncture. Supporting transparency, demanding fair compensation, and championing human artistry will be vital to preserving the soul of music in an era increasingly dominated by algorithms. The question is no longer whether AI will reshape music — it’s whether we can guide that transformation without losing what makes music truly human.

Conclusion

Deezer’s revelation that more than a quarter of the music uploaded to its platform is now AI-generated underscores how profoundly the music landscape is shifting. What was once a futuristic concept has rapidly become a present-day reality, reshaping how songs are created, shared, and monetised.

While AI has the potential to enhance creativity, the sheer volume of synthetic tracks threatens to drown out human voices and destabilise an already fragile ecosystem for working artists. Deezer’s decision to label AI content and keep it out of recommendations marks a crucial step toward transparency — and could set a precedent for the rest of the industry.

Ultimately, the future of music will depend on how streaming platforms, policymakers, and artists navigate this technological crossroads. Striking a balance between embracing innovation and protecting human creativity is no longer optional — it’s essential for the survival of music as an art form.

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French streaming giant Deezer reveals 28% of music uploaded is AI-generated, sparking concern about royalties, artist livelihoods, and the future of human creativity.