Streaming platforms grapple with deluge of AI-generated music as public sentiment turns negative
Deezer and Spotify implement divergent strategies to combat the flood of uploads, but surveys indicate a majority of consumers wish to filter out AI content entirely.
Major music streaming services are facing an unprecedented surge in AI-generated uploads, with industry data revealing a dramatic shift in content volume. Deezer reports that by the end of 2025, AI-generated content accounted for 34 per cent of all uploads, with daily submissions reaching over 75,000 tracks. Concurrently, Spotify has removed more than 75 million spam files in the last 12 months alone, highlighting the scale of the issue facing digital distribution channels.
While platforms have adopted divergent approaches to manage the influx, the strategies remain inconsistent across the sector. Deezer and Qobuz have implemented active detection systems to identify machine-made tracks, resulting in the demonetisation of approximately 85 per cent of AI music streams and preventing such content from appearing in algorithmic recommendations. In contrast, Spotify and Apple Music rely on voluntary labelling schemes, though Spotify has introduced a "Verified by Spotify" badge to guarantee human involvement in artist profiles.
Apple Music requires creators to voluntarily add Transparency Tags to metadata but has declined to comment on penalties for non-compliance. This reliance on self-reporting contrasts with the stricter enforcement seen elsewhere, as Apple stated it defers to content providers to determine what qualifies as AI content. Meanwhile, Google requires that AI-generated content be labelled on YouTube and YouTube Music, noting that failing to disclose can carry penalties including content removal or suspension from the partner program.
Despite these industry efforts to combat the flood of content, public sentiment remains largely negative. A study conducted by Deezer and Ipsos found that 51 per cent of respondents believe AI will lead to the creation of more low-quality, generic music. Furthermore, 45 per cent of listeners indicated they would prefer to filter out all AI-generated music from their libraries entirely, reflecting a significant disconnect between supply and consumer preference.
Research from Singapore suggests this negative bias stems from the perceived lack of expressive intent and authentic emotion in AI compositions. The paper's authors argue that due 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. Consequently, surveys indicate that a majority of people never knowingly listen to music generated by AI, and many would refuse to consume it even from their favourite artists.
The flood of AI music shows no signs of abating, with Deezer's Director of Research noting that deliveries are likely to keep increasing. However, consumption of this content remains low, accounting for as little as 1 per cent of streams on Deezer as of April. While the novelty may have worn off, the threat to working musicians and session artists persists, even as some creatives begin incorporating AI technology into their creative processes behind the scenes.
