AI Impersonation Scourge Hits Spotify: Musicians Battle Fake Tracks
Renowned jazz composer and pianist Jason Moran received a perplexing call from his friend, bassist Burniss Earl Travis, last month. Travis had spotted a new record attributed to Moran on the music streaming service Spotify, but something felt off. "It has your name on it," Travis told him, "but I don't think it's you."
Moran, who exclusively uses Bandcamp for his music and avoids Spotify, was baffled. Upon investigation, he found an artist profile under his name on Spotify, featuring albums from his former label, Blue Note Records, which holds rights to his early work. Among them was a new EP titled For You, with a moody Japanese anime-style cover depicting a young woman in the rain. When Moran listened, he was stunned.
Surreal Discovery and Industry-Wide Crisis
"There's not even a piano player on this whole damn record," Moran said with a laugh, describing the music as indie pop far removed from his jazz style. He immediately sought to have the fake album removed. Moran is part of a growing cohort of musicians targeted by AI bots masquerading as real artists on streaming platforms. This issue has affected at least a dozen famous jazz musicians, indie rock artists, and even high-profile rappers like Drake.
For Moran, the experience is both frustrating and surreal, likening it to a Black Mirror episode where a reality-show version of a character impacts the original's life. "She doesn't even have to be there in this episode, like they're just using a version of her," he remarked.
Spotify's Response and Ongoing Challenges
Spotify has acknowledged the problem, revealing last September that it removed over 75 million "spammy tracks" in the previous year. The company has strengthened protections against impersonation and is developing a new tool to give artists more control over releases under their names. A spokesperson stated, "Spotify employs a range of safeguards to protect artists, including systems designed to detect and prevent unauthorized content, human review, and reporting and takedown processes." They added that Spotify is the only streaming service offering such a tool.
However, Moran, former artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center, argues these measures are insufficient. He highlights concerns for artists who don't use Spotify and for deceased musicians like John Coltrane or Billie Holiday, who cannot verify or object to fake releases. Spotify noted that estate holders can opt into the new tool, but for others, the platform relies on internal detection systems.
Widespread Impact and Financial Toll
After Moran shared his experience on social media, numerous artists reported similar AI impersonations. In jazz alone, victims include pianist Benny Green, saxophonist Antonio Hart, drummer Nate Smith, and singers Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jazzmeia Horn. Morgan Hayduk, co-CEO of fraud detection firm Beatdapp, estimates that 5% to 10% of all music streams are fraudulent, costing the industry $1 billion to $2 billion annually. "AI has become an accelerant," Hayduk said, explaining that generative AI enables bad actors to quickly produce and replenish fake content.
In a recent case, Michael Smith pleaded guilty to defrauding streaming platforms by generating thousands of AI songs and using bots to inflate plays, earning over $10 million in royalties over seven years. This underscores the severity of the issue, with fraudulent streams diverting funds from legitimate artists.
Artist Burden and Legal Complexities
When Moran contacted Spotify, he navigated a chatbot before reaching a human representative who verified his identity and removed For You within 72 hours. Despite this relief, Moran noted the unfair demand on artists to police their profiles. "They allow it to just kind of sit there unless the artist finds it and checks it," he said. The problem persists; after removal, another unauthorized album appeared on his profile, and For You resurfaced on YouTube with minimal plays.
Adam Berkowitz, a PhD candidate studying AI and copyright law, points out the complexity for streaming services in automatically removing content. "It gets a little complicated because all of a sudden, the private sector is enforcing law. And that's just not how it's supposed to be," he said, noting that courts struggle to keep pace. Ultimately, Berkowitz believes the onus will remain on artists to monitor their profiles.
Looking Ahead: Artist Agency and Industry Solutions
Moran prefers Bandcamp for its control over his music and pricing, emphasizing that jazz is about art creation rather than commercial gain. "One thing that [people] can never get charged for is the power of the songs," he said. As AI impersonation escalates, the music industry faces urgent calls for more robust safeguards and ethical standards to protect artist identity and ensure fair compensation in the digital age.
