What It Means for the Music Industry…
The global music industry has entered a decisive moment in its relationship with artificial intelligence. According to a recent report by Music Business Worldwide, Deezer now detects more than 60,000 fully AI-generated tracks uploaded to its platform every single day. That figure represents nearly 40% of all daily uploads, a dramatic jump from just 10,000 AI tracks per day in early 2025.
This surge has forced streaming platforms, distributors, and rights holders to confront a growing reality: AI music no longer sits at the margins of the ecosystem. It operates at scale. Deezer’s response, building detection technology and licensing it to the wider industry, signals a shift toward transparency, accountability, and protection of human creativity.
The rapid rise of AI Generated music
Advances in generative AI tools have lowered the barrier to music creation. Anyone with access to modern AI software can now generate tracks in minutes rather than weeks. As a result, upload volumes have skyrocketed.
- Early 2025: roughly 10,000 AI-generated tracks uploaded daily
- Late 2025: daily uploads climbed to around 50,000 AI tracks
- 2026: uploads now exceed 60,000 AI-generated tracks per day
Despite this volume, listener engagement tells a different story. AI-generated music still accounts for a very small share of total streams. Most of these tracks never gain traction with real listeners. Instead, many uploads serve automated systems rather than creative audiences.
Why AI Detection Has Become Necessary
Unchecked AI uploads create serious problems for streaming platforms. Without proper detection, synthetic tracks can:
- Flood recommendation algorithms
- Distort royalty calculations
- Enable artificial streaming and fraud
- Undermine trust between platforms and artists
Deezer built its AI detection system to address these risks directly. The technology analyzes audio fingerprints associated with generative models and flags tracks created entirely by AI tools. Once detected, Deezer tags the content and removes it from algorithmic promotion.
This approach prevents AI tracks from competing unfairly with human-created releases in discovery feeds, radios, and autoplay features.
AI-generated music introduces a second, more serious issue: fraud.
Deezer reports that up to 85% of streams tied to AI-generated tracks show signs of artificial manipulation. Bots inflate play counts to siphon royalties from the shared revenue pool.
To counter this, Deezer excludes fraudulent AI streams from monetization entirely. This decision protects legitimate artists and prevents bad actors from exploiting automated systems.By isolating synthetic content from revenue calculations, Deezer reinforces the principle that streams must represent real listener engagement to generate payouts.
Licensing AI Detection to the Wider Industry
Rather than keeping its detection system proprietary, Deezer has chosen a different path. The platform now licenses its AI detection technology to partners across the music industry.This move allows:
- Distributors to flag AI content before delivery
- Royalty agencies to protect member earnings
- Platforms to standardize AI labeling practices
Deezer has already tested this system with organizations such as SACEM, demonstrating that AI detection can support rights management without blocking innovation. By sharing the technology, Deezer encourages industry wide cooperation instead of fragmentation.
Listeners also play a role in this evolving landscape. Research shows that most users cannot reliably distinguish AI-generated music from human-made tracks. Without clear labeling, audiences lose the ability to make informed choices.
Deezer addresses this issue by clearly tagging AI-generated content where detection applies. This transparency builds trust and allows listeners to decide how they engage with synthetic music.
How Other Platforms Are Responding?
Deezer’s strategy does not exist in isolation. Other platforms have taken varied approaches:
- Some DSPs tighten metadata and quality standards
- Others restrict or ban fully AI-generated uploads
- Several platforms quietly limit AI content from editorial exposure
These differences reflect an industry still defining best practices. However, the trend remains clear: platforms increasingly demand accountability from AI-assisted releases.
For music distributors, Deezer’s announcement marks a turning point. AI content no longer passes through distribution systems unnoticed. Distributors must now adapt to detection, labeling, and compliance requirements.
Forward-looking distributors will:
- Implement AI content review workflows
- Require transparent metadata declarations
- Monitor upload volume and duplication patterns
- Educate artists on compliant AI usage
These steps help prevent rejections, takedowns, and long-term catalog risks.
