Deezer Launches Labels for AI-Generated Music to Tackle Streaming Fraud

On Friday, Deezer announced its initiative to label albums containing AI-generated tracks in an effort to combat streaming fraud.

The company indicates that around 18% of daily music uploads, exceeding 20,000 tracks, are entirely generated by AI. Although most of these tracks do not go viral, Deezer asserts that about 70% of their streams are artificially manipulated to fraudulently earn royalties.

In light of this, AI-generated tracks on Deezer will now receive clear labeling. Such tracks will not be included in editorial playlists or algorithm-based recommendations, and fraudulent streams will be excluded from royalty payments.

Deezer is confident that these new labels will greatly help listeners differentiate between music created by humans and that produced by AI.

At present, tracks generated solely by AI represent only 0.5% of all streams on Deezer, although this trend is growing rapidly.

“We’ve observed a significant rise in the release of AI-generated music in recent months, with no indication of a slowdown. This is a pressing concern across the industry, and we are committed to enhancing transparency to assist music fans in identifying albums featuring AI music,” stated Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier in a press release.

“AI itself is neither good nor bad, but we believe that a responsible and transparent approach is crucial for fostering trust with our users and the music industry,” he added. “We are also dedicated to safeguarding the rights of artists and songwriters, especially as copyright laws are being reevaluated in the context of AI training requirements.”

In December 2024, Deezer applied for two patents related to its AI Detection technology, which focuses on identifying “unique signatures” to differentiate synthetic content from genuine material.

This initiative aligns with Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment as they engage with AI startups Udio and Suno for potential licensing agreements. These startups are facing lawsuits for copyright infringement, and any resolution could help to address these legal challenges, as reported by Bloomberg earlier this month.