Deezer Tackles Streaming Fraud by Labeling AI-Generated Music

Deezer has announced a new initiative to label albums containing AI-generated tracks, aiming to combat streaming fraud. The company revealed that approximately 18% of daily music uploads, exceeding 20,000 tracks, are now fully AI-generated. While these tracks may not always achieve viral status, Deezer reports that around 70% of their streams are fraudulent, designed to illegitimately earn royalties.

To address this issue, Deezer will clearly tag AI-generated tracks. These tracks will not be included in editorial playlists or algorithm-based recommendations. Additionally, fraudulent streams will be filtered out of royalty payments, ensuring that only genuine streams contribute to artist compensation.

Deezer believes these labels will significantly aid listeners in distinguishing between music created by humans and AI-generated content. While AI-only songs currently constitute only 0.5% of all streams on the platform, Deezer notes that this trend is rapidly increasing.

“We’ve detected a significant uptick in delivery of AI-generated music only in the past few months and we see no sign of it slowing down. It’s an industry-wide issue, and we are committed to leading the way in increasing transparency by helping music fans identify which albums include AI music,” said Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier in a press release.

He added, “AI is not inherently good or bad, but we believe a responsible and transparent approach is key to building trust with our users and the music industry. We are also clear in our commitment to safeguarding the rights of artists and songwriters at a time where copyright law is being put into question in favor of training AI models.”

Deezer had already applied for two patents in December 2024 for its AI Detection technology. This technology focuses on identifying “unique signatures” to differentiate between synthetic and authentic content.

This move follows reports that Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment are in discussions to license their work to AI startups Udio and Suno. These startups are currently facing lawsuits from record companies for copyright infringement, and potential deals could help settle these disputes, as reported by Bloomberg earlier this month.