Music streaming platform Deezer announced Friday it will begin labeling AI-generated songs in a bid to curb rampant streaming fraud. The French-based company says the move is necessary as the volume of AI music floods its platform and fraudsters attempt to exploit royalties through bots and stream manipulation.
Deezer will now attach on-screen warnings to albums that include AI-created tracks. The app will notify listeners that some content was generated using song-producing AI tools. According to CEO Alexis Lanternier, the company is committed to protecting the rights of human artists and songwriters amid growing challenges to copyright law from AI development.
Lanternier revealed that AI-generated music now makes up roughly 18% of all new daily uploads to Deezer—about 20,000 tracks a day—up from 10% just three months ago. Though fully AI-made music represents only 0.5% of actual streams, the company claims that up to 70% of those plays come from bots or “streaming farms,” not real listeners. Deezer says it will block royalty payments for songs flagged as part of stream manipulation.
To detect AI tracks, Deezer uses advanced tools that analyze song data and track unique AI-generated patterns, essentially “fighting AI with AI.” The company updates its detection algorithm daily to stay ahead of ever-changing song generator outputs.
The announcement comes amid mounting legal pressure on AI music companies. Record labels and rights groups in the U.S. and Europe are suing AI platforms like Suno and Udio for copyright infringement, alleging their tools illegally replicate songs by artists like Chuck Berry and Mariah Carey.
Deezer emphasized that while AI music can offer creative potential, its misuse is already destabilizing the industry by flooding platforms with low-quality, profit-driven content.
