Manipulation and Misrepresentation: The Threats Facing the Music Industry’s Integrity

Artificial Streaming, Not AI, Is The Immediate Threat to Music’s Integrity

By Kristin Robinson

As I sit down to write about the current state of music industry, my mind can’t help but wander back to the recent discovery of an AI-generated band, The Velvet Sundown, amassing 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. While some may argue that this is a sign of AI’s potential in revolutionizing the way we consume and interact with music, I couldn’t disagree more. The problem isn’t AI itself; it’s artificial streaming.

Bots, clickfarms, and manipulated playlists have become all too common tactics used across the digital ecosystem to manufacture popularity. This type of fraudulent activity is not only a slap in the face for legitimate creators but also an immediate threat to music’s integrity.

Let’s put aside the fact that AI-generated content is still in its infancy when it comes to creating original music worthy of recognition. The fact remains that these artificial streaming methods are siphoning off royalties from honest artists, leaving them with little to no profit from their hard work and dedication. It’s high time we scrutinize whether any artist or track benefits from inauthentic streams.

If we fail to address this issue, the music industry will be flooded with hundreds of thousands of new tracks daily. Music shouldn’t happen by magic; it needs genuine engagement.

Source: www.billboard.com