The rise of AI has brought about a new wave of innovation in the music industry, particularly with the creation of AI-generated music. However, this has also raised concerns about copyright and the authenticity of the music. Streaming platforms like Spotify are working to address these concerns and balancing innovation with the protection of creators on their platforms.
Recently, Spotify took down tens of thousands of songs created by Boomy, an artificial-intelligence startup, due to the suspected use of bots to inflate streams, a practice known as artificial streaming.
According to reports, Universal Music flagged the songs for suspicious streaming activity, which led to Spotify removing the songs from its platform.
Boomy allows users to produce AI-generated music and upload it to streaming platforms like Spotify to earn royalties. However, Spotify reportedly took down 7% of Boomy’s tracks, and the company stated that it is working to stamp out artificial streaming across its service.
This move comes after Universal called for streaming services to crack down on AI-generated music because of copyright concerns. In a quarterly financial call, Spotify CEO Daniel Elk described AI-generated music as “cool and scary” and acknowledged the music industry’s “legitimate concerns” about its rise.
As the music industry continues to grapple with the implications of AI-generated music, Spotify and other streaming platforms are working to establish a position that balances innovation and the protection of creators on their platforms.