AI Music Digest

Fraudulent AI-generated tracks are increasingly appearing in artists’ own profiles on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. British folk musician Emily Portman discovered an unauthorized album in her name after a fan congratulated her on a release she never made. Australian bassist Paul Bender of Hiatus Kaiyote launched a petition calling it “the easiest scam in the world,” which has gathered approximately 24,000 signatures including support from Anderson .Paak and Willow Smith.

The scam exploits weak identity verification at distribution companies, who upload music without confirming the submitter is the actual artist. Removal currently takes anywhere from 24 hours to 8 weeks. Spotify and Apple Music say they are working with distributors to improve fraud detection.

Why It Matters: This exposes a fundamental vulnerability in streaming platform infrastructure. Artists face reputational damage and lost revenue while fraudsters exploit the gap between upload speed and verification. The petition’s high-profile support suggests growing pressure for platforms to implement stricter identity controls.

Industry figures are calling for Billboard to take action on AI-generated music appearing on its charts. An AI-generated song has already topped the Country Digital Song Sales chart, and critics argue Billboard risks losing cultural relevance by failing to respond. Willie Stiggers of the Black Music Action Coalition stated that AI-generated artists should not appear on the same charts as human artists, advocating for transparency labeling similar to parental advisory stickers.

Billboard has so far responded with a 25-minute discussion framing AI’s chart impact as an open question rather than taking concrete action. Meanwhile, Suno actively advertises that songs created on its platform could chart, while simultaneously suggesting A&R representatives monitor Suno activity more than Billboard itself.

Why It Matters: Charts have historically served as the music industry’s measure of cultural impact. If AI-generated music can chart without distinction, the charts lose their function as a signal of human artistic achievement—potentially accelerating their declining relevance to the industry.

Following its November settlement with Warner Music Group, Suno has outlined significant policy changes taking effect in 2026. Most notably, the platform is shifting its position on output ownership: where Suno previously stated subscribers “own the songs” they create, updated language now indicates users are “generally not considered the owner” since output is generated by Suno.

Additional changes include monthly download caps for users, a commercial use license tied exclusively to paid subscriptions, and the retirement of current AI models in favor of new models trained only on licensed music. Free-tier users will not be able to monetize their creations, and previously generated songs will not automatically receive commercial rights if users later subscribe.

Why It Matters: This represents a fundamental shift in how AI music platforms define user rights. Creators who assumed ownership of their AI-generated work may need to reconsider how they use these tools. The ownership language change also positions Suno to maintain control over all generated content—a significant pivot from its earlier user-friendly positioning.