Spotify is swamped with AI cover bands farming millions of streams

Spotify is swamped with AI cover bands farming millions of streams from unwitting users, according to multiple reports.

Spotify is swamped with AI cover bands

Covers of popular songs are being added to existing playlists next to dozens of songs by real artists, netting millions of streams and getting paid.

A team of Reddit sleuths uncovered “bands” with names like Highway Outlaws, Waterfront Wranglers, and Saltwater Saddles that share specific attributes:

• monthly listeners in the hundreds of thousands.
• no meaningful social media footprint
• bios that appear to be generated by AI
• None had original music—only covers.

Classic country, ambient, electronic, and jazz are among the genres most often covered by AI cover bands.

“Apparently this has been going on for several years…” said calibuildr, the Reddit user posting the initial thread. “I think the new thing here is that with A.I. being this consumer product, anybody can make a thing with vocals now.”

Not just cover songs…

Taking things one step further, some established metalcore artists have found AI-generated music released under their name but without their permission.

“This is not ALPHA WOLF, metalcore has been hacked, WE ARE WORKING ON REMOVING ASAP,” wrote one band.

It may not be illegal.

While millions of streams by AI artists mean the share of royalties left to pay legitimate musicians is smaller, the practice may not be illegal.

If—and it’s a big if—the humans behind the AI covers pay songwriter royalties or the streamer detects the writer and pays, then no law has been broken.

That leaves the policing of “fake” music up to Spotify and the other streamers. In addition to the difficulties of identifying the offending tracks, thus far, their policies and enforcement have been uneven at best.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.