AI-generated songs are being fraudulently uploaded to artists' official streaming profiles, imitating their voices and style to collect royalties. British folk artist Emily Portman and Australian musician Paul Bender uncovered fake releases on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. Scammers reportedly exploit weak distributor identity checks and use bots to inflate streams. Industry bodies and high-profile musicians have urged platforms to tighten verification and improve detection.
“Easiest Scam in the World”: Musicians Warn as AI Impersonators Infiltrate Streaming Profiles
UK folk singer Emily Portman found online a counterfeit, probably AI-generated album purporting to be created by her (Oli SCARFF)(Oli SCARFF/AFP/AFP)
Fraudsters are using AI to create convincing fake tracks and upload them to artists' official pages on streaming platforms, duping listeners and siphoning royalties.
British folk musician Emily Portman was alerted in July when a fan congratulated her on a new album she never released. That message led her to discover a release called Orca appearing across streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music. Portman said she "very quickly recognised it was AI-produced music," noting the recordings closely mimicked her instrumentation and lyrical style.
How the Scam Works
Independent artists report scammers posing as legitimate performers to upload AI-generated songs via digital distributors. Because identity checks at some distributors can be weak, fraudulent submissions can reach major platforms without robust verification. Industry representatives say the uploads are often monetized, and bots are used to amplify listening figures so scammers collect small royalty payments that add up.
Cases and Reactions
In Australia, Paul Bender found four "bizarrely bad" AI tracks added to his band The Sweet Enoughs' profile. After raising the issue on Instagram, Bender received messages from hundreds of artists and fans and compiled a list of suspect releases, including items added to catalogs of deceased musicians such as Sophie. A Change.org petition he started gathered about 24,000 signatures, supported by artists including Anderson .Paak and Willow Smith, calling on platforms to strengthen security.
"You just say: 'Yes that's me' ... and upload a song to whoever's profile," said Bender. "It's the easiest scam in the world."
Technology And Detection Challenges
AI music generators such as Suno and Udio have become more sophisticated. An Ipsos survey for Deezer found most listeners can no longer reliably distinguish AI-produced tracks from human performances. That realism has enabled purely AI-created acts to gain large followings — and encouraged fraudulent uploads that mimic real artists.
Dougie Brown of industry body UK Music said uploads under artists' names are often intended to generate royalties. While per-stream payouts are small, automated bots can multiply streams and make the scheme profitable. Portman and Bender asked platforms to remove the offending tracks; removal took between 24 hours and eight weeks in reported cases.
Legal And Industry Responses
Legal protection varies by jurisdiction. Some places, including parts of the United States such as California, have laws that can help artists challenged by imitation. In the United Kingdom, rights are more limited, leaving performers potentially vulnerable, according to Philip Morris of the Musicians' Union.
Streaming platforms, criticized for transparency gaps, say they are improving detection and working with distributors to prevent fraudulent uploads. "Across the music industry, AI is accelerating existing problems like spam, fraud, and deceptive content," a Spotify spokesperson said.
Looking Ahead
Artists and industry groups are calling for stronger upstream verification at distributors, better platform screening, and technical tools to identify synthetic content. Meanwhile, many affected musicians continue to produce new work: Portman said she is pressing ahead with a new album focused on human collaboration and creativity despite the disruption.
What Lists and Listeners Can Do: Report suspicious releases on your favourite artist's profile, support calls for better verification, and be skeptical of sudden, out-of-character releases.
