Spotify to Release AI-Generated Music from Deceased Artists

Spotify is currently facing significant backlash following revelations that the platform uploaded AI-generated songs to the official pages of deceased artists, without obtaining permission from their estates or record labels.

One prominent case involves Blaze Foley, a Texas country music singer-songwriter who tragically lost his life in 1989. On July 14, a new track titled ‘Together’ was mysteriously added to Foley’s official Spotify profile. This song, featuring AI-generated artwork, presents a modern country ballad that starkly contrasts with Foley’s authentic style.

Craig McDonald, the owner of Lost Art Records, the label overseeing Foley’s music and Spotify account, expressed his outrage in an interview with 404Media. He criticized the track as being “nowhere near Blaze’s style, ” branding it as “an AI schlock bot” and questioned its authenticity, stating it possessed “the authenticity of an algorithm.” McDonald clarified that the label had no role in the song’s release.

After discovering the unauthorized track, McDonald promptly flagged it over the weekend and notified their distributor, Secretly Distribution. Unfortunately, they have not yet received a reply. Furthermore, McDonald has urged Spotify to implement measures that would prevent similar incidents in the future, arguing that this mishap damages Blaze’s legacy.

“It’s harmful to Blaze’s standing that this happened, ” McDonald lamented.“It’s kind of surprising that Spotify doesn’t have a security fix for this type of action, and I think the responsibility is all on Spotify. They could fix this problem.”

Unsplash: @alexbemore

AI Music and Unregulated Distribution: A Growing Concern

Following the uproar, Spotify acknowledged that the song breached its Deceptive Content policy, leading to its removal after being flagged. The track was distributed via SoundOn, a service owned by TikTok that facilitates direct uploads to TikTok and various music platforms. In light of the incident, a spokesperson for TikTok confirmed that both the controversial song and the uploader’s account have been deleted.

This incident appears to be part of a disturbing trend. Another AI track titled “Happened To You” was uploaded to the Spotify profile of Guy Clark, a Grammy-winning artist who passed away in 2016. Additionally, a third song named “with you” by Dan Berk also displayed the same copyright tag: “Syntax Error.” Reality Defender, a company specializing in deepfake detection, reported that all three tracks exhibited characteristics of AI generation.

Currently, there is no known entity called Syntax Error linked to these uploads, and Dan Berk has not made any statements regarding the matter.

While AI music creation isn’t entirely new—artists such as Velvet Sundown have welcomed it with open arms—the emergence of unauthorized AI creations linked to the legacies of real deceased musicians raises significant ethical questions and concerns within the music industry.

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