Is Spotify publishing AI-generated tracks from dead musicians? All we know so far 

Spotify is currently embroiled in a predicament after reports surfaced that they published AI-generated songs from deceased artists. Furthermore, the reports suggest that they are doing so without obtaining the requisite permissions from the artist’s estates or labels.

According to an article from 404 Media, which was published on July 21, a new song appeared on artist Blaze Foley’s Spotify page the week prior. The only problem here is that Blaze Foley passed away 40 years ago, and the song was never part of his discography. Craig McDonald, the owner of Foley's music label Lost Art Records, commented on the ordeal to 404 Media.

"I can clearly tell you that this song is not Blaze, not anywhere near Blaze’s style, at all. It’s kind of an AI schlock bot, if you will. It has nothing to do with the Blaze you know, that whole posting has the authenticity of an algorithm."

McDonald continued,

“It’s harmful to Blaze’s standing that this happened. 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.”

The song was eventually removed from the platform.

Spotify Under Fire

Spotify is under scrutiny for the way it has integrated AI into its platform, as conversations about regulation continue to intensify. What’s worse is that according to Mashable,

“Blaze isn't the only dead artist facing this issue...Spotify also published AI-generated music by Grammy winning country singer-songwriter Guy Clark, who died a decade ago.”

After conducting some purposeful inquiries, reports suggest that Spotify representatives ultimately concluded that Blaze's song was distributed by a TikTok-owned platform called SoundOn. The service facilitates "direct uploads to TikTok and other music services." In response to the debacle, a TikTok spokesperson has gone on record to confirm that the uploader's account has been removed, along with all the tracks he had uploaded to the platform.

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The timing for this latest misstep is rather inconvenient for Spotify as they are already on the back foot. Recently, they have also come under fire for platforming bands that are purely AI-generated, which understandably became an instant talking point within the industry.

AI can be a helpful tool, but the parameters for its use must be clearly defined before it's fully integrated into our daily lives; otherwise, issues like this one will be bound to repeat themselves.

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