Tech

AI music is flooding streaming services — but who wants it?

As AI-generated music floods streaming services, a growing chorus of artists and listeners is questioning the value of algorithmically created soundscapes, with some arguing that the novelty of AI-assisted composition has worn off, leaving behind a glut of formulaic, soulless tracks that fail to resonate with human emotions. The rise of AI music has been fueled by tools like Google's Magenta and proprietary software, which enable artists to train their own models and generate music with unprecedented ease. But at what cost to artistic integrity? AI-assisted, human-reviewed.

Hana Z (AI-assisted) May 3, 2026 1 min read EN

AI-generated music is flooding streaming services, with a growing number of artists and listeners questioning its value. The use of generative AI in pop music started as a gimmick, with albums like 2018's I AM AI by Taryn Southern and 2019's Proto by Holly Herndon, which were created with significant assistance from AI.

Overview

The launch of Suno in December 2023 and Udio in April 2024 allowed users to quickly create entire compositions with a simple text prompt, making AI-generated music accessible to anyone with an internet connection. This led to an influx of machine-made music hitting streaming platforms, with Deezer reporting that 28 percent of music uploaded was fully AI-generated in September 2025, growing to over 50,000 tracks per day by the end of the year.

Tradeoffs

The rise of AI music has been fueled by tools like Google's Magenta and proprietary software, which enable artists to train their own models and generate music with unprecedented ease. However, this has come at a cost to artistic integrity, with many arguing that the novelty of AI-assisted composition has worn off, leaving behind a glut of formulaic, soulless tracks that fail to resonate with human emotions.

Deezer, Qobuz, and Apple have implemented systems to detect and label AI-generated content, with Deezer preventing its algorithm from recommending it and demonetizing 85 percent of the streams. Spotify has also launched AI credits, which identify tracks made using generative AI, and is working with the standards group DDEX to create an industry standard for labeling AI content.

Despite these efforts, the flood of AI music shows no signs of abating, with the number of AI tracks uploaded growing steadily over the last year. According to Deezer's Director of Research, Manuel Moussallam, it is likely that deliveries will keep increasing.

When to use it

While AI-generated music accounts for as little as 1 percent of streams on Deezer, the percentage of fraudulent streams of AI music has increased dramatically. This suggests that people are seeking out AI music less often, perhaps because the novelty has worn off.

In conclusion, the rise of AI music has significant implications for the music industry, with many questioning its value and artistic integrity. As the use of generative AI in music continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see more efforts to detect and label AI-generated content, as well as a growing demand for transparency and accountability in the industry.

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