Sony Targets Deepfake Music on Streaming Platforms
Sony Music, a leading music company, has announced it has requested the removal of more than 135,000 songs created by fraudsters impersonating its artists on various streaming services.
These so-called deepfakes were generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology and targeted some of Sony's most prominent artists, including Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Queen, Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus, and Mark Ronson.
Sony stated that the proliferation of such counterfeit tracks causes "direct commercial harm to legitimate recording artists" and that these fake songs deliberately target musicians who are actively promoting new albums.
"In the worst cases, [the deepfakes] potentially damage a release campaign or tarnish the reputation of an artist," said Dennis Kooker, president of Sony's global digital business.
The company highlighted that the number of AI-generated counterfeit songs is increasing as the technology becomes more affordable and accessible. Sony believes the 135,000 tracks identified so far represent only a fraction of the total uploaded to streaming platforms.
Since March of the previous year alone, Sony has detected approximately 60,000 songs falsely attributed to its roster of artists.
"The problem with deepfakes are they are a demand-driven event," Kooker explained. "They are taking advantage of the fact an artist is out there promoting their music. That is when deepfakes are at their worst - building off and benefiting from the demand the artist has created [and] ultimately detracting from what the artist is trying to accomplish."
Global Music Industry Sees Revenue Growth
The announcement coincided with the launch of the Global Music Report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in London on Wednesday.
The IFPI reported that recorded music revenues increased by 6.4% in the previous year, reaching $31.7 billion (£23.8 billion). This marked the 11th consecutive year of growth, largely driven by streaming subscriptions which helped the industry recover from piracy and financial decline.
The UK maintained its position as the world's third-largest music market, while China surpassed Germany to become the fourth largest, having entered the top 10 less than ten years ago.
Taylor Swift was named the biggest artist of 2025 and had the world's most popular album with The Life Of A Showgirl.
The music industry event also took place alongside the UK government's publication of a report on AI regulation. Attendees reviewed the findings prior to the presentation, expressing relief that the government abandoned plans to permit AI companies to train their software on copyrighted works without obtaining permission.
"I think we've seen a lot of governments really grappling with this issue because they are trying to square a circle: They are trying to protect creativity and at the same time encourage innovation," said Victoria Oakley, CEO of the IFPI. "I'm very optimistic that... in the UK, they [have] decided to pause and think again."
Calls for AI Music Labelling and Streaming Fraud Concerns
While unregulated AI remains a significant concern for musicians, the music industry also raised issues regarding streaming fraud, also known as streaming manipulation. This practice involves fake artists uploading songs to platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, and Apple Music, then artificially inflating play counts to receive royalty payments.
The IFPI stated that AI has "supercharged" this fraudulent activity, which ultimately deprives legitimate artists of rightful earnings.
Industry insiders estimate that up to 10% of content across all streaming platforms may be fraudulent.
"I hate to say it, but it's very simple to fix," said Oakley, urging streaming services to implement tools capable of detecting fake or AI-generated music upon upload. "The challenge of identifying and labelling AI material is absolutely the next critical challenge," she added.
Kooker noted that the French streaming service Deezer already employs software to identify AI-generated content, reporting that 34% of songs submitted to its platform are now categorized as AI-generated.
"Is it perfect? I'm sure it's not, but it's open and it's transparent, and it allows people to understand what is happening," Kooker said. "Without proper identification, fans can't distinguish between genuine human creativity versus unauthorised, AI‑generated content, which risks creating confusion, undermining trust, and impacting user experiences. Transparency shouldn't be optional, it's the foundation of a fair and sustainable music ecosystem."
