A staggering 97% of listeners cannot distinguish between AI-generated and human-composed songs, a Deezer-Ipsos survey showed, underscoring growing concerns that AI could disrupt the way music is created, consumed and monetized.
The 9,000 participants surveyed in eight countries, including the United States, Britain and France, highlight growing ethical concerns in the music industry, as AI tools capable of generating songs raise copyright issues and threaten artists’ livelihoods.
It also showed that most listeners want clear labeling on AI-generated music.
The study found that 73% of respondents supported disclosure when recommending AI-generated tracks, 45% looked for filtering options, and 40% said they would skip AI-generated songs entirely. About 71% expressed surprise at their inability to distinguish between human-made and synthetic tracks.
Deezer, which has 9.7 million subscribers, has seen daily AI music submissions rise to more than 50,000, about a third of total uploads, a sharp increase from 18% in April. Introduced tagging and excluded AI-produced tracks from editorial playlists and algorithmic recommendations to promote transparency.
“We firmly believe that creativity is generated by human beings, and must be protected,” Deezer Chief Executive Alexis Lanternier told Reuters, urging transparency.
You may be interested in: This is how HeyGen joins the boom in high-quality video with AI
Music generated with AI gains ground on platforms
Lanternier noted the complexity of implementing differential pay structures for AI music, stating that a “massive change” in remuneration policies remains a challenge. Deezer also began excluding fake streams from royalty payments.
The topic gained attention earlier this year when AI band “The Velvet Sundown” attracted a million listeners monthly before its synthetic origins were exposed.
Universal Music recently settled a copyright case with music company AI Udio. While financial terms were not disclosed, the parties plan to launch an AI-powered music creation platform in 2026, using licensed music to train the tool.
A Munich court ruled that OpenAI’s ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by playing song lyrics, a decision the company said it could appeal.
Consumer attitudes toward AI in the media remain mixed. A survey conducted in May by Luminate found that most American audiences were indifferent to or accepting of the use of AI in film tasks such as visual effects, but skeptical of scripts written by AI or synthetic actors.
With information from Reuters
Do you like photos and news? Follow us on our Instagram
