Velvet Sundown is an AI-generated band that went viral on Spotify, quickly racking up over 1 million streams. Their music, promotional images, and backstory are entirely created by artificial intelligence. The revelation triggered questions about authenticity in music. Velvet’s strong following lifted demands for streaming platforms to label AI-generated content clearly. The band’s rise exemplifies how AI is transforming the music scene, giving rise to a new kind of artist — one that blurs the lines between human creativity and machine-generated content.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
Velvet Sundown launched two albums in June, Floating On Echoes and Dust And Silence, which echo the country folk vibes of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Initially, the group denied being AI-generated, describing themselves as a “synthetic music project guided by human creative direction.” However, a self-described “adjunct” member revealed they used the AI platform Suno to create their tracks, calling it an “art hoax.”
After some back-and-forth, Velvet Sundown officially confirmed their AI origins. Their social media described them as “not quite human, not quite machine,” living somewhere between. This admission raises serious questions about transparency for music consumers. Currently, streaming giants like Spotify are not legally required to disclose whether music is AI-created. This leaves listeners unaware of what they’re truly hearing.
Roberto Neri, chief executive of the Ivors Academy, voiced concerns over AI bands like Velvet Sundown gaining large audiences without human creators. He pointed out issues with transparency, authorship, and consent. Neri believes that while AI can enhance songwriting if used ethically, the current state brings troubling challenges.
Sophie Jones, Chief Strategy Officer at the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), supports the clear labeling of AI-generated music. She advocates for AI to serve human creativity, not replace it. Jones calls on governments to enforce transparency obligations and protect musicians’ intellectual property rights, including copyrights.
Liz Pelly, author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, warned about AI bands exploiting independent artists. She cited a 2023 incident where AI-generated vocals mimicked the Weeknd and Drake, infringing copyrights before the platforms took down the content. Without clarity on what music AI models are trained on, independent artists risk losing out on potential compensation.
Aurélien Hérault, Chief Innovation Officer at Deezer, explained that their platform utilizes software to detect AI-generated music and tag it accordingly. He stressed the importance of informing users during this phase of “naturalisation of AI.” However, Hérault suggested that tagging might become optional if AI-generated music becomes widespread and embraced by musicians as a legitimate instrument.
Deezer reported that up to 70% of AI-generated music streams on their platform are fraudulent. Spotify, meanwhile, does not currently label AI music and faces criticism for featuring “ghost artists” — fake acts producing stock music—in playlists. A Spotify spokesperson stated that the company treats AI-generated music like all other content: as music created and uploaded by licensed third parties.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Velvet Sundown’s story is a shining example of AI’s expanding influence in music creation. Yet, there is also a need for transparency. Streaming services are innovators, while simultaneously protecting creators and informing listeners. Governments and industry should establish frameworks that ensure clear AI-generated content identification and appropriate compensation.
The music industry is at turning point thanks to AI. AI’s ethical use could open new creative horizons, but only if transparency and rights protections keep pace. Platforms (e.g, Deezer) are establishing detection and tagging standards, but that does not absolve streamers of their responsibilities.
More challenges lie ahead. Listeners deserve to know whether an artist is human, AI, or a combination of both.
— Text-to-Speech (TTS) provided by gspeech