Sony Music Tracks Down 135,000 Deepfake Songs Impersonating Its Artists

Thu Mar 19 2026 13:23:50 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a significant crackdown, Sony Music has requested the removal of over 135,000 deepfake songs created using AI that impersonate top artists like Beyoncé, Queen, and Harry Styles. This surge in AI-generated content is threatening the livelihoods of genuine musicians.

Sony Music has identified and requested the removal of more than 135,000 songs that fraudulently impersonate its artists on streaming platforms. These deepfakes, generated through artificial intelligence, have raised concerns about their detrimental impact on legitimate artists, particularly during album promotion periods. The increase in counterfeits highlights a growing issue in the music industry, underscoring the need for better regulation and protection for artists.

Music giant Sony Music says it has requested the removal of more than 135,000 songs by fraudsters impersonating its artists on streaming services.

The so-called deepfakes were created using generative AI, and targeted some of the company's biggest acts, who include Beyoncé, Queen and Harry Styles.

The proliferation of such counterfeits causes 'direct commercial harm to legitimate recording artists', Sony said - and deliberately target musicians who are promoting a new album.

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 states that the number of songs generated in this manner is increasing as artificial intelligence technology becomes more accessible.

It believes the 135,000 tracks identified to date represent only a fraction of the total uploaded to streaming services. Last March alone, it found about 60,000 songs misrepresenting artists from its roster, including Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus, and Mark Ronson.

The problem with deepfakes is they are a demand-driven event, Kooker continued. They are taking advantage of the fact an artist is out there promoting their music. This 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.

Coincidentally, the revelation came during the launch of the music industry's Global Music Report in London, where it was reported that recorded music revenues grew by 6.4% last year, reaching $31.7 billion (£23.8 billion), marking the 11th consecutive year of growth.

While unregulated AI has raised major concerns for musicians, the music industry is equally alarmed by streaming fraud. The practice involves 'fake' artists artificially boosting their play counts on platforms like Spotify and YouTube, with the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) asserting that AI has intensified this issue, ultimately robbing legitimate artists of their earnings.

I hate to say it, but it's very simple to fix, said Oakley, calling on streaming services to implement tools that can identify fake or AI-generated music when uploaded. The challenge of identifying and labelling AI material is absolutely the next critical challenge.

Without proper identification, fans cannot distinguish between authentic human creativity and unauthorized, AI-generated content, risking confusion and undermining trust.