{"id":289674,"date":"2025-11-13T19:26:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T19:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/289674\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T19:26:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T19:26:08","slug":"ai-slop-tops-billboard-and-spotify-charts-as-synthetic-music-spreads-artificial-intelligence-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/289674\/","title":{"rendered":"AI slop tops Billboard and Spotify charts as synthetic music spreads | Artificial intelligence (AI)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Three songs generated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/artificialintelligenceai\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">artificial intelligence<\/a> topped music charts this week, reaching the highest spots on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/spotify\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> and Billboard charts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Walk My Walk and Livin\u2019 on Borrowed Time by the outfit Breaking Rust topped Spotify\u2019s \u201cViral 50\u201d songs in the US, which documents the \u201cmost viral tracks right now\u201d on a daily basis, according to the streaming service. A Dutch song, We Say No, No, No to an Asylum Center, an anti-migrant anthem by JW \u201cBroken Veteran\u201d that protests against the creation of new asylum centers, took the top position in Spotify\u2019s global version of the viral chart around the same time. Breaking Rust also appeared in the top five on the global chart.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cYou can kick rocks if you don\u2019t like how I talk,\u201d reads a lyric from Walk My Walk, a seeming double entendre challenging those opposed to AI-generated music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Days after its ascent up the charts, the Dutch song disappeared from Spotify and YouTube, as did Broken Veteran\u2019s other music. Spotify told the Dutch outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nu.nl\/muziek\/6375658\/muziek-van-maker-anti-azc-lied-verdwenen-van-spotify-en-youtube.html?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NU.nl<\/a> that the company had not removed the music, the owners of the song rights had. Broken Veteran told the outlet that he did not know why his music had disappeared and that he was investigating, hoping to return it soon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">For three weeks, Walk My Walk has led Billboard\u2019s \u201cCountry Digital Song Sales\u201d chart, which measures downloads and digital purchases. The list is minor in comparison to Billboard\u2019s \u201cHot Country Songs\u201d or \u201cTop Country Albums\u201d, which measure a broader range of signals of success. Breaking Rust, JW \u201cBroken Veteran\u201d and Spotify did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>AI-made music spreads<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">These three songs are part of a flood of AI-generated music that has come to saturate streaming platforms. <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom-deezer.com\/2025\/11\/deezer-ipsos-survey-ai-music\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A study published on Wednesday<\/a> by the streaming app Deezer estimates that 50,000 AI-generated songs are uploaded to the platform every day \u2013 34% of all the music submitted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Walk My Walk and We Say No, No, No to an Asylum Center, aren\u2019t the first AI-generated songs to reach a mass audience. Over the summer, AI-generated songs from a group going by the name Velvet Sundown <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2025\/jul\/14\/an-ai-generated-band-got-1m-plays-on-spotify-now-music-insiders-say-listeners-should-be-warned\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">amassed<\/a> over a million streams on Spotify, in what one member later described as an \u201cart hoax\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ed Newton-Rex, a musician and the founder of a non-profit that certifies generative AI companies\u2019 data training practices as fair to artists, says that the sheer number of AI-generated songs now online is a key factor driving the ascent of a few AI-generated hits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s part of the very rapid trend of AI music gaining in popularity essentially because it\u2019s spreading in volume,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat you have here is 50,000 tracks a day that are competing with human musicians. You have a new, hyperscalable competitor and, moreover, this competitor that was built by exploitation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">AI music has improved in quality from its early, clanking days. As part of its study, Deezer surveyed 9,000 people in eight countries and found that 97% could not distinguish between AI-generated music and human-written music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThere\u2019s no denying it. I think it\u2019s fair to say you can\u2019t distinguish the best AI music from human-composed music now,\u201d Newton-Rex said.<\/p>\n<p><a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"#EmailSignup-skip-link-12\" class=\"dcr-jzxpee\">skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1xjndtj\">A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives<\/p>\n<p>Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on <a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" class=\"dcr-1rjy2q9\" target=\"_blank\">theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our <a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/help\/privacy-policy\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" class=\"dcr-1rjy2q9\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google <a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" class=\"dcr-1rjy2q9\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" class=\"dcr-1rjy2q9\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n<p id=\"EmailSignup-skip-link-12\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"after newsletter promotion\" role=\"note\" class=\"dcr-jzxpee\">after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n<p>New distribution models for AI-made music<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Human-level quality is not the only reason for the success of AI-generated tracks on Spotify. As with many parts of the AI slop economy, there are a set of tools and platforms out there that enable AI music to spread easily \u2013 and sub-communities of users eager to share tips to game the system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Jack Righteous, a blog on AI content creation, <a href=\"https:\/\/jackrighteous.com\/en-gb\/blogs\/guide-distributing-music-distrokid\/distrokid-ai-music-passive-income-guide-2025#:~:text=1%EF%B8%8F%E2%83%A3%20Streaming%20Royalties%20on%20Spotify,to%20distribute%20your%20AI%20music?\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">recommends<\/a> that its followers generate \u201cstreams of passive income\u201d using a music distribution service called DistroKid, which funnels royalties to music creators every time their AI tracks are streamed on YouTube, Spotify or TikTok.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">DistroKid is part of an ecosystem of online music distribution services, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amuse.io\/en\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amuse<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.landr.com\/ai-music-tools-and-music-distribution#:~:text=The%20many%20types%20of%20AI,AI%20MIDI%20generators\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Landr<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/cdbaby.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CDBaby<\/a>, which help creators place their music on major platforms like YouTube and Spotify. These services have varied policies on AI-generated content, and blogs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundverse.ai\/blog\/article\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-distribution-of-ai-music#distrokids-balanced-flexibility\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">describe<\/a> DistroKid\u2019s as \u201cmore lenient\u201d. Several hits from Breaking Rust, including <a href=\"https:\/\/distrokid.com\/hyperfollow\/breakingrust\/livin-on-borrowed-time\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Livin\u2019 on Borrowed Time<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/distrokid.com\/hyperfollow\/breakingrust\/resilient\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Resilient<\/a>, appear to be distributed by DistroKid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cBasically every piece of AI music you see isn\u2019t distributed by a regular label. They\u2019re made by a person in their bedroom and uploaded to these distribution sites,\u201d said Chris Dalla Riva, author of the book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/uncharted-territory-9798765149843\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Uncharted Territory<\/a>, on the data behind music virality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">When reached for comment, Spotify pointed to its policy on <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.spotify.com\/2025-09-25\/spotify-strengthens-ai-protections\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AI-generated tracks<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Three songs generated by artificial intelligence topped music charts this week, reaching the highest spots on Spotify and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289675,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[182,181,507,74],"class_list":{"0":"post-289674","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-artificialintelligence","11":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}