MBW Views is a series of op-eds from eminent music industry people… with something to say. The following MBW op/ed comes from Jorge Brea, CEO of Symphonic, one of the industry’s most successful independent distribution platforms. Since founding the company 20 years ago, he has had a front-row seat to music’s changing distribution landscape. Below, he says the global music business must come together to enforce standardized policies around AI music…
Generative AI has unleashed a tidal wave of new music onto streaming platforms. By some estimates, more than 100,000 tracks are uploaded daily, a number increasingly inflated by AI-generated songs. Deezer reports receiving 75,000 fully AI-created tracks per day, with 85% of streams on those tracks flagged as fraudulent.
The music industry now faces an unprecedented content glut. Some AI tools are enabling genuine creative experimentation, while others are producing mass-generated tracks designed to exploit streaming systems. While high-profile lawsuits between record labels and AI startups dominate headlines, the immediate challenge is more practical: how streaming platforms and distributors should manage the flood of AI-generated music already arriving every day.
DSPs in the Hot Seat: Where Is the Guidance?
Many major streaming platforms have been slow to publicly define their policies on AI-generated music. While companies are clearly deliberating internally – Spotify has updated its policies to prohibit unauthorized deepfake voice cloning and reduce AI-driven spam – clear public guidance remains limited.
Deezer has taken one of the most proactive approaches. The platform developed an AI detection system that automatically identifies fully AI-generated tracks and removes them from editorial playlists and recommendation algorithms. These tracks may remain available on the platform, but they are not promoted by the system. The goal is to ensure that human artists maintain priority in discovery unless an AI track gains organic popularity. Deezer has even opened its detection tools to other platforms after revealing the scale of AI uploads and associated fraud.
Meanwhile, other services are beginning to draw firmer lines. Boutique streaming platform Qobuz and DJ-focused music store Traxsource have both signaled opposition to distributing fully AI-generated music. Their stance reflects growing concern that generative tools could flood catalogs with synthetic recordings produced at massive scale.
Taken together, though, DSP approaches reveal a fragmented landscape: some platforms are experimenting with AI inclusion, others are restricting it, and many remain silent. For distributors, this ambiguity creates real operational questions. Should they invest in AI detection systems? Should they require metadata disclosure? Without clear guidance from major DSPs, distributors are left to define interim standards themselves.
The Industry Is Starting to Draw Lines
Despite the lack of unified industry policy, recent developments suggest the industry is beginning to converge around two priorities: transparency and quality control.
In early 2026, Apple Music introduced AI transparency tags, allowing labels and distributors to identify songs that contain AI-generated elements. While disclosure currently relies on voluntary reporting, the system signals that streaming services are preparing infrastructure to distinguish between human-created and AI-assisted works.
In addition, Deezer’s AI detection system and the policy shifts from platforms such as Qobuz and Traxsource demonstrate that streaming companies are moving beyond theoretical debate. They are beginning to build the tools required to manage AI music at scale, including metadata frameworks, detection systems, and catalog policies.
For distributors, this shift reinforces the importance of proactive governance. Those that already collect AI disclosure information, including Symphonic, and monitor catalog quality will be better positioned as DSP policies continue to evolve.
“Despite the lack of a unified policy, the industry is beginning to converge around two priorities: transparency and quality control.”
Leading by Example: A Distributor’s Approach
So what can distributors do now? At Symphonic, we have adopted a balanced approach that allows AI experimentation while enforcing strong transparency and trust-and-safety standards. We believe this is the best path forward for all distributors.
To begin, distributors should allow artists to deliver AI-generated or AI-assisted music through their platforms, but they also must require that artists disclose the use of AI tools during the upload process. This should include real consequences should artists fail to do so.
In addition, distributors must monitor accounts for warning signs such as mass uploads of repetitive AI-generated content or attempts to flood platforms with low-value releases. Content deemed abusive or misleading should be rejected, limited, or removed.
Coupling a strong AI-disclosure policy with monitoring and ID verification can be especially powerful, as it allows for the removal of content from multiple accounts tied to the same infringing ID.
Finally, distributors should support artists who prefer to avoid AI entirely. Companies such as Humanable offer an “AI-Free” certification for artists who pledge that their music is entirely human-created, and Symphonic partners with them to offer artists an easy way to apply. This highlights an important point: as AI tools proliferate, authenticity itself becomes a differentiator.
Don’t Wait for a Crisis
The AI music revolution is already underway. The question is no longer whether AI will shape the industry, but whether the industry will shape how AI is used.
Encouragingly, early movers are already demonstrating what responsible governance can look like. What was once a theoretical debate is quickly becoming operational policy as platforms introduce AI detection tools, transparency frameworks, and new catalog standards.
Some critics worry that stricter AI policies could slow innovation, but the opposite may be true. Platforms that maintain trust among artists, listeners, and business partners are more likely to thrive.
The goal is neither an AI free-for-all nor a blanket ban. The most sustainable future lies somewhere in between: one where AI serves as a creative tool while strong policies protect artists, listeners, and the integrity of music platforms.
Since I started writing this, several other DSPs are showing interest in pursuing AI controls. This area is moving fast, but I hope this op-ed and others like it will create more urgency.
All MBW+ subscribers get digital access to our Music Business Worldwide magazine, with six issues released each year. Music Business Worldwide
