Sony removes 135,000 AI-generated deepfake songs impersonating artists
Sony says it has requested removal of more than 135,000 AI-generated deepfake songs impersonating its artists from streaming services. The company reports that at least 60,000 of these tracks were added since March 2025, targeting popular artists including Beyoncรฉ, Queen, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, and Miley Cyrus.
What happened
Sony Music requested the removal of more than 135,000 songs created using AI deepfakes impersonating its artists from various streaming services. According to Sony President of Global Digital Business Dennis Kooker, at least 60,000 of these AI-generated tracks were added to streaming services since March 2025.
The deepfake songs targeted popular Sony artists including Beyoncรฉ, Queen, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus, and Mark Ronson. Fraudsters created these tracks to generate revenue through streaming platforms by capitalizing on the promotional activity of artists and public interest in their new releases.
Reported impact
Sony stated that the deepfakes potentially damage release campaigns and tarnish the reputation of affected artists. The practice disrupts artists' promotional efforts by creating competing content that confuses listeners and diverts revenue streams.
The IFPI reported that music streaming services now represent 52.4 percent of all music revenue globally, making the proliferation of deepfakes a significant economic threat to both artists and the music industry.
Index analysis
The deepfakes exploited the same market information available to the public regarding artist popularity and upcoming releases. Fraudsters focused their efforts on cloning the most popular artists to maximize algorithmic visibility and generate fraudulent streaming revenue.
The scale of the problem is reportedly growing as AI technology becomes increasingly accessible and cheaper. Sony stated the 135,000 removed tracks represent only a small portion of deepfakes uploaded to streaming services.
Governance controls
The IFPI called on streaming services and technology firms to implement detection technology and policies to identify and label AI-generated music. IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley stated that identifying and labelling AI material is 'absolutely the next critical challenge' facing the music industry.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.