Australian and New Zealand musicians have launched a coordinated campaign against the surging tide of AI-generated music fraud, as streaming platforms struggle to contain what industry experts now describe as an “existential threat” to independent artists. The movement comes as Deezer reports a staggering 28% of daily uploads are fully AI-generated, representing approximately 30,000 tracks daily—a dramatic increase from the 10,000 AI-generated tracks recorded in early 2025.
AI-generated music fraud emerges as an existential threat to independent artists across Australia and New Zealand.
The crisis has particularly affected mid-tier Australasian artists who lack the resources of major labels to combat sophisticated fraud schemes. Singer-songwriter Emma Phillips from Melbourne discovered an entire album of AI-cloned vocals attributed to her official Spotify profile last month. “I spent three years crafting my last album, and now I’m competing with a computer that can make a fake version overnight,” Phillips stated during a recent industry roundtable in Sydney. The financial impact is exacerbated by the pro rata model that distributes streaming revenue based on total share rather than actual listeners. Economic projections indicate that music professionals could lose up to 25% of their income by 2028 due to AI-generated content flooding platforms.
The fraud mechanics are increasingly sophisticated, with AI enabling perpetrators to bypass traditional click farms by generating endless fake tracks while deploying bots to inflate stream counts. More concerning, according to New Zealand Music Commission representative Tama Walker, is the metadata manipulation allowing fraudulent content to appear on legitimate profiles. “Our artists are watching their hard-earned royalties diverted to anonymous scammers using voice-cloning technology,” Walker explained. Many artists are now turning to collecting societies to help monitor and protect their performance rights across digital platforms. Some musicians have responded by proactively claiming their artist profiles on all major streaming services to better monitor unauthorized activity and leverage platform-specific promotional tools.
While Deezer has implemented AI-detection tools and content labeling, most platforms lag behind in transparency measures. Spotify has strengthened anti-impersonation policies and improved spam filtering, but many Kiwi and Aussie musicians report resolution delays exceeding three weeks—an eternity in streaming economics.
The coalition of musicians is demanding expedited review processes, proactive fraud detection, and compensation for lost royalties. Industry advocates have pointed to the 2024 criminal prosecution of a streaming fraud scheme as precedent for stronger enforcement.
“We’re witnessing a digital gold rush of fraud that parallels early music piracy,” noted Australian music attorney Sarah Donovan. “The difference is that this time, the thieves are wearing our faces and using our voices.”
