How a fake AI album ended up on Spotify officially
What's the story
Award-winning Sheffield-based singer Emily Portman has revealed that an AI-generated album was released under her name without her knowledge. The album, titled Orca, appeared on several streaming platforms including Spotify and iTunes. Portman discovered its existence after a fan praised the new release in a message last month. The 10 tracks on the album had names like Sprig of Thyme and Silent Hearth, which were eerily similar to titles she might have chosen herself.
Authenticity concerns
The album was everywhere online
Portman was baffled by the sudden appearance of this album, which she didn't even recognize. She said, "I clicked through and discovered an album online everywhere - on Spotify and iTunes and all the online platforms." The music on Orca sounded AI-generated but was cleverly trained to mimic her style. However, Portman found it "really creepy" as the voice sounded a bit off but sang in a folk style closest to hers that AI could produce.
Copyright issues
Who uploaded the album?
Portman doesn't know who uploaded the album or why. She was falsely credited as performer, writer, and copyright holder. The producer listed in the credits was Freddie Howells - but she says that name doesn't mean anything to her, and there's no trace online of a producer or musician of that name. As for the music itself, while it was enough to convince some fans, the lack of actual human creative input made it sound "vacuous and pristine," she says.
AI concerns
I hope the AI music didn't do that for people
Portman expressed her belief in the importance of real creativity and how it moves people. She said, "I hope that the AI music didn't do that for people." However, she did get an email from someone asking about Orca, showing that some people had been fooled by it. Portman said while some music platforms removed Orca swiftly, Spotify took nearly three weeks to act. She added that she still does not have control over her official Spotify artist profile.
Spotify's response
Spotify's response to the issue
Portman was disappointed with Spotify's response to the issue. The company said, "These albums were incorrectly added to the wrong profile of a different artist by the same name, and were removed once flagged." However, Portman questioned this explanation as there is another singer with her name on Spotify but their music doesn't sound like hers and hasn't been added to her profile.
Legal concerns
Lack of legal safeguards for artists in cases like these
Portman also highlighted a lack of legal safeguards for artists in cases like these. She suspects independent artists are being targeted because star names have more protection and more power to get fraudulent releases removed swiftly. New York-based musician Josh Kaufman also faced a similar situation when fake new material was released under his name.