A viral sensation that accumulated over one million streams has reignited concerns about artificial intelligence’s role in the music industry after the band was revealed to be entirely computer-generated.

In June 2025, a band named The Velvet Sundown went viral with more than one million streams on Spotify. 

The song “Dust on the Wind” from their album Floating on Echoes was the most popular track. 

However, the band that went viral was later discovered to be AI-generated and not real. 

Their music, promotional materials, and the entire backstory were all fake.

Following the discovery, Spotify updated the information to identify  the band as a “synthetic music project,” but the group has received a lot of criticism for what many consider an “art hoax.” 

The incident has intensified existing criticism of Spotify for allowing popular music made by “ghost artists,” a term that refers to content created by non-human entities rather than traditional musicians. 

Critics argue that independent artists may be losing compensation, particularly if The Velvet Sundown’s albums were trained on existing copyrighted material.

The controversy surrounding The Velvet Sundown has become more than just a surprising twist; it has become a catalyst for ongoing debates about AI-generated music, and Spotify has come under increasing scrutiny for hosting AI-generated and potentially fraudulent music on its platform. 

AI-generated music refers to songs that are generated by artificial intelligence rather than humans. 

The songs are not written, sung, or performed by humans but are instead processed through computer algorithms trained on thousands of real songs to generate original melodies, lyrics, and vocals. 

Some AI models have demonstrated the ability to mimic the voice and styles of established artists.

These AI-generated compositions are created using platforms like Boomy, Suno, and other audio applications, and these songs are frequently used in TikTok videos and for personal projects.

The issue related to AI-generated content and fraudulent music has continued to stir controversy, illustrated by a track titled “Name This Night” that was uploaded to the official ToTo Spotify page.

This song, which surfaced recently, was revealed to be largely  AI-generated, without any acknowledgement from the band.

Toto’s Steve Lukather confirmed that the track was not authentic.

The problem of AI-generated tracks on streaming platforms became more apparent as fraudsters began uploading entire fake bands, complete with artificial vocals, and using streaming bots to artificially inflate play counts.

While these practices have been ruining the ecosystem of Spotify, AI-generated content has increased, and some fans have actually uncovered fictional artists that do not exist.

Many fans and listeners complained that they were listening to  fraudulent content.

Acknowledging these problems, Spotify and other streaming platforms have implemented protective measures to protect artists and listeners.

These measures include: stricter AI detection, mandatory identity verification, transparent appeals and takedown processes, and closer collaboration with rights-holders.

AI-generated songs, not made by humans, often appear to be a beneficial innovation since they allow everyone to easily create music without requiring musical expertise.

Nevertheless, this perspective is superficial and can also lead to copyright confusion.

Another issue is that the promotion of AI art often emphasizes positive aspects while hiding inevitable problems, including ethical dilemmas of AI-generated art and future potential issues such as job losses for artists, and the erosion of artistic values.

As technology continues to grow, listeners and creators should be vigilant, since not everything that sounds good is truly authentic.