Sony Music has now asked platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI deepfakes imitating artists like Harry Styles, Adele, and Michael Jackson
Sony Music said it had asked digital platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI-generated tracks impersonating its artists by the end of September. The figure has nearly doubled since March, highlighting the growing scale of unauthorised voice and likeness imitations and the difficulty of stopping them from spreading.
The requests average more than 20,000 a month between April and September, based on Sony’s figures. Artists reportedly targeted include Harry Styles, Adele, Britney Spears, Queen and Michael Jackson. Sony did not say how many tracks platforms removed or how quickly they acted, and its totals do not distinguish voice cloning from music wrongly placed on an artist’s profile.
- Sony sought removal of more than 260,000 AI impersonation tracks.
- The total nearly doubled between March and September.
- The company says preventing tracks from reappearing is difficult.
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AI deepfakes are computer-generated audio recordings made using artificial intelligence to imitate the voices and musical styles of real artists. This technology can create convincing fake performances that sound like they were produced by famous musicians, even though the original artists were not involved in making them.
Unauthorised deepfakes can spread across streaming platforms and social media, potentially damaging artists' reputations and diverting income that would otherwise go to them. Record labels and artists seek to protect their work and likenesses from being used without permission.
The technology has become increasingly accessible and difficult to control. Platforms struggle to remove fakes quickly enough, and new imitations can be uploaded faster than they are identified and taken down. This reflects the growing challenge the music industry faces as artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Artists possess fundamental rights to their voices and likenesses, and fraudulent deepfakes impersonating them without consent constitute intellectual property theft and consumer deception. The rapid proliferation—nearly doubling since March—demonstrates that platforms are not adequately policing infringing content, thus justifying Sony's aggressive removal requests. Platforms bear both legal obligations and ethical responsibility to swiftly remove content that fraudulently misrepresents itself as genuine work by named artists.
The case against
Whilst deceptive impersonation is troubling, extensive removal requests may inadvertently capture legitimate transformative works, fan creations, and clearly labelled AI covers that might constitute fair use. Rather than blanket takedowns, platforms and rights holders should prioritise transparent labelling requirements informing listeners when content is AI-generated, thereby addressing the core issue of consumer deception without stifling innovation. The music industry's history suggests aggressive enforcement divorced from collaborative technical solutions often impedes technological development and limits artists' own creative opportunities with emerging tools.