Sony Music Group has removed more than 135,000 AI-generated deepfake tracks impersonating its artists from streaming platforms, the company announced, as industry leaders debate the balance between technological opportunity and artist protection.
The removals, described by the company as part of a coordinated effort to protect its artists from unauthorized synthetic content, were disclosed during a discussion led by Dennis Kooker, Sony Music’s President of Global Digital Business at the IFPI Global Music Report 2026 launch event.
The executive addressed the state of play for the music industry’s AI strategy, emphasizing both the potential benefits and the urgent need for safeguards.
“First and foremost, I think there is a really big opportunity here, if we get it right,” Kooker said. He pointed to the 11 consecutive years of growth documented in the IFPI Global Music Report as evidence of the industry’s resilience and potential for continued expansion.
“There is an opportunity to continue to grow and expand the market. And why does that exist? Because ultimately, we know consumers want to interact more with the artists they love and with the music they love,” he continued.
Kooker noted that technology has historically played a key role in music industry innovation. “Over the last three decades, technology has been a really important component to innovation and evolution around the music business.
Every time a new technology is introduced, there is always growth in demand, growth in engagement, and artists embrace it from a creative viewpoint.”
He stressed that the technology revolution should enhance the relationship between artists and fans. “If we really realize generative AI’s benefits to the music industry, to artists and to songwriters, ultimately it’s going to be making that connection even deeper.”
Kooker added that getting AI right must be grounded in licensing, not only the economic relationship between AI firms and rightsholders but also the frameworks defining how products are reported and presented to consumers.
At the same time, Kooker acknowledged the ongoing battle against what he termed “rogue activity” in the AI space, including unauthorized training of AI models on copyrighted music and the proliferation of deepfake tracks.
“At Sony Music we’re well over 135,000 takedown notices for deepfakes,” he said. “And the problem with deepfakes is that they are a demand-driven event. It is taking advantage of the fact that an artist is in cycle, is out there promoting their music.”
He explained that deepfakes typically appear when an artist is most active, “building off of and benefiting from the demand that the artist has created in the market with their fans, ultimately detracting from what it is the artist is actually trying to accomplish with their fanbase.”
The company stated it would continue monitoring for similar content and take action as needed.
The removals represent one of the largest single actions by a major label against AI-generated content impersonating its roster. Sony Music joins other major labels in advocating for regulatory frameworks that address AI-generated content, including transparency around AI training data and protections for artists against unauthorized uses of their work.
Deezer recently stated thaat they’ve detected over 13.4 million AI-generated tracks on its service last year, with roughly 60,000 such tracks now uploaded daily. This volume accounts for approximately 39% of its total daily music deliveries.
