Sony pulls 135k deepfakes
Sony removed more than 135,000 deepfake songs from streaming services — a massive takedown that underlines how widespread AI‑generated impostor tracks became. (techradar.com). Industry leaders are now pushing for standardized labeling and compensation frameworks for AI material as the next critical challenge. (techradar.com)
The disclosure was made at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Music Report launch in London on March 18, 2026 (musicbusinessworldwide.com)). Dennis Kooker, president of Sony’s global digital business, told the BBC the counterfeit tracks cause “direct commercial harm to legitimate recording artists” and can “potentially damage a release campaign or tarnish the reputation of an artist.” (musicbusinessworldwide.com)) Sony said it had flagged roughly 60,000 falsely attributed tracks since March 2025, showing the surge has been building for more than a year. (musicbusinessworldwide.com)) In earlier submissions to a UK government consultation, the company reported having flagged more than 75,000 AI‑generated deepfakes, according to industry reporting that cited those documents. (musicbusinessworldwide.com)) The IFPI’s Global Music Report noted global recorded‑music revenues rose 6.4% to US$31.7 billion in 2025 and identified AI innovation and streaming fraud as two central themes shaping the industry’s next chapter. (ifpi.org)) IFPI chief executive Victoria Oakley told delegates governments are “grappling” with how to balance protecting creativity and encouraging innovation, and the report said some jurisdictions are pausing to reassess policy approaches. (musicbusinessworldwide.com)) Industry sources cited by the IFPI and labels estimate the proportion of fraudulent content on streaming platforms could be as high as about 10% of uploads, underlining why labels are calling for standardized AI labeling and new compensation rules. (musicbusinessworldwide.com))
