North Carolina Man Made Millions Streaming His Own Music on Spotify with AI

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North Carolina Man Made Millions Streaming His Own Music on Spotify with AI

A North Carolina musician has been arrested for creating hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs to defraud music-streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Michael Smith allegedly earned over $10 million in royalties by using automated bots to artificially inflate streaming numbers. This case marks a significant first in the realm of criminal activity related to music streaming manipulation.

Smith's scheme involved generating fake user clicks and creating thousands of bot accounts to simulate organic streaming activity. By collaborating with an unidentified AI music company, he produced a vast catalog of songs, aiming for a billion streams to maximize his profits. His arrest highlights the growing concerns over the integrity of streaming platforms and the potential for AI misuse in the music industry.

• Musician exploited AI to generate songs and inflate streaming numbers.

• First criminal case involving artificially inflated music streaming reported.

Key AI Terms Mentioned in this Article

AI-generated music

This technology was central to Smith's scheme, allowing him to produce a vast number of songs quickly.

Streaming manipulation

Smith's use of bots to play his songs exemplifies this unethical practice.

Automated bots

Smith utilized thousands of these bots to simulate streams on music platforms.

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