Deezer, Global Pioneer, Labels and Excludes 100% AI Tracks to Protect Artists
As artificial intelligence enters the realm of music creation, Deezer draws a clear line. On June 23, 2025, the streaming platform announces the launch of the world's first system for labeling tracks entirely generated by AI.
As artificial intelligence enters the realm of music creation, Deezer draws a clear line. On June 23, 2025, the streaming platform announces the launch of the world's first system for labeling tracks entirely generated by AI. The goal: ensure transparency for users and protect artists' earnings in the face of an influx of artificial tracks exploiting monetization systems.
Detection and Labeling: A Responsible Technological Response
An Explosion of Automatic Generation
Deezer reveals that nearly 18% of tracks uploaded daily—about 20,000 titles—are created entirely by AIs, using tools like Suno or Udio. While these tracks account for only 0.5% of global listens, 70% of them are believed to have been generated by bots to artificially inflate listens and capture royalties. This phenomenon, a mix of fraud and creative identity theft, threatens legitimate players in the music industry.
First Digital Honesty Hashtag
The platform unveils clear labeling: a banner informs users that some tracks on an album "may have been created with the help of AI." This measure goes hand in hand with active filtering: 100% AI tracks are excluded from algorithmic recommendations, searches, and especially from the calculation of listens for artist remuneration. Deezer thus becomes the first player to adopt such a rigorous policy, relying on detection algorithms that are 98% reliable according to its CEO Alexis Lanternier.
Intellectual Property: A Long-Term Ethical Commitment
Safeguarding Remuneration and Copyright
Deezer's approach is primarily ethical: to prevent virtual artists from unfairly siphoning off legitimate revenues. By nullifying the impact of fraudulent listens, the platform seeks to preserve the integrity of the music ecosystem. As Lanternier reminds us, "what Deezer wants to ensure is that we don't take the copyright that should go to artists." This initiative is accompanied by a partnership with SACEM, strengthening the collective protection of copyright in France.
Transparency and Trust for Users and Creators
Labeling and algorithmic exclusion serve a dual purpose: informing listeners about the origin of tracks and restoring confidence to human creators. By clearly exposing the use of AI, Deezer ends confusion and dominates a race of musical deception. This responsible stance contrasts with the strategy of other platforms exploring the use of AI without imposing the same safeguards.
Deezer innovates by adopting a pioneering stance in the face of the rise of entirely AI-generated tracks. Through this labeling and filtering system, the platform asserts its ethical demands, deeply defending artists' rights and the value of their work.
The adopted policy is part of a clear contractual framework: 100% AI tracks are identified from audio analysis, labeled, then excluded from all recommendation chains, while being removed from the remuneration calculation. The association with SACEM reinforces the control of copyright compliance and the application of fair royalties.
A critical challenge for the music industry, the next step will be to measure the long-term effectiveness of this system and see if other players follow suit. On the technological front, Deezer could extend the system to other generated content (journeys in an artist's voice, automated remixes). But above all, this move raises the question of broader regulation to come: what obligations will platforms have regarding the identification of AI content? The debate promises to be essential for the future of music creation and intellectual property.