It has emerged that Sony Music has now requested takedowns of 135,000 generative AI deepfakes of its artists’ music.
The figure was revealed by Dennis Kooker, president, global digital business, Sony Music, at the IFPI Global Music Report event in London.
The update coincides with reports in the US that a man has pleaded guilty in a Southern District of New York case that is seen as the first criminal prosecution of AI-based streaming fraud. The case involved thousands of fake songs generated with AI that were streamed billions of times.
Music Week reported a year ago that Sony had requested more than 75,000 takedowns of digital replicas of tracks by its artists. The number has since surged to 135,000 in the past 12 months.
The deepfakes target some of the major’s top artists including Beyoncé, Queen and Harry Styles, who has just hit No.1 in multiple markets with new album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
“The problem with deepfakes is they are demand-driven,” said Dennis Kooker at the IFPI event. “It is taking advantage of the fact that an artist is in cycle and is out there promoting their music. That is when we see the worst of the deepfakes appear... benefiting from the demand that the artist has created in the market with their fans, and ultimately detracting from what it is the artist is actually trying to accomplish with their fanbase.”
In the worst case, Kooker said this could “potentially damage a release campaign or tarnish the reputation of an artist”.
“So ‘good AI’ begins with protecting the market and the people whose work fuels it, which is why we’re investing in companies that are building solutions that ensure misuses are identified while also creating ethical AI partnerships to build new revenue streams for artists,” he added.
Music companies are looking to licensed AI platforms to drive further growth, while clamping down on unauthorised fake tracks.
“There is an opportunity to continue to grow and expand the market,” said Kooker. “And why does that exist? Because, ultimately, we know consumers want to interact more with the artists they love, with the music they love. And if we really realise generative AI's benefits to the music industry, to artists and to songwriters, ultimately it's going to be making that deeper connection even deeper.”
Clear, consistent and globally accepted AI labelling standards are essential to provide transparency for artists and fans
Dennis Kooker
Following a campaign fronted by artists in the UK, the British government has ditched proposals for a text and data mining exception for AI firms. If it had gone ahead, that would have led to a change in copyright rules to let AI firms use copyrighted works without paying or seeking permission from music creators, writers and artists.
Streaming platforms are addressing the scale of the problem by working with music companies and labelling generative AI tracks. In September 2025, Deezer revealed that more than 30,000 fully AI-generated tracks are being uploaded daily.
“Clear, consistent and globally accepted AI labelling standards are essential to provide transparency for artists and fans,” said Kooker. “This will assist the platforms in improving enforcement against AI slop and infringing uploads.
“Without proper identification, fans can’t distinguish between genuine human creativity versus unauthorised AI-generated content, which risks creating confusion, undermining trust, and impacting user experiences. Transparency shouldn’t be optional, it’s the foundation of a fair and sustainable music ecosystem.”
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