Apple says AI music is rising, but streams remain low
Apple Music has revealed that over a third of tracks uploaded are AI-generated, but people aren’t interested in listening to it.
The upload of AI-generated music to streaming platforms is rising aggressively. However, thanks to various measures, people aren’t really listening to it. Apple has revealed a stark imbalance between how much AI music is being uploaded and how much is being played on its platform.
As reported by AppleInsider, Apple Music executive Oliver Schusser said that more than a third of tracks delivered to the platform are “100% AI”. However, when it comes to listening, the numbers remain extremely low. He explained, “Now, the reality is, the usage of the AI music on Apple Music is really tiny,” adding, “I’m rounding but it’s below 0.5% of usage.”
As AppleInsider posits, interest in music discovery is rooted in cultural relevance, in the artists themselves, and in human-led curation and promotion. These personal and inherently human aspects mean that churned-out, faceless AI tracks don’t have the same reach or relevance.
This story can be applied to platforms beyond Apple Music. Deezer recently reported that around 44% of new music uploaded every day to its platform had been created using AI. Despite this, only between 1-3% of streams could be attributed to AI-generated music.
In response to this influx of AI music, platforms are putting measures in place to improve transparency and artist/listener protection. Recently, Apple introduced “Transparency Tags“, which identify content that was created with assistance from AI, so not necessarily 100% AI-generated. This process relies on labels and distributors to apply the tag prior to content being sent to Apple.
Additionally, Apple has developed internal systems to analyse submissions. Schusser said, “We have developed — and we’ve never talked about this — but we’ve developed technology in-house that would allow us to exactly see what music people are delivering us,” including identifying “what AI [model] it is and all that.”
These systems provide an additional layer of oversight, helping the platform verify disclosures and monitor trends across its catalogue.
Fraud is another key concern linked to the rise in AI uploads. Large volumes of content can increase the risk of artificial streaming activity. Apple says its enforcement measures are having an impact. According to Schusser, “The good news is our fraud penalty works incredibly well. We’ve seen a 60% reduction sort of over time in fraud, just because of the penalty.”
Beyond policy changes, Apple is focusing on the listening experience itself. The platform prioritises curation, radio, and integration across devices instead of simply increasing the volume of available content. Its approach to audio reflects this direction. Schusser noted, “We worked with Dolby on creating [sound that comes] not from two sides, but really from everywhere. And it actually worked on pretty much all devices.”
Overall, AI is increasing the amount of music entering streaming platforms, but it is not significantly changing what listeners choose to play. Platforms are now working to balance this growth with stronger controls, better transparency, and a continued focus on quality.