Introduction to AI-Generated Music

Making art used to be a uniquely human endeavor, but machines have learned to distill human creativity with generative AI. Whether that content counts as "art" depends on who you ask, but Spotify doesn’t discriminate. A new band called The Velvet Sundown debuted on Spotify this month and has already amassed more than half a million listeners. But by all appearances, The Velvet Sundown is not a real band—it’s AI.

The Rise of The Velvet Sundown

While many artists are vehemently opposed to using AI, some have leaned into the trend to assist with music production. However, it doesn’t seem like there’s an artist behind this group. In less than a month, The Velvet Sundown has released two albums on Spotify, titled "Floating On Echoes" and "Dust and Silence." A third album is releasing in two weeks. The tracks have a classic rock vibe with a cacophony of echoey instruments and a dash of autotune. If one of these songs came up in a mix, you might not notice anything is amiss. Listen to one after another, though, and the bland muddiness exposes them as a machine creation.

Uncovering the Truth

Some listeners began to have doubts about The Velvet Sundown’s existence over the past week, with multiple Reddit and X threads pointing out the lack of verifiable information on the band. The bio lists four members, none of whom appear to exist outside of The Velvet Sundown’s album listings and social media. The group’s songs have been mysteriously added to a large number of user-created playlists, which has helped swell its listener base in a few short weeks. When Spotify users began noticing The Velvet Sundown’s apparent use of AI, the profile had barely 300,000 listeners. It’s now over 500,000.

The Instagram Giveaway

When The Velvet Sundown set up an Instagram account on June 27, all doubts were laid to rest—these "people" are obviously AI. We may be past the era of being able to identify AI by counting fingers, but there are plenty of weird inconsistencies in these pics. In one Instagram post, the band claims to have gotten burgers to celebrate the success of the first two albums, but there are too many burgers and too few plates, and the food and drink are placed seemingly at random around the table. The band members themselves also have that unrealistically smooth and symmetrical look we see in AI-generated images.

Conclusion

The Velvet Sundown’s rise to fame on Spotify has sparked a debate about the use of AI in music production. While some may argue that AI-generated music is not "real" art, others see it as a new and innovative way to create music. As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more AI-generated music on streaming platforms. The question remains, however, whether listeners will be able to distinguish between human-created and AI-generated music.

FAQs

Q: Is The Velvet Sundown a real band?
A: No, The Velvet Sundown appears to be an AI-generated band, with no verifiable information about its members or existence outside of Spotify and social media.
Q: How did The Velvet Sundown gain so many listeners on Spotify?
A: The band’s songs were mysteriously added to a large number of user-created playlists, which helped swell its listener base in a few short weeks.
Q: Can AI-generated music be considered "art"?
A: That depends on who you ask. Some people believe that AI-generated music is not "real" art, while others see it as a new and innovative way to create music.
Q: Will we see more AI-generated music on streaming platforms?
A: Yes, as AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more AI-generated music on streaming platforms.
Q: Can listeners distinguish between human-created and AI-generated music?
A: It’s possible, but it may become increasingly difficult as AI technology improves.