Latest news with #TheVelvetSundown
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
An AI-generated rock band topped 500,000 listeners on Spotify
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. Generative AI software isn't just for creating text, photos, and videos. AI can also make audio, which requires synthesizing speech, background audio, and music for AI video services like Veo 3, or creating music that sounds like something you'd stream on Spotify or Apple Music. Fuzz AI is an example of the latter, a music streaming experience with AI at the center. While I don't mind artists embracing AI tools, whether via video or song, I want to be forewarned that a creation has been altered or created with AI. I can then decide to experience it knowing that I might run into AI-generated content or AI slop. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 Not all people using AI will be quick to admit they're doing so with their art, though. The latest example is an AI band called The Velvet Sundown, which doesn't exist in real life. Whoever generated them managed to reach 500,000 listeners on Spotify in just a few weeks. According to Ars Technica, some Spotify users posted messages on social media about a week ago, warning that The Velvet Sundown might be an AI band. AI band in recommended with 300k monthly with only two release's (both 2025) byu/VisitCharming4446 intruespotify These posts went up on social media a couple of weeks after The Velvet Sundown joined the streaming service. During that time, the fake band topped 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. At the time of this writing, the AI band has over 550,000 monthly listeners. It's not like people are actively looking for the band. More likely, Spotify's algorithms surface songs from The Velvet Sundown's two albums. That's how they reach thousands of people who might listen to the songs without realizing or caring that it's AI-generated content. Spotify doesn't label the band as AI. The artist page for The Velvet Sundown has a 'Verified Artist' checkmark. The band is also present on Deezer, which has a tougher stance on AI. The band's bio on Deezer does say: 'Some tracks on this album may have been created using artificial intelligence.' Here's what the band's description read on Spotify, at least until a few days ago: The Velvet Sundown don't just play music they conjure worlds. Somewhere between the ghost of Laurel Canyon and the echo of a Berlin warehouse, this four-piece band bends time, fusing 1970s psychedelic textures with cinematic alt-pop and dreamy analog soul. Their sound is all velvet reverb, swirling organs, tremolo-soaked guitar lines, and voices that sound like they've been unearthed from forgotten reels of tape. The AI band has two albums out on Spotify and plans to release a third soon. That might be a dead giveaway that we're not looking at a real band. It so happens that John Oliver tackled AI slop on a recent Last Week Tonight episode, which included an AI band called The Devil Inside that made no fewer than 10 albums in the past two years. Ars points out that the two fake bands have many songs that reference dust and wind, suggesting they might share a common AI model. There's no established connection between the two AI bands, though. While there's no official confirmation that The Velvet Sundown is an AI band, there is more evidence that there aren't any human members. The band created an Instagram profile a few days ago as people were questioning its existence on social media. The Instagram account features photos showing the band's members that appear to be created using AI. One image has four people sitting at a table, celebrating the success of their first two albums on Spotify. The 'photo' looks good, but features telltale signs of AI. Just look at the number of burgers and plates, the strange position of the glasses, and that unmistakable AI look of humans. Look at the symmetrical faces and the image's overall smoothness. You can use AI to make lifelike images, like the new Higgsfield Soul tool, assuming you're aware of it or have access to it. But one wouldn't be able to hide an AI band for long. Again, there's nothing wrong with AI music on streaming services like Spotify. After all, The Beatles used AI to launch a hit song. But listeners should at least be warned that they're about to hear AI-made songs. Some people might listen to it regardless of labels or warnings, while others might skip it. What's certain is that AI bands like The Velvet Sundown are taking the place of real artists in Spotify playlists, depriving them of revenue. John Oliver's full segment on AI slop and why it's dangerous follows below: Don't Miss: Today's deals: Nintendo Switch games, $5 smart plugs, $150 Vizio soundbar, $100 Beats Pill speaker, more More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
Android Authority
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
Poll: Do you like AI music?
Like a modern version of the tree-falling-in-the-woods conundrum, AI is giving us new philosophical questions. For example, if AI music sounds genuine, is it okay to enjoy it? This debate has gained momentum recently, as a new band called The Velvet Sundown just reached over 500,000 listens on Spotify. The problem is that they don't actually exist. Everything about them — from their echoey, classic rock-inspired tracks to their Instagram pictures — appears to be AI-generated. I've been listening to the songs and can see why opinions are divided. The sound is melodic and slick, if a bit bland and samey. As background music, it's not offensive, and I'd argue I've heard plenty of worse tunes from human artists. Honestly, if one of these songs came up in a mix, I doubt I'd have immediately realized it was machine-made. Do you like AI music? 0 votes Yes, some of it is good NaN % Not so far, but I'm open to it NaN % No, I find it soulless NaN % I haven't heard any yet NaN % To be clear, none of this means it's okay. There are obvious implications for artists and the music industry, and it feels unsettling that this 'band' is being presented as real online. But setting that aside for a moment, we're curious about your honest reaction to AI-generated music, because The Velvet Sundown is far from the only example in this new era. We've already seen similar debates play out in visual art and writing, but music feels even more personal. When you listen to a track you love, you're connecting with what you assume is someone's lived experience or emotion. You know the artist had a flash of inspiration, then worked hard to bring the work to life. That connection might feel hollow if you discover it was generated by a bot trained on a dataset of existing songs. Would that affect your ability to enjoy it? Let us know if you actually like AI music in the poll above, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Twisted secret behind Spotify's biggest new band... as fans and artists boycott the music service
Spotify is facing boycotts from both artists and subscribers over its move into AI. Not only is the streaming service facing backlash for its ties to an AI military startup, one of the biggest new bands on the site is rumored to be AI generated. The band, named The Velvet Sundown, already have over 550,000 million monthly listeners despite only debuting on the service in early June. Promotional images of the band all appear to be AI generated, and the credits on their music has no writers, producers or musicians listed. There's also no live performances or interviews of the band anywhere to be found, and none of the four members have any kind of internet presence. The band also has barely any social media followers, with just 322 on Instagram and 47 followers on X. Despite this, The Velvet Sundown have been featured on multiple popular Spotify playlists. After various media outlets reported that The Velvet Sundown may be AI-generated, the band hit back in a series of posts on X - yet offered no proof to disprove the claims. 'Absolutely crazy that so-called 'journalists' keep pushing the lazy, baseless theory that The Velvet Sundown is 'AI-generated' with zero evidence,' they wrote. 'Not a single one of these "writers" has reached out, visited a show, or listened beyond the Spotify algorithm,' they continued. 'This is not a joke. This is our music, written in long, sweaty nights in a cramped bungalow in California with real instruments, real minds, and real soul. Every chord, every lyric, every mistake — HUMAN.' They added, 'Just because we don't do TikTok dances or livestream our process doesn't mean we're fake.' And despite their miniscule following on social media, the band said that they had to 'lock down' all of their accounts 'due to harassment'. However, none of their accounts are officially verified by any site outside of Spotify, and none of their social media accounts have been set to private either. On Deezer, where The Velvet Sundown's music also appears, there's a warning from the streamer stating, 'some tracks on this album may have been created using artificial intelligence'. has contacted The Velvet Sundown for comment. Back in 2017, Spotify was forced to deny reports that they had created 'fake' artists to fill up their playlists, presumably in a bid to reduce royalty payments. 'We do not and have never created 'fake' artists and put them on Spotify playlists. Categorically untrue, full stop,' they said at the time. 'We do not own rights, we're not a label, all our music is licensed from rights holders and we pay them - we don't pay ourselves.' Meanwhile, allegations of AI artists isn't the only issue that Spotify is dealing with right now. The streaming service is currently facing boycotts from a handful of fans and artists after a venture capital firm founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek contributed 600 million euros ($693.6 million) to German military tech startup Helsing. According to the Financial Times, the company is producing drones, aircraft and submarines, and developing a system to create AI fighter pilots. Ek told the publication, 'There's an enormous realisation that it's really now AI, mass and autonomy that is driving the new battlefield'. Ek's involvement in military technology has caused a number of artists to pull their music from Spotify, including indie band Deerhoof and Amsterdam label Kalahari Oyster Cult. 'We don't want our music killing people,' Deerhoof said in a statement. 'We don't want our music tied to AI battle tech'. Others have decided to cancel their Spotify accounts. 'Cancelled my subscription and never going back. should've made the move ages ago as it's been red flags for a long time,' wrote one user.
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Velvet Sundown, a suspected AI band, tops 550,000 listeners on Spotify in under a month
In a little less than a month, a band calling itself the Velvet Sundown has amassed more than 550,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. With two albums — 'Floating On Echoes' and 'Dust and Silence' — released in rapid succession in June, the group's sudden rise has been as mystifying as their digital footprint is sparse. The group's bio is drenched in dreamlike metaphor, introducing its members as 'vocalist and mellotron sorcerer Gabe Farrow,' guitarist Lennie West, bassist-synth alchemist Milo Rains and percussionist Orion 'Rio' Del Mar. But no trace of these supposed musicians exists online, not even a modest trail of interviews, performances or social media activity. That is, until an Instagram account surfaced on Friday, June 27, bearing images critics have called 'eerily AI-generated.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Velvet Sundown (@thevelvetsundownband) Skeptics have raised red flags across Reddit and music journalism circles. On Spotify, all songwriting and production credits go solely to the band, a rare practice in today's collaborative industry. There is no producer. There are no tour dates. There is no record label. Even a quote in their bio — 'they sound like the memory of something you never lived, and somehow make it feel real' — allegedly from Billboard is nowhere to be found in the publication's archives. 'The Velvet Sundown aren't trying to revive the past,' the band's 'verified artist' profile reads on Spotify. 'They're rewriting it. They sound like the memory of a time that never actually happened.' Photos of the band are bathed in amber light and have an almost airbrushed, artificial quality. But what stands out even more is the vacant, lifeless expression on each musician's face. One long-haired member holding an acoustic guitar — resembling a blend of singer Noah Kahan and 'Queer Eye' star Jonathan Van Ness — is especially uncanny: too flawless, too serene, more like a stock photo than a real person. Meanwhile, Deezer, a music streaming service that flags content it suspects is AI-generated, notes on the Velvet Sundown's profile on its site that 'some tracks on this album may have been created using artificial intelligence.' The group has reportedly been featured on more than 30 anonymous user playlists and recommended by Spotify's Discover Weekly algorithm, raising concerns about transparency and artist authenticity.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Spotify AI band controversy — who is The Velvet Sundown and are they real?
Looks like there's a new band in town that's taking the world by Storm. They're called "The Velvet Sundown," they're a four-piece psychedelic rock act from "a sweaty garage in California," and they sound a little bit like a mixture between Pink Floyd, Tame Impala, and King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard on their least weird day. They're also, potentially, not real. Despite having over 400,000 monthly listeners at the time of writing, there are a bunch of different hallmarks that could well point out that "The Velvet Sundown" are AI-generated. So what on earth is going on? NME dug deep into the new act to try and work out where they came from. The act seems to have come effectively out of nowhere, a seeming mystery that has cropped up on Spotify with no fanfare, no marketing, no socials, and a bunch of what look like AI-generated images. Head over to the band's X account and you'll see something similar, and something interesting. There are similarly AI-alike images of distorted guitars (not the fun kind — think twisted frets and bizarre neck lengths), fingers that merge with burgers, and otherworldly stares. Despite the images, the account looks to assure the world that they are, indeed, real people. They're apparently going to send free tickets to their next tour to their "Twitter" followers, and that "the truth is coming... stay tuned." It's all very weird, and slightly confusing. Good Question! Read their Spotify bio and you'll learn that the band consists of "singer and mellotron player Gabe Farrow," guitarist Lennie West, Milo Raines, who apparently "crafts the band's textured synth sounds," and percussionist Orion "Rio" Del Mar, who is apparently "free spirited." Ok then. People. Band members. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Do any amount of searching online, however, and you won't find any social media accounts to match the names. Apparently, it's because they've had to close their accounts due to all the AI questions they've been receiving, even though no one has reached out to them for comment. At least, so the band complains. Somehow, the band has two albums out already, even though they've not been around for very long. Both share very similar covers, both were released in June 2025, and both feature identical track counts and run times within a minute of each other. Apparently, they're a very prolific group too, given there's a new album on the way on July 11th. It's all very, very strange, and it suggests that the band might be AI-generated. While they were initially discovered on Spotify, I've found the band is also found on Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and Deezer. I've reached out to every single service to try and find out more, and so far, only Deezer has sent a response. While there's nothing about "The Velvet Sundown" as yet, the platform has put an AI-generated tag on the artist page, and tells me: 'We've detected a significant uptick in delivery of AI-generated music only in the past few months, and we see no sign of it slowing down." says Deezer CEO, Alexis Lanternier. "It's an industry-wide issue," He continues, "and we are committed to leading the way in increasing transparency by helping music fans identify which albums include AI music'. "Most of the daily delivery of AI tracks are never streamed on Deezer, but they are diluting the catalog and are used for fraudulent activity," says Qobuz. "Today up to 70% of all streams of fully AI-generated tracks are fraudulent." That raises a really interesting point when it comes to AI-generated music in general. I'll update the article when I hear back from more services as well. Recently, Spotify completely cut revenue for any band that falls below 1000 monthly streams, making it harder than ever for small bands to make any kind of money on streaming. I spoke to a small band, SorryPark, who've put in all the hard graft you'd expect for a band that wants to be seen on Spotify. "We've had 553 unique listeners over the last 28 Days," bassist Halil tells me. This can "fluctuate between 400-800," he continues, "but with good playlisting around new releases, we can get 4 figures." This is a band that has played "close to 100" live shows, come close to winning battle of the bands competitions, and filled out smaller local venues. They've appeared at Festivals, supported much larger acts, and released singles and an album. They're active on social media, with TikTok, Instagram and Facebook accounts. The band is putting in the work, but they're not able to garner the same impressive listening numbers as an act that's appeared out of nowhere. How much money have they made from Spotify streaming? Not "enough to write home about, unfortunately." They cover all their recording costs themselves, including a small private studio and producer for their full-length album. So I ask Halil about AI music, and how he can see it affecting the band and its chances. "I can't speak for the rest of the band, but it's so demoralizing seeing a free and humanless track getting tens or hundreds of thousands of streams," he tells me, "something we could only dream of." "We're back in the studio next week," he continues, "to sit down and record two new singles. The amount of effort that goes into our music is incredible, and that's before we've taken time off to travel to the studio." How do we support bands like this? "Come to gigs, buy merch! But also stream our music, share our socials. Just make more people aware of us." And that's one thing you'll never be able to do with AI music — go and see it live. There will be a very real person (or people) behind "The Velvet Sundown." An AI model can't (yet) make this all unprompted for itself, as you might imagine. Yet there are lots of questions to be asked about AI music on streaming apps beyond the latest band on the block. AI music isn't a new problem. We've all seen adverts on Instagram for playlists of "Fantasy Music to Help You Sleep" that are 10s of hours long, and filled with eerily similar tracks that would almost fit into The Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Deezer knows it's a problem, and has made efforts to make the problem as obvious as possible. But it's not something that's likely to go away, much to the chagrin of small acts like SorryPark. AI music takes algorithmic presence away from smaller acts, while garnering massive numbers of monthly listeners that could generate as much as $2,000 per month. "The Velvet Sundown" doesn't seem to have had any marketing, but, by covering them like this, they're getting it for free. By highlighting the issue, are we making it worse? I'd like to hope we're doing the opposite, but I suspect the truth is something more uncomfortable. So. If you care about the music you listen to, it's more important than ever to go to those live shows and buy merch. Or, if you don't care, go ahead and listen to "The Velvet Sundown" — it might be the future of music streaming.
