An AI-generated song called “Through My Soul” has racked up over 11 million YouTube views and millions of streams worldwide. Nobody knows who really made it.
The credited artist, Enlly Blue, is a fabricated persona boasting six full albums with no human creator behind the name. This scenario exemplifies the evolving landscape of AI music in 2026—a reality that is gaining prominence and is only becoming louder.
How an AI song ended up on a real setlist
Adrian Younge, a seasoned composer and co-founder of the Los Angeles-based Jazz Is Dead label, was taken aback when he first heard “Through My Soul.” He quickly discerned that the track felt contrived, lacking the organic sense of performance typically delivered by human musicians. In an interview with Fast Company, Younge remarked that the track’s influences seemed to be artificially stitched together by a machine.
Jazz is Dead
In a surprising twist, Younge decided to reimagine the track with his Midnight Hour band and vocalist Loren Oden. He encouraged the musicians to infuse the song with vitality and authenticity. The live performance at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles resonated with audiences, transforming the AI composition into a work that finally possessed emotional depth and significance.
This rendition resonated so strongly with Younge that he decided to include it in his touring setlist, demonstrating how human performance can breathe life into a machine-generated creation.
The plan to give human-made music its own verified label
Pexels
This cover of the AI song is now a key feature of a campaign called Played by Humans, developed in partnership with the advertising agency TBWAChiatDay LA. Artists and record labels can upload their music to a specialized tool that checks for AI audio fingerprints. Tracks that meet the criteria receive a verified stamp for public display, akin to how explicit content is labeled.
The verification tool has already scanned over 1.6 million tracks, revealing eye-opening statistics: According to Deezer, around 44% of all music uploaded to streaming services daily is AI-generated, and an astonishing 97% of listeners are unable to distinguish between human and AI-produced music.
How is the music industry reacting to AI music?
The music industry’s response to the rise of AI-generated music has been enlightening. Streaming giant Spotify launched a Verified by Spotify badge in April to assist listeners in identifying human artists. However, the narrative took an intriguing turn in May when Spotify entered into an agreement with Universal Music Group allowing Premium subscribers to create AI-generated cover versions and remixes of real songs, for an additional fee.
Spotify
Thus, while Spotify is attempting to aid listeners in identifying human-produced music, it simultaneously develops a platform for generating more AI music using material from human artists. Participating artists will earn royalties from any derivative works created from their contributions.
The Played by Humans initiative is not inherently against AI music. Instead, it serves to analyze the music itself and empower listeners with knowledge about the nature of what they are hearing. Concurrently, Sony is also working on technology to identify original songs embedded within AI-generated music, aiming to combat potential plagiarism.
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Image Credit: www.digitaltrends.com
