Deezer's New Policy: Tackling AI Fraud to Protect Artist Royalties

Deezer Draws a Line in the Sand on AI Music Fraud

In a significant move for the music streaming industry, Deezer announced a comprehensive new policy on February 2, 2026, aimed directly at curbing royalty fraud perpetrated through artificial intelligence. The platform will now demonetize the vast majority of streams from fully AI-generated music, a category it identified as a primary source of systemic fraud.

This decision follows an internal analysis of 2025 streaming data, which revealed a startling imbalance. While music created entirely by AI accounted for just 2% of total streams on the platform, it was linked to a disproportionately high percentage of fraudulent activity. This type of fraud typically involves bots or automated systems playing mass-produced, low-quality tracks on loop to siphon money from the shared royalty pool, ultimately diluting payments for human artists.

A Three-Part Strategy to Safeguard Royalties

Deezer's new framework is designed to surgically remove fraudulent content while protecting artists who use AI as a creative tool. The policy is built on three core actions.

1. Direct Demonetization of Fraudulent Streams

Under the new rules, any stream identified as fraudulent is now completely excluded from royalty calculations. Deezer stated this will impact up to 85% of streams originating from what it classifies as fully AI-generated content—specifically, tracks created with little to no human artistic intervention and often uploaded in bulk to game the system. This is not a blanket ban on all AI-related music, but a targeted strike against bad actors.

2. Prioritizing Human Creativity in Discovery

To ensure human artists remain at the forefront, Deezer is also cleansing its discovery features. All tracks identified as fully AI-generated are being removed from algorithmic recommendations, such as its signature 'Flow' feature, as well as all editorially curated playlists. This change is intended to improve the user experience and prevent listeners' feeds from being saturated with synthetic, low-engagement content.

3. A Clear Distinction: AI as a Tool vs. a Content Farm

Deezer officials have clarified that the policy is not intended to penalize human artists who use AI-powered software as part of their creative process. The focus remains on content that lacks genuine human authorship and is created solely to exploit the royalty system. This distinction is crucial for artists who leverage AI for mastering, melody assistance, or other creative enhancements.

Licensing Tech to Set a New Industry Standard

Beyond its own platform, Deezer aims to foster a broader industry-wide solution. The company announced it will begin licensing its proprietary AI-music detection technology to other digital service providers, labels, and industry bodies. This technology is already in use by key industry players like Billboard, which began using it in late 2025 to help ensure the integrity of its music charts against artificial inflation.

By offering its detection tool to the wider market, Deezer is positioning itself as a leader in promoting transparency and fairness. This move could pressure other major streaming platforms to adopt similar measures, potentially creating a unified front against the growing challenge of AI-driven royalty fraud and helping to secure a more sustainable financial future for working musicians.