Folk artist Murphy Campbell fights AI-made covers on streaming apps

In short: More musicians are finding AI-made copies of their songs on streaming services, and Murphy Campbell’s case shows how hard they can be to stop.

What's going on

Murphy Campbell, an independent folk musician, said she found songs on her Spotify artist page in January 2024 that she did not upload. The tracks sounded like her music, but the vocals and timing felt “off,” like an imitation.

Campbell believes someone took audio from her YouTube videos, ran it through AI music tools to create “covers,” and then uploaded those tracks through music distribution services. An AI cover is like a copy made by a machine that tries to sound like the original singer, similar to a fake signature that looks close but is not real. Campbell and fans pointed to clues like robotic-sounding vibrato, odd breathing, and unusual upload details.

Spotify removed about 20 tracks after Campbell filed DMCA takedown notices, which are formal requests to remove copyrighted material. But she said new AI copies kept appearing. Campbell later spoke at a US Copyright Office hearing and helped bring attention to the issue in a YouTube video with Todd in the Shadows.

The problem has continued into 2025 and 2026, with a mix of platform changes and new laws. Spotify has added detection filters, YouTube added labels for AI remixes, and the music industry has filed lawsuits against AI music companies. Campbell also filed a lawsuit against DistroKid in 2025 that is still ongoing.

What to watch

Expect more pressure on streaming services and music distributors to block AI copies before they go live, not just remove them later. New rules, like the US NO FAKES Act and EU disclosure requirements, may also shape what platforms must do when an artist’s voice is copied without permission.

Source: The Verge AI