The AI Music Era Is Here and It Is Messy!
About a month ago, I was chatting with a friend I usually discuss music, the industry, entertainment, events, and lifestyle with. He told me about a heartbreaking discovery he had made. His newly found favorite artist, whose music he had grown attached to, turned out to be an AI act. When I asked how he figured it out, he said the musician’s profile on streaming platforms was releasing music at an unreal pace. It felt like a new album was dropping every other week.
Let me take you back to around June this year. I have a colleague, let’s call her Regina for the purpose of this story. Every once in a while, we put each other on new music. One day, during a health break after attending a client activation, she introduced me to a musician she had discovered. Regina loves gospel and hip hop. Hip hop gospel to be exact. So hearing her excited about a pop artist already had my curiosity rising. Personally, I love music that goes deep into stories, emotions, heartbreak, and everyday situations. Something you can listen to while driving or taking a walk. Not just the dance floor material.
On her recommendation, I looked up an artist called Linhy and followed her on Spotify. The song Regina suggested was “Dear Me”. I actually liked it because it had that Taylor Swift and Carly Rae Jepsen meets Carrie Underwood kind of energy. I added it to my library and it instantly made its way to my Liked Songs. After that, Linhy kept releasing music like clockwork. Every other week, she appeared on my Release Radar playlist. That consistency eventually raised questions. I later discovered Linhy was an AI generated musician. What gave it away was not just the music but also the artwork. All her covers looked almost identical. Same backward pose, only the clothes and colors changed. Sometimes she had jeans, other times a picnic dress.
Then there was the Spotify About section. Most artists use it to introduce themselves, list their milestones, explain their style, and upload high quality photos. They usually link their socials too. When you visit an artist’s socials, you expect tour posters, performance clips, studio moments, and behind the scenes photos. Linhy had none of that.
AI musicians are really becoming a thing. Recently, an AI R&B singer named Xania Monet made history after topping a Billboard R&B chart with her song “How Was I Supposed to Know” in September 2025. She became the first AI act to appear on a Billboard radio airplay chart. Her avatar was created by Mississippi based poet and designer Telisha Nikki Jones, who writes lyrics inspired by her own experiences and uses the AI music generator Suno to produce the songs. This success even landed a multimillion dollar deal with Hallwood Media.
When you browse artists in the same lane as Xania Monet on streaming platforms, the algorithm throws up names like SZA, Muni Long, and Jhene Aiko. Wild, right?
Earlier this week, Afrobeat talent Fave reacted to fans embracing an AI version of her track “Intentions” more than her original. She said it felt strange watching people connect more with something that was not her creation. The bright side is the AI version reintroduced the message of the song to an entirely new audience and gave it new life.
With the rise of short form videos, dance challenges, edits, and mood clips, there is now an increased demand for sped up and slowed reverb versions of songs. And that demand is being filled at record speed by AI.
Ugandan music lovers will remember the mixed reactions in 2023 when an AI extended version of Azawi’s “Masavu” went viral after featuring a voice that sounded like Mowzey Radio. The creator, Eyo Shata, has made several AI based Ugandan music concepts, imagining collaborations between artists like Bobi Wine and Rema Namakula, Winnie Nwagi, Ray G, Alien Skin, and many others.
In that same wave, there is a dynamic gospel collective called Urban Chords. Their sound blends choir harmonies with drill, Afrobeats, and R&B. Their most streamed recording is an AI rendition of Omah Lay’s “I am a Mess”, which has already crossed half a million streams on Apple Music and Spotify. Their Afro Mix project houses AI renditions of Libianca’s “People”, Asake’s “Lonely at the Top”, Sarz and Asake’s “Getting Paid” featuring Wizkid and Skillibeng, plus many others. Urban Chords currently attract more than 465,000 monthly Spotify listeners. For music fans, AI versions offer different flavors of the same song, which can be fun to explore.
But on the business side, speaking as someone who works closely with creatives, artist managers, labels, and A&Rs, this is worrying. These AI generated recordings abuse intellectual property. It is illegal to reproduce or create new versions of an artist’s work without consent. AI uploads generate royalties for the uploader, not the original creator. In sampling, the original musician gets mechanical and master use licenses cleared, plus a percentage of royalties. With AI, copyright is bypassed entirely. The original artist gets no earnings, only a bit of clout if someone goes back to listen to the original track.
As of writing this, the entire Afro Mix EP by Urban Chords has been taken down from streaming platforms. It is a step in the right direction for the industry.
AI generated music has faced massive criticism worldwide. Grammy nominated artist Kehlani once said in a TikTok video that nobody will ever justify AI to her and that she does not respect it. Omega 256 also expressed his frustration, saying artists pour their heart and soul into their work, and having someone replicate it with AI disrespects the effort put in.
I am not saying artificial intelligence is entirely bad. AI can help you draft a release plan for a single or album, create a script for content, or prepare a pitch proposal. The problem is when AI starts replacing the roles of recording artists, songwriters, and producers. Despite the evolution in technology, I believe nothing beats human connection. An AI musician cannot perform live or build that face to face bond with fans.
To artists and music creators, understanding the shift in music trends is important. Given how short videos drive music today, artists should consider releasing slowed, sped up, and alternative versions of their own songs. It closes the loophole that allows someone else to profit from your creativity.
What do you guys think? Has AI done more harm than goof for the music industry or? I’ll be awaiting to hear your comments. I am Mugibson on all social media platforms.