When folk artist Murphy Campbell discovered unauthorized songs on her Spotify profile in January, she was shocked. These songs, which she had never uploaded, appeared to be AI-generated covers of her original recordings from YouTube. Despite her efforts, some of these fake songs still lingered on Spotify under a different artist profile with the same name.
Campbell’s ordeal didn’t end there. Shortly after an article in Rolling Stone discussed her experience with AI imitators, videos were uploaded to YouTube via distributor Vydia, claiming ownership of some of Campbell’s videos. Interestingly, these claims were related to songs in the public domain, such as “In the Pines.” Vydia eventually released these claims and banned the uploader responsible.
Vydia, however, denied any involvement with the AI covers uploaded under Campbell’s name, emphasizing that the incidents were separate. Nevertheless, the company faced severe backlash, including death threats that led to evacuations. Campbell believes that the issues surrounding generative AI, music distribution, and copyright run deeper than they appear.
Despite the challenges she faced, Campbell remains vigilant and cautious about promises made by large entities like Spotify. The complexities and vulnerabilities in the music industry, especially concerning AI-generated content and copyright, are areas that demand greater scrutiny and protection.
