Velvet Sundown just admitted it’s not a real band. The indie rock project with over a million Spotify listeners revealed it’s entirely AI-generated.
The group’s Spotify profile updated Tuesday to call Velvet Sundown an “ongoing artistic provocation.” Every part—from the music to the voices and stories—is made using AI tools. The faux band’s photos and social media had already raised suspicions as they looked digitally created.
The news follows growing concerns about AI-generated music disrupting real artists’ earnings. A December CISAC study predicted a 20% income drop for human creators within four years as AI music floods the market. 
Spotify declined direct comment but said it doesn’t benefit financially from AI-created tracks and that uploads come from licensed third parties.
Meanwhile, rival streamer Deezer labels Velvet Sundown’s songs with an “AI-generated content” warning. Deezer uses its own AI-music detection tools and reports 18% of daily uploads are now fully AI-generated, almost doubling since January.
This comes as AI’s influence widens. Reports also surfaced Tuesday of an imposter using AI-generated voices and text to impersonate US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in high-level contacts.
A band that never was.
Velvet Sundown/Spotify
Spotify spokesperson Geraldine Igou stated:
"All tracks are created, owned, and uploaded by licensed third parties."
Deezer added this warning on Velvet Sundown’s profile:
"Some tracks on this album may have been created using artificial intelligence."
