When musician Michael Smith couldn't find an audience for his music, he manufactured it. By unleashing thousands of bots to listen to thousands of fake AI-generated songs on Spotify and other platforms, Smith earned millions in royalties before getting caught.

Resources:

• North Carolina Musician Charged with Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of Justice
• North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial Intelligence — U.S. Department of Justice
• Indictment: United States v. Michael Smith — U.S. Department of Justice PDF
• Spotify says it now has more than 100 million songs
• Spotify Q4 2025 Earnings Report
• Although the songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real — MusicRadar
• Spotify’s fake artists problem gets weirder with AI-generated albums — The Verge
• Artificial Streaming — Spotify for Artists
• How Royalties Work on Spotify — Spotify Loud & Clear
• Deezer launches artist-centric payment system
• Billie Eilish Was Discovered on Spotify and SoundCloud Before Global Fame — Rolling Stone
• Sofi Tukker on Streaming Success and Spotify Discovery

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