The fictitious rock band Velvet Sundown—with AI-generated music, lyrics, and album art—is reigniting debate about how artificial intelligence (AI) is blurring the line between real and synthetic in the music industry and whether creators should be more transparent.
AI is already a common tool in music production. But platforms like Suno and Udio are reshaping the landscape by allowing anyone to create songs with just a few prompts.
While many listeners don’t mind whether a track is AI-made, others may be curious. If you're unsure whether a song is human or machine-made, there are some ways to find out.
Do a background-check
According to Manuel Mousallam, head of R&D at Deezer, “The most obvious cues come from external factors.” Check for social media accounts, live shows, or content posted over time. If none exist, the artist may not be real.
You can also look directly on platforms like Suno and Udio—where creators sometimes upload their tracks. However, you need an account to search, and results may still be hard to find without the track name or creator's handle.
Song tags
Deezer has started flagging albums containing AI-generated songs. The app displays an “AI-generated content” label to notify listeners. Its CEO says this system uses in-house tech to detect patterns unique to AI music.
Though the company hasn’t disclosed how many songs it’s flagged, it claims up to 18% of daily uploads are AI-generated.
Song scanners
Third-party websites like “IRCAM Amplify” also offer AI-detection tools. When tested, it accurately identified AI-generated songs with up to 98 percent probability. However, the tool doesn’t accept streaming links, only uploads. It also comes with a disclaimer: “The AI detector can make mistakes. It is recommended to verify the results.”
Other tools that analyze Spotify links were inconsistent—some flagged human-made songs as AI and vice versa.
Check the lyrics
AI lyrics often contain repetitive phrasing or clumsy rhymes. Some tools tend to use certain words frequently. “If a song includes words like ‘neon,’ ‘shadows’ or ‘whispers,’ it’s a dead giveaway that it’s AI,” said Lukas Rams, a Suno user who writes his own lyrics.
No easy answers
“In general, it can be difficult to tell if a track is AI-generated just from listening,” said Mousallam. “Generative models such as Suno and Udio are constantly changing, meaning that old identifiers — such as vocals having a distinctive reverb — are not necessarily valid anymore.”
As the technology evolves, identifying AI-created songs is only getting harder.
Courtesy: AP
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
