AI: My Impersonator On Spotify
Is AI Pretending to Be Me?
Hello, friends and listeners. Hubert here, musician from Tullamore, Ireland. A little blog post about something a little different to say the least. It’s kind of surreal and is becoming more of an issue that I need to be dealing with. It’s taking up a lot of time and money. But someone on Spotify is pretending to be me!
Yes, you read that right. There’s another “Hubert Murray” on Spotify. At first, I thought it might be a simple case of mistaken identity. But the deeper I dove into this mystery, the stranger it got. A friend asked why I was releasing unusual electronic atmospheric music all of a sudden. I said I’m not and that sometimes artists get mixed up. But a few months later I got an email notification saying ‘all set for your Spotify release Fake Evil?’
I contacted Spotify customer help and they said “oh, that’s strange, are you not releasing any of the 65 tracks on your profile? A few weeks later and in ONE DAY 120 songs were released on my artist profile. When I checked my Spotify artist account, another 124 tracks were scheduled for release! It was all AI generated thumbnails and AI generated electronic music. Each track was less than 2mins and all very artificial sounding with very AI sounding titles; Fake Evil, Fun at Skies, Nu Lola, Is this Ukulele, Sad Evil and so on. The artwork is kind of like a computer trying to mimick a Josephine Wall postcard. Spotify have taken down each track but its a very time consuming process, especially for scheduled releases. Spotify say it can happen and it doesn't affect anyone (but it was a couple of friends who were notified about the releases so it’s definitely affecting me). CD baby have been useless to get a response from.
Now, I’m not here to bash AI (just in case Terminator is true in years to come!) It’s a fascinating tool when used thoughtfully. But this? It feels wrong.
Who’s Behind This?
Here’s where my mind goes a bit all over the place: Is it just some random person who thought it’d be funny prank to steal my name and do this? Is there an arch-enemy I’m unaware of? The thought of someone doing this out of spite feels far-fetched but surely a computer can’t create a distributer profile, find me as a likely fit, generate the music, upload it, then get the money to pay for it, then actually pay for it on a regular basis? It’s crazy.
Powerless
What’s most frustrating is how powerless I feel. There are now HUNDREDS of singles released under my name and even using my profile picture on itunes for it. I’ve contacted Spotify and different distributors and flagged the issue, and explained the situation. But so far? No joy. It’s like shouting into the void. It’s definitely confusing my listeners, promoters, bookers, venues, festivals….and funnily even my mother!
The Current State of Music and AI on Spotify
AI’s presence in music is growing rapidly. From AI-generated playlists tailored to your mood to entire albums created by algorithms, the lines between human artistry and machine production are blurring. While some use AI as a tool to enhance their craft, others exploit it to flood platforms with low-effort content, disguised as genuine artistry. Is it threatening authenticity and livelihoods of musicians who’ve spent years honing their craft? My situation feels like a strange consequence of this evolving landscape, and it’s raising questions I’m only beginning to grapple with.
Finally
When AI - or anyone - pretends to be you, it’s the a crime, no? But how can you persecute something that isn’t human? Take the batteries out??
I hope this story resonates with you. If you’ve heard or seen this imposter on Spotify, know that I am not making ambient electronic music. If you’re another artist dealing with something similar, get in touch. And if you’re Spotify or someone with the power to help, please get in touch!
Until next time. I hope to see you at a gig. Say hello, subscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@HubertMurrayMusic and Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hubertmurray.
All the best,
Hubert.
