ALBAWABA - AI is out to get human musicians as well. An AI band named 'Bleeding Verse' went viral on social media after people noticed that the fake band has over 800,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with some songs garnering millions of listens.
According to its official Spotify, Bleeding Verse "crafts alt-metal anthems for the emotionally undone" by featuring "haunting vocals, immersive soundscapes, and lyrics torn from the quietest corners of the soul."
The description reveals that the lyrics are written by humans, but the music is AI-generated. Additionally, looking at the band's discography, Bleeding Verse has been pumping out a large amount of AI-generated music, including a full-fledged album and several EPs and singles, making it nearly impossible for human artists to compete.
Bleeding Verse: This AI band has over 800,000 Spotify monthly listeners
Holding Absence, a post-hardcore Welsh band hailing from Cardiff, has spoken out against Bleeding Verse as the AI band openly states that it's inspired by them and another fellow band called Dayseeker.
Lead singer Lucas Woodland recently took to X (formerly Twitter), expressing how it's disheartening that the AI "band" that's inspired by his group's music has overtaken them on Spotify in terms of monthly listeners.
Woodland wrote, "So, an AI “band” who cite us as an influence (ie, it’s modelled off our music) have just overtaken us on Spotify, in only TWO months."
He added, "It’s shocking, it’s disheartening, it’s insulting - most importantly - it’s a wake up call. Oppose AI music, or bands like us stop existing."
Woodland's post received over two million views, causing a flood of supportive comments. Another fellow X user made a Spotify playlist of AI-generated bands, stating that it's strictly made for documentation as a reference for music listeners wishing to boycott AI-generated music.
Smaller bands such as Dayseeker and Holding Absence already struggle to make a living due to several factors, including generating low revenue from streaming platforms such as Spotify. This prompts many bands to constantly tour to generate a new stream of income, which may lead to issues such as burnout.
This is why many serious music listeners urge people to support bands they enjoy by buying their art and merchandise through platforms like Bandcamp.
As AI becomes more mainstream, fake bands like Bleeding Verse are expected to increase in numbers. Unless the monthly listeners and support decline, AI slop will keep on striving.
