The Revelation of Spotify’s AI Music Phenomenon: The Velvet Sundown

The secret is finally revealed: the internet’s newest favorite Spotify band is entirely AI-generated, confirming many people’s suspicions.

Who or What Constitutes The Velvet Sundown?

If you haven’t yet encountered The Velvet Sundown, they are a new musical act rapidly gaining popularity on Spotify, achieving an astounding one million monthly listeners in just a few months. This is a remarkable feat for a band creating what can best be described as typical psychedelic and folk-rock music. The music isn’t exceptional, yet it’s not unpleasant either. The Velvet Sundown’s appeal captivated many Spotify users, thrusting them into the limelight and drawing intense scrutiny regarding the band’s entirely AI-generated nature.

The Velvet Sundown’s AI Origins Were Obvious

An update to The Velvet Sundown’s Spotify artist profile confirms what many, including the writer, long suspected. This AI-generated group is presented as an artistic endeavor “created to challenge the notions of authorship, identity, and the future of music within the AI era.”

Signs of AI creation were readily apparent. The band photos possess a distinctive AI-generated quality, despite some editing. Minor alterations can improve the imperfections of AI-generated images, but those familiar with AI image creation recognize the characteristic style: consistent textures, a yellowish, sepia tone, and an uncanny, almost overly perfect appearance.

Furthermore, the band seemingly emerged overnight, producing two full studio albums. This is unusual, particularly given the supposed quality of The Velvet Sundown’s music. A third album is set for release shortly, resulting in three full albums in 2025.

The Velvet Sundown (and AI Music) Are Here to Stay

Despite the revelation of The Velvet Sundown’s entirely AI-generated nature, the “band” will apparently continue to create and release music.

The popularity of an AI band like this is intriguing for several reasons. The Velvet Sundown’s music is unremarkable; it’s not actively disliked, and its familiar 1970s psych/folk rock sound makes it easy to listen to for extended periods. The lyrics are simple, easily understood, and memorable.

However, suspicion exists that The Velvet Sundown might be benefiting from Spotify’s automated listening bots, another issue affecting the platform. It’s conceivable that the creators of the AI band used these bots to inflate the band’s statistics, thereby securing placements on lucrative Spotify playlists.

AI-generated music is increasingly prevalent on Spotify playlists, with the platform actively promoting certain AI artists. For instance, another AI artist, Aventhis, appeared on a curated playlist. The music was generic, and it was only after the fact that the AI origin was realized. Whether appreciated or not, Spotify is introducing AI music to its users, with no current opt-out option.

The success of The Velvet Sundown represents a turning point in music discovery. When AI-generated bands achieve millions of streams and appear on curated playlists, blurring the lines between real and artificial artistry, what does this mean for aspiring human musicians? This also raises questions about transparency: should platforms like Spotify clearly identify AI-generated content? As AI music becomes harder to distinguish from human-created music, will listeners even care about the music’s origin?

One thing is clear: this is not a fleeting trend. It signals the arrival of a new era.