The Velvet Sundown fooled over 600,000 Spotify followers into believing they were a real band—complete with fake backstories and social media presence—until Reddit detectives exposed the entire operation as AI-generated. The phantom band released two albums, “Floating On Echoes” and “Dust and Silence,” earning thousands in royalties while sparking industry-wide panic about AI competition. With 10,000 AI songs hitting Spotify daily, your next favorite artist might not be human after all.
While music fans were busy debating whether Taylor Swift‘s latest album was her best yet, an entirely different kind of artist was quietly conquering Spotify—one that doesn’t actually exist.
The Velvet Sundown** managed to rack up over 600,000 Spotify fans** within weeks of their debut, releasing two full albums called “Floating On Echoes” and “Dust and Silence.” Not bad for a band that’s about as real as a unicorn playing guitar.
Here’s the kicker: no human members exist. Zero. Zilch. The entire operation is AI-generated, from the music itself to those carefully crafted backstories about each “band member.” Their social media accounts desperately insist they’re human—which, honestly, makes them sound even more like robots trying to pass a Turing test.
The deception ran deep. Detailed member bios, realistic promotional photos (well, realistic until you look closer), and all the indie band aesthetics you’d expect. What they *didn’t* have? Live performances, video interviews, or any actual proof of existing in the real world. Suspicious much?
Reddit users caught on first—because of course they did. Online forums started dissecting the inconsistencies, and suddenly everyone was playing detective. The band’s complete lack of digital footprint before summer 2025 was a dead giveaway.
Meanwhile, Spotify and other platforms don’t require AI disclosure, making this whole charade perfectly legal. Real artists are understandably furious, watching artificial competition potentially steal their spotlight and earnings.
The financial numbers tell the story: The Velvet Sundown has already generated an estimated $1,000–$3,000 in royalties, with potential monthly revenue reaching $2,400. Not exactly yacht money, but multiply that across thousands of AI acts and you’ve got a problem. This represents a significant shift as generative AI leverages neural networks to mimic human creativity without the constraints of human musicians. The band’s creators can pump out new albums at breakneck speed, with their second album already scheduled for release on July 14th. Testing by Ircam Amplify revealed that 10 out of 13 tracks were AI-generated with a confidence score of 100 out of 100.
This isn’t isolated—an estimated 10,000 AI songs hit Spotify daily. Major labels are fighting back with lawsuits seeking up to $150,000 per infringing work, but the floodgates are already open.
The controversy highlights bigger questions about transparency, authenticity, and what happens when anyone can create a “band” with a few clicks. Your next favorite artist might just be lines of code.
