Finance
Deezer licenses AI-detection tool to French royalty agency Sacem, plans wider roll-out
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 29, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
Home > Finance > Deezer licenses AI-detection tool to French royalty agency Sacem, plans wider roll-out
Quick Summary
Deezer partners with Sacem to license its AI detection tool, targeting AI-generated music fraud and protecting royalties. The tool has identified and removed 85% of fraudulent streams.
Deezer Partners with Sacem to Combat AI Music Fraud with New Tool
Deezer's AI Detection Tool and Its Impact
Jan 29 (Reuters) - Music streaming platform Deezer has licensed its artificial intelligence-detection technology to France's royalty agency Sacem in a landmark commercial deal to combat music fraud, as the company pursues wider industry adoption for the tool.
Overview of the Licensing Deal
The deal, announced on Thursday, comes as expanding AI capabilities blur the line between human and machine-made songs, enabling a new type of streaming fraud where bad actors upload thousands of AI-generated numbers designed to trigger algorithmic recommendations and siphon royalties away from artists and songwriters.
Effectiveness of the Detection Technology
Deezer said it successfully identified and removed up to 85% of fraudulent AI-generated music streams from its royalty pool in 2025, flagging over 13.4 million AI tracks.
Industry Reactions and Future Plans
The platform now receives around 60,000 fully AI-created tracks every day, roughly 39% of total daily uploads, up from 10% in January last year.
Deezer's royalty pool comprises 70% of subscriber revenue, according to CEO Alexis Lanternier.
The detection tool analyzes audio signals for patterns created by AI music generators such as Suno and Udio, identifying subtle anomalies inaudible to human ears. The company has trained the system on 94 million songs and filed two patents for the technology in 2024, it said.
However, Swedish royalty society Stim told Reuters that detection tools address only part of the problem and that technology cannot be an answer to issues surrounding underlying musical composition and copyright ownership.
Stim believes mandatory licensing and full transparency for training data would prevent fraud at its source.
Deezer is in discussions with other European collective societies regarding licensing and plans to engage with organizations in Los Angeles during Grammy Week to expand its efforts, Lanternier said.
Sacem did not reply to Reuters' request for comment.
(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru and Leo Marchandon in Gdansk)
Key Takeaways
- •Deezer licenses AI detection tool to Sacem.
- •Tool aims to combat AI-generated music fraud.
- •85% of fraudulent streams removed in 2025.
- •60,000 AI tracks uploaded daily on Deezer.
- •Deezer seeks wider adoption in music industry.
Frequently Asked Questions about Deezer licenses AI-detection tool to French royalty agency Sacem, plans wider roll-out
1What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans.
2What is music fraud?
Music fraud involves the illegal use of music, such as unauthorized distribution or the manipulation of streaming services to generate false royalties.
3What is a royalty agency?
A royalty agency is an organization that manages the collection and distribution of royalties for artists and songwriters based on their music usage.
4What is algorithmic recommendation?
Algorithmic recommendation is a process where algorithms analyze user data to suggest content, products, or services that a user may find appealing.
5What is AI-generated music?
AI-generated music is music created using artificial intelligence algorithms that can compose, produce, and perform music without human intervention.
