AI-Generated Covers of Murphy Campbell’s Music Appear on Spotify

Folk musician Murphy Campbell, a singer-songwriter from North Carolina, has become the target of AI-generated voice clones and copyright fraud. The incident highlights critical vulnerabilities in how streaming platforms and copyright systems handle artificial intelligence and public domain works.

In January 2026, Campbell discovered several unauthorized songs on her Spotify profile. These tracks were AI-generated covers created by extracting her performances from YouTube videos and using artificial intelligence to mimic her vocals. Campbell only became aware of the uploads after fans notified her.

The AI-generated tracks attempted to replicate her style of traditional folk music, including the use of the banjo and dulcimer. Campbell described the quality of the AI’s instrumental mimicry as trying to play the banjo and dulcimer really poorly.

Verification and Platform Challenges

To confirm the nature of the fake tracks, Campbell ran a song titled Four Marys through AI detection tools. These tools indicated a high likelihood that the song was AI-generated.

Removing the unauthorized content proved difficult. Campbell stated that she became a pest to successfully get the fake tracks taken down from streaming platforms. While the tracks were eventually removed from YouTube Music and Apple Music, at least one song remained available on Spotify, though it appeared under a different artist profile using the same name.

In response to these types of incidents, Spotify is testing a new system that would allow artists to approve songs before they appear on their official profiles.

Copyright Fraud and Public Domain Issues

Alongside the AI fakes, Campbell faced challenges with a copyright troll targeting her performances of public domain ballads on YouTube. Despite the songs being in the public domain, copyright claims were filed against her videos.

These claims were made through the distributor Vydia. Vydia eventually retracted the claims and banned the user who had uploaded them. The distributor also denied any connection to the AI-generated covers and reported receiving threats and severe backlash following the incident.

Industry Context

The case of Murphy Campbell reflects a broader trend affecting working musicians and smaller acts. Many artists have found AI-generated music uploaded under their names without consent, often discovering the fakes through their fanbases.

Lisa Hresko, the chief operating officer of the indie record-label trade group A2IM, has described this phenomenon as incredibly prevalent. Such scams can act as a leech on the royalty payouts that artists receive from streaming services.

The situation underscores the lack of robust checks in place to prevent unauthorized AI clones from being distributed as official artist content. Campbell noted that she had been under the impression that more checks existed before someone could upload such content in an artist’s name.