AI / Artist Centric: Deezer affirms a European model for streaming
With the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence, the music industry is at a new turning point. Every day, Deezer sees nearly 10,000 new AI-generated tracks added , representing almost 10% of its catalog. This ever-increasing figure raises questions: what are we putting in listeners' ears, and how can we fairly compensate artists who feel disadvantaged by this deluge of AI-generated content?
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For Aurélien Hérault , Chief Innovation Officer at Deezer, the answer cannot be left to chance. Catalog saturation, low-quality content, streaming fraud, environmental impact, and the compensation of "real artists" are just some of the issues raised by this phenomenon. And to address them, the platform has decided to take action!
AI: Between creative potential and threat to industry
While AI can be considered just one tool among many that artists can use to bring their projects to life, it can become a real problem when misused for mass, automated production . Tracks without identifiable human authors, duplicate titles, "fake artists," and fraudulent practices fueled by recommendation system optimization tools: the impact of this phenomenon on the visibility and earnings of "authentic" artists . To counter this proliferation of AI-generated content, Deezer is employing a clear and straightforward strategy: identify, regulate, and raise awareness.
Aurélien Hérault, Director of Innovation at Deezer
Since December 2024, Deezer has deployed its own AI content detection system. The result of a year and a half of research, this system is capable of detecting artifacts inaudible to the human ear, but perfectly identifiable by machines. Once a track is identified, it is tagged as AI-generated. It remains listenable, but is excluded from recommendation systems.
With an accuracy rate of 99.8% for its most popular models , the platform focuses its efforts on the most widespread uses, without demonizing AI: it is the misuse that the platform combats, not its use per se. As Aurélien Hérault points out, the technology is already integrated into many tools used by musicians and producers.
Research, transparency and consortium
For Deezer, the fight against AI-powered content and manipulation attempts also involves R&D. Its internal research lab has been working on this topic for over ten years, using machine learning, regularly filing patents, and even considering sharing some of its technologies with other players. The French platform was also the first to sign the global declaration on AI training , advocating for a more transparent opt-in/opt-out model.
Furthermore, in the face of American and Chinese giants, Deezer relies on European excellence with partners like Kyutai , and advocates for the establishment of an international consortium. Without a common framework, it is indeed difficult to enforce ethical principles.
“It’s important that we know we have a very strong community of researchers and scientists in France and Europe, and many more who are also in China and the United States. We must build on this fantastic opportunity, to be able to choose all the elements and all the tools to define what we, as French people, as Europeans, want to do with technology, its use, its development, its regulation… We have a choice, and I think it’s good that French or European stakeholders are speaking out and saying: we want to build a model that belongs to us.”
Aurélien Hérault, Director of Innovation at Deezer
Artist-centric, a more equitable distribution model
Used by most of the industry, the market-centric model relies on distributing revenue generated proportionally to the total volume of streams. Particularly favorable to the largest streaming platforms, this model penalizes smaller artists who represent a tiny fraction of total streams. More equitable and intended to reflect what users actually listen to, the user-centric model, on the other hand, remains a chimera that struggles to gain traction due to its technical complexity and the difficulty of reaching a consensus among industry players. At the intersection of these two revenue-sharing systems, Deezer and Universal Music Group opened a middle ground by proposing the artist-centric model at the end of 2023!
In concrete terms, the model currently employed by the French music streaming giant redirects revenue to professional artists, identified by activity criteria: at least 1,000 streams per 500 unique monthly users . These same artists benefit from a double boost in visibility. This is one way, among other levers used by Deezer, to make manipulative strategies less profitable.
Artists' remuneration at the heart of the debate
Music streaming platforms are usually very discreet about how they compensate rights holders, each negotiating on its own behalf. Deezer's effort at transparency is a first. Just after these announcements, Qobuz , another French platform, made headlines by sharing its payout rate per stream , which is five times higher than the average.
To put things in perspective, if a track reaches 1,000 streams on Qobuz, it generates $18.73 for the rights holders, who then pay the artists, songwriters, and composers according to their contractual agreements. This transparency is commendable in an industry that often sorely lacks it.
Duetti's estimates in 2024
This is the first company to officially publish its payout ratio, although estimates are regularly calculated. Duetti had proposed an estimate at the end of 2024 that sparked considerable discussion.
User-centric model, superfans… other remuneration models for artists
For Aurélien Hérault, the artist-centric is a first step in the paradigm shift pursued by Deezer. The user-centric , focused on the individual behaviors of platform users, is a significant milestone. The recent development of the "superfan" segment, the new El Dorado for players in the music industry, is another important step in this long process toward a fairer model for both artists and users.
And the record labels are aware of this! In 2024, Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner, stated:
"Artists and superfans want deeper relationships: this is a relatively untapped and under-monetized area."
Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner
For the industry and for artists, the engagement of (super)fans may well resemble an El Dorado. And another business model that relegates streaming platforms to the sidelines.
While waiting for the emergence of disruptive players, Deezer continues to innovate to match technology and respect for artists, with 70 recommendation systems tested each year.
AI is here to stay, but it can be better regulated. However, everyone needs to agree to play by the same rules. And this is perhaps one of the platform's biggest challenges: getting all industry players to agree on a single model!
Rather than embarking on a witch hunt with a highly uncertain outcome, Deezer has chosen to regulate the use of an essential technology and restore value to real, live artists. By focusing on transparency and promoting new distribution models, the French platform hopes to inspire other players in the music industry, and perhaps even beyond. A bold move, but undoubtedly necessary if human creativity is to continue resonating through our speakers and headphones for a long time to come!
The PIX festival brings together the cultural and creative industries ecosystem
Aurélien Hérault was invited in April 2025 to the PIX festival organized by Plaine Images. PIX was created with the aim of showcasing the key players in the cultural and creative industries of the Hauts-de-France region.
PIX is both a time for meetings between players in the creative industries sector and a showcase of inspiration for professionals "from elsewhere" who want to take advantage of the good ideas, methods, creativity and innovations produced within the CCIs.
Find the full replay of the conference here:
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