Alarming study reveals that almost 40 per cent of music released globally in July 2026 used AI

“Just stop your crying, it's a sign of the times...”

What do you know about it, Harry Styles? Some signs are worth crying over.

Here’s one that is sure to provoke some sobbing: As AI-generated music continues to flood streaming platforms, a new study has revealed that almost 40 per cent of new music released globally in July 2026 used AI in its creation.

That alarming figure comes from a new survey by SubmitHub, an online platform that allows users to submit music to playlists and blogs. They analysed over a million pieces of music and using their own AI detector, SH Labs, found that 23.2 per cent of them were fully AI-generated.

In addition to that, 15.3 per cent were found to have used elements of AI-generated audio that had been "modified or processed" by humans. That totals to a whopping 38.5 per cent of all music released last month to have been made with the involvement of AI.

SubmitHub was launched SH Labs earlier this summer in order to highlight a “growing disclosure problem” with artificial intelligence in music. Their AI detection tool is being used by Bandcamp and Traxsource to uncover the use of AI in music, as well as GEMA, the performance rights organisation which recently won a landmark court case against AI music generator platform Suno.

In a statement, SubmitHub’s founder Jason Grishkoff said: "I think the path forward for AI music is disclosure. People should be able to decide for themselves whether they want to engage with AI-generated music.”

He added: “Our job is to give them enough information to make that choice."

These recent figures follow fresh stats from Deezer, who reported that AI tracks accounted for more than half of all new daily uploads in June. They also follow a 2025 study that found that 97 per cent of people “can’t tell the difference between real and AI music”.

Certain organisations are starting to finally wake up to the concerns of real artists and music lovers expressing concerns over the AI slop dished out on streaming platforms.

For instance, Bandcamp banned all AI-created music at the start of 2026, stating that they “reserve the right to remove any music on suspicion of being AI-generated", while streaming giant Spotify recently announced that it will begin adding an “AI Persona” badge to some artist profiles, helping listeners identify when an artist’s music may have been generated using artificial intelligence. That initiative starts in September.

While artists from Kate Bush to Queen’s Brian May have spoken out on the existential crisis AI represents to creatives, stating that “the unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works”, there are some creatives who have taken a more decomplexed approach to the use of the controversial technology.

Empire Of The Sun’s Luke Steele recently admitted that he uses AI to make music; Boy George said he used AI to help write his dire pro-Israel reggae track ‘We Will Dance Again’ (something which eventually led it to be removed from Bandcamp for violating its AI rules); and one recent artist who has provoked the ire of his peers is American rapper Tyga.

The latter admitted he used AI as a “tool” on his new (and critically panned) album, ‘$tarface’. Tyga used AI to generate the retro synths on his album, framing it the “tool” as being “no different than when Auto-Tune came out.”

Regardless, the album has been savaged by critics, with Pitchfork giving it the lowest possible rating of 0/10, describing ‘$tarface’ as “smug and complacent and depressing” and that “its very existence has made the world a worse place.”

Artists have called out Tyga – including Doja Cat, who spoke for many music lovers when she called him a “penis for making an AI album”.

A literal and figurative tool for some; a complete scam for others.

In a further sign that certain content creators are becoming more comfortable / shameless in embracing AI slop, American record prodcuer and rapper Timbaland has launched an “A-Pop” venture called Stage Zero and signed its first act, TaTa, which he describes as “a living, learning, autonomous music artist built with AI.”

These examples and recent figures, on top of the harrowing “music” by AI creations Tilly Norwood, Velvet Sundown and Breaking Rust - who compete with real artists for listening time as well as royalties - show that one thing is clear. We’re not out of the artificial woods yet.