AI Music Fraudster Mike Smith Pleads Guilty To Ripping Off Streaming Services

Skip to ContentNewsSinger-Songwriter Pleads Guilty To Defauding Streaming Services Of $8 Million With AI-Generated SongsBy Chris DeVille4:51 PM EDT on March 19, 2026Share on FacebookShare on RedditShare on EmailShare on BlueskyJoshua Black Wilkins A North Carolina singer-songwriter is on the hook for more than $8 million in fraudulent streaming royalties racked up with AI-generated tracks and bots, Rolling Stone reports. In US district court today, Mike Smith, 54, pled guilty to defrauding streaming services by flooding them with hundreds of thousands of AI-generated tracks and accumulating billions of plays with bots. He initially evaded detection by spreading the tracks across thousands of profiles on several streaming services including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music. Smith spent years trying to build a career as a musical artist (that's his 2015 promo photo above) before launching his AI scam, which was detailed in a Rolling Stone investigation published in January.Before before US District Judge John G. Koeltl, Smith pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He agreed to forfeit $8,091,843.64 while awaiting sentencing on July 29. His crime carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A letter from the Justice Department recommends three years’ supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000."Michael Smith generated thousands of fake songs using artificial intelligence and then streamed those fake songs billions of times,” Jay Clayton, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. "Although the songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real. Millions of dollars in royalties that Smith diverted from real, deserving artists and rights holders. Smith’s brazen scheme is over, as he stands convicted of a federal crime for his AI-assisted fraud."Smith's lawyer, Noell Tin, has not commented.Share on FacebookShare on RedditShare on EmailShare on BlueskyChris DeVille@chrisdevilleGET THE STEREOGUM DIGESTThe week's most important music stories and least important music memes.EmailSign upMore from NewsExplore NewsNewsCY Fest Loses Over A Dozen Bands Amid Boycott, New Promoter Steps In Then Backs OutMarch 19, 2026Newsfakemink Announces North American, UK, European ToursMarch 19, 2026NewsTom Waits Is In Martin McDonagh’s New Movie Wild Horse NineMarch 19, 2026NewsWatch Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming Activate Pop-Star Mode On FallonMarch 19, 2026NewsElijah Wood Not Beating The “DJ Frodo” Allegations With Lord Of The Rings RaveMarch 19, 2026NewsAfroman Wins Defamation Case Over Music Videos Mocking Ohio CopsMarch 19, 2026