Inside the Playbook: Bryan Johnson on AI Music, Fraud & Royalties
Inside the Playbook: Bryan Johnson on AI Music, Fraud & Royalties  
Podcast: The Manager's Playbook
Published On: Thu May 14 2026
Description: How is Spotify handling AI music, fake streams, and artist impersonation?In this clip from The Manager’s Playbook, Mauricio Ruiz and Bryan Johnson from Spotify discuss how AI is changing the music business and what it means for artists, songwriters, rights holders, and listeners.Bryan breaks down Spotify’s approach to AI music, including spam filters, impersonation policies, AI credits, artificial streaming, and the removal of around 75 million spammy tracks over the past year.They also discuss prompt-generated AI songs, low listener engagement, artist opt-in, AI derivatives, UGC remixes, copyright protection, and why fair compensation for songwriters and publishers will be a major part of the conversation going forward.For artists, managers, songwriters, producers, and music executives, this is a clear look at where AI music is headed and why artist protection still has to come first.Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/Listen to the full episode here -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpX71F9JklAmZAEdXsRKA?si=877g60VXRImVmjV0j-ud6AWatch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybookTopics Covered:00:00 AI Music and Royalty Dilution00:59 Spotify’s AI Music Policies01:29 Spam Tracks and Fake Streams02:35 AI Artists vs Music Fraud04:48 Low Engagement on AI Songs05:46 Music Technology and Fear07:36 AI Derivatives and Artist Opt-In09:42 Artist Rights and Compensation10:18 Publishers, Songwriters, and UGC