Bandcamp announced Tuesday it will ban AI-generated music from its platform, making it the first major streaming service to prohibit such content outright.

“We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans,” the company wrote in a statement posted to the r/bandcamp subreddit. Under the new policy, music generated wholly or substantially by AI is no longer permitted on the platform.

The decision comes as AI-generated content has become a growing problem across streaming services. According to Deezer, over 50,000 fully AI-generated tracks are uploaded to its service daily—accounting for a third of all new music submissions. The issue has affected major artists as well, including bands like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who have been victims of AI impostors posting counterfeit tracks. Spotify has implemented spam filters and impersonation rules, but it still allows AI-generated music with proper disclosure.

Bandcamp’s policy empowers users to flag suspected AI content through reporting tools, and the company reserves the right to remove music on suspicion of being AI-generated. However, the company has not detailed how it will verify reported content or distinguish between music that uses AI as a production tool versus music substantially created by AI.

The announcement was overwhelmingly welcomed by the music community, though questions about enforcement remain. The company said it will communicate policy updates as the AI landscape evolves.

Bandcamp has long positioned itself as an artist-first platform, paying out $154 million through its Bandcamp Fridays program over the past five years. Its ban on AI music reinforces that commitment, even as implementation details remain unclear.

Read Bandcamp’s full statement below.

Happy New Year, r/bandcamp!

Hope you all enjoyed the Holiday Guide (bandcamp.com/2025) and your 2025 Bandcamp recaps.

Something that always strikes us as we put together a roundup like this is the sheer quantity of human creativity and passion that artists express on Bandcamp every single day. The fact that Bandcamp is home to such a vibrant community of real people making incredible music is something we want to protect and maintain.

Today, in line with that goal, we’re articulating our policy on generative AI. We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans.

Our guidelines for generative AI in music and audio are as follows:

    • Music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp. 
    • Any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles is strictly prohibited in accordance with our existing policies prohibiting impersonation and intellectual property infringement.

If you encounter music or audio that appears to be made entirely or with heavy reliance on generative AI, please use our reporting tools to flag the content for review by our team**. We reserve the right to remove any music on suspicion of being AI generated.**

We will be sure to communicate any updates to the policy as the rapidly changing generative AI space develops. Given the response around this to our previous posts, we hope this news is welcomed. We wish you all an amazing 2026.

Thank you.

Bandcamp Support