Bandcamp bans AI generated music
- Text by Isaac Muk
- Photography by Shutterstock
Human creativity — The new policy applies to music created “wholly or in substantial part” using artificial intelligence tools, with its team reserving the right to remove any suspected tracks from the platform.
Online music record store and distribution platform Bandcamp has announced a ban on music created using generative AI.
The updated policy was revealed yesterday (January 13) via its blog, in which the company said that all music “that is wholly or in substantial part by AI” will be prohibited on the platform. It added that “any use of tools to impersonate other artists or styles is strictly prohibited”.
Any music that is suspected of being AI generated may be removed by the Bandcamp team, while reporting tools allow users to flag music that they suspect to have been made using AI.
The statement read: “Bandcamp’s mission is to help spread the healing power of music by building a community where artists thrice through the direct support of their fans. We believe that the human connection found through music is a vital part of our society and culture, and that music is much more than a product to be consumed.”
It continued: “Similarly, musicians are more than mere producers of sound. They are vital members of our communities, our culture, and our social fabric. Bandcamp was built to directly connect artists and their fans, and to make it easy for fans to support artists equitably so that they can keep making music.”
The announcement comes at a time when AI music is increasingly entering people’s feeds. Last year, The Guardian reported that an AI-generated band got 1 million plays on Spotify, while the streaming service removed 75 million “spammy” tracks from its platform between September 2024 and September 2025.
Bandcamp has a track record of attempting to give artists a fair deal. In November, Bandcamp announced that Bandcamp Fridays – when the platform waives its share of revenue to ensure that 100% goes to artists – is set to continue in 2026. The company claims that the venture has led to over $120 million (£90 million) going directly to musicians.
Isaac Muk is Huck’s digital editor. Follow him on Bluesky.
Buy your copy of Huck 82 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
American Football: The One With The Feelings
Many moons — The Midwest emo architects transformed a college experiment into a coming-of-age soundtrack. 25 years on, their latest iteration sees them bottle the same magic for the ups and downs of middle life.
Written by: Tracy Kawalik
London’s largest indoor skatepark to be demolished for padel courts
Better Extreme — The Barking skatepark’s fate follows that of similar indoor spaces in recent years, with operators GLL citing falling visitor numbers as the reason behind the decision.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Activists replace Union Jacks with ‘Tax The Rich’ flags in Farage’s Clacton
Take Back Power — It comes after the Reform UK leader resigned as an MP and triggered a by-election in the constituency, following scrutiny over a £5 million donation that he had not declared.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Joe James: “I will never be absent in my children’s lives because I know it doesn’t feel nice”
Hard Feelings — As the silky MC prepares to release his debut album ‘The Ends Never Ends’, he joins our column on fatherhood and masculinity to discuss leaving his childhood home at 16, the manosphere and his risk-embracing approach to life.
Written by: Robert Kazandjian
Analogue Appreciation: mary in the junkyard
Role Model Hermit — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s art rock fabulists mary in the junkyard.
Written by: mary in the junkyard
New exhibition spotlights the ongoing impact of Japanese Women Photographers
1950s to Now — Taking place at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, it showcases work by 27 artists from the past seven decades including Mikiko Hara, Yurie Nagashima and Mao Ishikawa.
Written by: Isaac Muk
