Industry Oct 6, 2026

AI Music Streaming Fraudster Sentenced for $8M Scam

In short

Michael Smith admitted earlier this year to using bots to stream fake songs billions of times in a first-ever criminal case over streaming fraud.

Originally published by Billboard
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Michael Smith has been sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for his involvement in an $8 million royalties scam that utilized artificial intelligence. Smith previously admitted to employing bots to generate billions of streams for fraudulent songs.

This case marks the first criminal prosecution for streaming fraud. The sentencing follows his earlier admission of guilt earlier this year. Originally reported by Billboard.