
The Velvet Sundown: The AI Band Controversy Explained Berklee faculty explain what you need to know about the now-confirmed AI band with over 1 million streaming subscribers.
By
Tara Bellucci
July 22, 2025
The Velvet Sundowns images are also AI-generated.
Image courtesy of the Velvet Sundown
Everybody is talking about the Velvet Sundown, a prolific band that, in just a few months, released three albums and garnered over 1.4 million monthly listeners via its verified Spotify account.
If that sounds questionable, it is. The band has recently confirmed that its members are not quite human, not quite machine on its official social media accounts.
Who Are the Velvet Sundown? A TimelineThe Velvet Sundown is a band comprised of, according to Euronews, vocalist Gabe Farrow, guitarist Lennie West, bassist-synth artist Milo Rains, and percussionist Orion Rio Del Mar. In June 2025, the group debuted two albums, Dust and Silence and Floating on Echoes on Spotify. Reddit users started to question the bands legitimacy after finding the Velvet Sundowns songs populating their Discover Weekly playlists and not being able to find much about the group online.
In late June, after publications started to cover the band, a person under the pseudonym Andrew Frelon started a fake X account and pretended to be a spokesperson for the Velvet Sundown in what turned out to be an elaborate media hoax. Frelon fooled a lot of folks, including Rolling Stone.
On July 3, the real band confirmed on their official social media accounts that they are a synthetic music project guided by human creative direction, and composed, voiced, and visualized with the support of artificial intelligence.
This isn't a trick, they add, it's a mirror. An ongoing artistic provocation designed to challenge the boundaries of authorship, identity, and the future of music itself in the age of AI.
On the same day, Frelon published a Medium post explaining why he was posing as the band. It says that the hoax exposed numerous and large gaps in the verification process used by the majority of journalists, most likely occurring especially when they are chasing after a large and timely story such as that surrounding TVS. (Also, to be fair to them, I exploited a confusing situation around account ownership based on my professional knowledge in this domain. But they still should have done better.)
How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts
At Berklee's first AI and Music Innovation event, artists and educators explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity and artistic responsibility-and what today's musicians need to know.
Euronews posted a statement from a Spotify spokesperson, noting that we dont prioritize or benefit financially from music created using AI tools. All tracks are created, owned, and uploaded by licensed third parties.
And the band is still creating; a third album, Paper Sun Rebellion, dropped on July 14. As of this writing, their most popular song, Dust on the Wind, a '70s Southern rock-inspired tune, has nearly 2 million streams.
We chatted with Berklee faculty about the Velvet Sundown and the rise of AI music. Heres what you need to know:
AI Music and the Rise of Ghost ArtistsGhost artists have been part of music culture for generations, and AI is only the newest tool in that lineage, says Ben Camp, associate professor of songwriting.
Ben Camp
Image by Kelly Davidson
Modern listeners already cheer for artists who hide their faces or even their human form. Gorillaz present themselves as animated characters. Daft Punk performed behind helmets. MF DOOM rhymed in a mask. Hatsune Miku is a vocaloid hologram who draws stadium crowds that sing along to all of her hits. None of these acts were produced by AI, but they all maintained some level of anonymity for the artists. The anonymity was even a point of engagement for some fans, sparking debate or speculation about who the band is. Regarding the Velvet Sundown, I was surprised by how much the discussion was about the artist's identity, rather than the music, lyrics, and performance.
On the other hand, the talented Martha Wash sang Everybody Dance Now, but the band C+C Music Factory kept her from the public. Milli Vanilli was panned for singing to a pre-recorded backing track. Anonymity is a choice, and it comes with both benefits and drawbacks, they add.
Songwriters are often already anonymous, with Camp mentioning that many artists dont write their own songs. They cite Beyonc 's American Requiem, which credits 15 writers and producers.
AI technology helps makes the process of music making more accessible, they add. Fewer people are excluded from creating because . . . they grew up in a small town without a music scene, or because a disability is preventing them from performing their music.
How to Spot AI-Generated MusicThere are ways to tell if music is AI-generated, although the signs shift quickly, Camp says. Musically, it is becoming difficult to know whether a melody or chord progression started with a human or a model. Right now, sonic quality is the clearest clue. Some AI tracks still feel slightly compressed or watery, though fidelity improves month by month. A few years ago, the output was unusable in a pro setting; now it often is.
In terms of lyrics, Camp says AI might be a little more simplistic than human creations, but not always. Early AI work can lean on strict rhyming couplets, uniform line lengths, or a hokey greeting card style tone. But those traits also show up with first semester songwriting students until they really learn their craft. Whether you collaborate with a person or a machine, its worth it to craft and refine the song until it carries your own voice.
Similarly to samplers or synthesizers before it, AI is a tool, not a genre.Ben Camp, associate professor, s
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
26/07/2025
IABM, the International Trade Association for Broadcast and Media Technology, has confirmed the appointment of its Members' Board for 2025, following the co...
26/07/2025
BALTIMORE In another sign that dealmaking for U.S. TV stations may be heating up amid hopes that regulators will eliminate or loosen broadcast ownership caps, S...
26/07/2025
LISBON wTVision, a provider of real-time graphics and broadcast services, has established a strategic alliance with Adistec that will see Adistec will distribut...
26/07/2025
WASHINGTON While most broadcasters remain united behind the NAB's proposal to cut off ATSC signals in 2028 and 2030, some broadcasters and LPTV owners conti...
26/07/2025
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) has announced that it worked with the U.S. Soccer Federation during the recent U.S. Men's National ...
26/07/2025
Witbe has announced that it will unveil its Agentic AI solution and highlight a number of new innovations and partnerships during IBC2025, which will be held in...
26/07/2025
Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association Celebrate First-Ever Concert at Br...
25/07/2025
By Lucy Spicer
At Sundance Institute, we're always in awe of the power independent film has to bring people together. That's why we love asking filmmak...
25/07/2025
Southeast Asia's music scene is one of the most culturally diverse and it's not just growing, it's exploding. Here, listeners actively champion home...
25/07/2025
Just in time for the release of Happy Gilmore 2, Netflix is turning to Spotify t...
25/07/2025
That Great Gretsch Sound: The Iconic Gear that Made Music History From the Beatles on Ed Sullivan to jazz drumming evolution, Gretsch has been there. Listen t...
25/07/2025
NEW YORK VideoAmp said it has expanded its longstanding work with Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal that will see WBD leverage the ad-tech firm's advanced da...
25/07/2025
LONDON Global entertainment and media industry revenue edged towards $3 trillion in revenue in 2024 and is forecast to hit $3.5 trillion in 2029 as advertising ...
25/07/2025
RASTATT, Germany Lawo today released HOME 4.0, the latest version of its IP-native management platform with major updates, including architectural improvements,...
25/07/2025
WASHINGTON After months of delays and controversy, the Federal Communications Commission has finally issued an Order approving the $8 billion Skydance merger wi...
25/07/2025
Atomos is proud to announce the all-new Ninja TX, a completely re-engineered and advanced addition to the acclaimed Ninja monitor-recorder family. While other N...
25/07/2025
OOONA, a global leader in professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, announced today that ITV has adopted its flagship pl...
25/07/2025
Custom Consoles will promote its full range of broadcast control room and production suite furniture at IBC 2025, Amsterdam, 12-15 September. Exhibiting on stan...
25/07/2025
Witbe (Euronext Growth FR0013143872 ALWIT), the global leader in post-device video testing and real-time monitoring, today announced the launch of Witbe Age...
25/07/2025
Witbe
IBC 2025 Exhibitor Preview
September 10-15
Amsterdam
Stand 5.F84
As the broadcast and streaming landscape evolves, providers are under pressure to de...
25/07/2025
IBC2025 Exhibitor Preview
September 12-15
Amsterdam
Stand 10.A31 & 10.A38
At the 2025 IBC Show, Riedel Communications will showcase its latest innovations i...
25/07/2025
Zero Density today announced the release of Reality 5.6, the latest update to its comprehensive solution for virtual studio production and on-air graphics. This...
25/07/2025
Professional Wireless Systems (PWS), a leading provider of wireless audio solutions, proudly supported the U.S. Soccer Federation during the recent U.S. Men'...
25/07/2025
European technology developer Profuz Digital is delighted to confirm that Proximus Media House has selected the SubtitleNEXT subtitling software platform.
Prox...
25/07/2025
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, will spotlight the full integration of Spi...
25/07/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will use IBC2025 (Stand 1.C61) to showcase how the combined power of its award-winning X Platform hardw...
25/07/2025
MediaKind today announced that MK.IO, its self-serve cloud video streaming platform, has surpassed 500 active customers worldwide within two years of launch. Th...
25/07/2025
At IBC2025, VisualOn will showcase its latest AI-driven video solutions, helping providers improve quality, cut bandwidth costs, and unlock new revenue. With ma...
25/07/2025
With these two satellites, the O3b mPOWER constellation continues to set the standard for global connectivity
Cape Canaveral, 22 July 2025 - The latest pair of...
25/07/2025
Berklee Partners with Playing for Legacy for 2025 Summer Program Students from around the world gain real-world music industry experience through hands-on art...
25/07/2025
Junji Ito Inducted Into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame at San Diego C...
25/07/2025
Live from UEFA Women's Euro 2025: RTVE executive producer of sport Moira Gar...
25/07/2025
Live from UEFA Women's Euro 2025: RTVE executive producer of sport Moira Gar...
25/07/2025
Live from UEFA Women's Euro 2025: Inside the production nuts and bolts at IT...
25/07/2025
Live from UEFA Women's Euro 2025: Broadcast facts and camera plan for the En...
25/07/2025
PMY Group's Logan Meier on the Unique Pop Up Nassau County International C...
25/07/2025
Friday 25 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To ...
25/07/2025
Back to All News
Physical 100: Italy: Who Will Endure Until the End? Coming Soo...
24/07/2025
Diane Quon speaks with an advisor at Sundance Institute's 2019 Creative Producing Lab. (Photo by Jen Fairchild)...
24/07/2025
(L-R) Heidi Ewing, Iselin Breivold, Hege Birch Wik, Thor-Atle Svortevik, and Rachel Grady attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival FOLKTALES premiere at Library...
24/07/2025
NITV and SBS to celebrate the significance and spectacle of the 25th Garma Festi...
24/07/2025
Pure Drama continues with the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift hot on the wheels...
24/07/2025
Wacom just launched the next generation of display tablets, the Cintiq pen & tou...
24/07/2025
L3Harris Technologies Integrated Mission Systems President Jon Rambeau and ELT Group CEO and COO Domitilla Benigni take part in a ceremonial signing to formaliz...
24/07/2025
Highlights*
Orders of $8.3 billion; book-to-bill of 1.5x
Revenue of $5.4 bill...
24/07/2025
BALTIMORE Sinclair will make the first public showing of a NextGen TV-enabled Android media tablet with integrated ATSC 3.0 receiver and antenna during the publ...