Terrecon researchers uncovered 981 tracks branded as pro‑Russian war propaganda, the vast majority released after 2024 when AI tools such as Sudo and Udio flooded the market. The study, cited by The New York Times, found the songs streamed millions of times across Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Deezer, frequently featuring ethnic slurs and glorifying Russian soldiers.
One track, produced on the Suno platform and uploaded to YouTube, already amassed more than two million views in two years. The accompanying video montage, heavy with artillery imagery, exemplifies how the audio‑visual package is engineered to dehumanise Ukrainians while framing the conflict as a "necessary defence".
The Russian Internet Development Institute, a Kremlin‑aligned body, reportedly promoted over 350 war‑themed projects during the same period. Sources cited in the NYT report say the institute works closely with state media to broadcast patriotic narratives, a pattern that now extends into the realm of AI‑generated music.
Facing a surge of AI content, Spotify has activated a policy that tags songs as AI‑generated and removes them from recommendation algorithms. Deezer and YouTube Music require labels for AI output, but their moderation systems largely flag only explicit banned words, leaving broader propagandistic themes unchecked. The platforms are now reviewing their algorithms to better detect and curb state‑sponsored propaganda.