Radio stations worldwide are spinning AI-generated tracks with surprising frequency, and the numbers tell a story most listeners probably don’t realise they’re hearing.
Xania Monet, an AI artist created by Mississippi songwriter Telisha “Nikki” Jones using the Suno platform, has become the first AI performer to debut on a Billboard radio chart.
But new data from ticketing platform SeatPick reveals the scale goes far beyond that single chart placement.
The AI artist has clocked nearly 1,300 radio plays across the past three months, including almost 150 in the past 24 hours alone.
That translates to more than 82 hours of airplay since her first release on 8th August.
Do the maths: Xania Monet’s music plays once every nine minutes and 44 seconds somewhere in the world.
“The reach is difficult to estimate, but with almost 1,300 spins across radio stations worldwide, Xania Monet has potentially been heard by millions of radio listeners,” SeatPick CEO Gilad Zilberman explains.
“Though the actual figure is likely higher due to tracking platforms not being extremely accurate.”
Where DJs Are Playing AI Music
US radio stations account for 887 of the total plays, with Tallahassee (103 plays), Kansas City (82), and Oklahoma City (70) leading the charge. Greece (71 plays) and France (65) represent the strongest international markets, though both lag far behind American adoption.
The trend mirrors patterns we’ve seen with other AI artists. Breaking Rust recently made waves by charting with their AI-generated country track, while concerns about AI “slop” infiltrating streaming charts continue mounting across the industry.
Toronto radio personality Tristan Douglas told CBC he isn’t ready to hear AI music on the radio, saying it “sounds like a great southern R&B artist” comparable to Beyoncé or Fantasia. Despite his reservations, hundreds of stations worldwide already programme AI tracks regularly.
Comparing AI to Human Artists
When SeatPick analysed radio play counts for each artist’s 10 most popular songs over the past three months, the comparison proved startling:
- Leon Thomas: 169,832 plays
- Kehlani: 116,616
- Summer Walker: 68,575
- Addison Rae: 65,088
- FKA twigs: 6,503
- Xania Monet (AI): 1,283
Monet secured a $3 million recording contract with Hallwood Media after a bidding war, signing the deal in September.
Her track “How Was I Supposed to Know?” debuted at No. 30 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, marking the first time an AI artist achieved this milestone.
“The current Hot R&B Billboard number one artist, Kehlani, has received a reported 229,000 radio plays this year so far,” Zilberman notes. “For every 200 Kehlani plays, Xania Monet receives one. Although this sounds like a big gap, it’s worth remembering that Xania Monet only released her first song three months ago.”
Real artists including Kehlani, SZA, and Baby Tate have voiced strong opposition to Monet’s success.
Kehlani posted on TikTok that “the person is doing none of the work,” whilst Baby Tate wrote she felt “truly baffled, bewildered, and befuddled” by the development.
If current trends continue, SeatPick estimates Monet’s radio plays could triple by year’s end.
Whether listeners care about the distinction between human and AI-generated music remains the question radio programmers are now answering with their playlists.
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