Tencent Music removes 250 000 tracks amid tighter copyright and AI controls

The figures were published in the company’s 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, released in April. The report also stated that more than 600 000 cases involving what it described as “high-risk copyright content” were reviewed during the period.

According to the company, the takedowns included content flagged through a combination of AI-based detection systems and manual review. The material was identified as either violating platform policies or posing “reputational risks”.

A further 27 000 songs were removed in relation to practices the company categorises as “song theft”, “song laundering” and “trend hijacking”, which it describes as increasingly sophisticated forms of manipulation within the digital music ecosystem.

Tencent Music defines “song theft” as the alteration of rights ownership information, “song laundering” as plagiarism or modification of existing works, and “trend hijacking” as content designed to exploit platform algorithms for commercial gain. The company said such practices “undermine the legitimate rights of original creators, negatively affect their income and creative motivation, and mislead users through speculative practices, ultimately disrupting industry order.”

To address these issues, the company said it has deployed a range of detection tools, including audio fingerprinting, voiceprint recognition, melody comparison and text similarity analysis to monitor its catalogue.

It also introduced an updated governance framework in 2025, including version 2.0 of its Code of Conduct for Inappropriate Content Management. The framework introduces tiered enforcement mechanisms with scoring systems and graduated responses.

The report further detailed a “health rating” system for music labels, designed to assess ongoing compliance. Labels that fail to meet required standards may face sanctions ranging from warnings and corrective measures to suspension or termination of agreements.

Alongside traditional copyright enforcement, Tencent Music said it has expanded its oversight of artificial intelligence-generated content. The company now identifies and labels AI-generated material using audio modelling systems and applies governance measures based on internal rules.

It also said it has established a “regular content security assessment and detection mechanism” for AI-generated works. On AI model training, the company stated it follows “legally compliant licensing” practices and only uses content after obtaining permission from rights holders.

The report added that AI-specific clauses have been incorporated into user agreements to clarify content usage rights, while collaboration with music labels continues on systems to detect unauthorised AI-generated material.

The disclosure comes amid wider industry debate over AI-generated music and copyright protection. Streaming platforms globally are introducing varying approaches to identification and regulation of AI-assisted content.

Tencent Music also reported that, as of 31 December 2025, its intellectual property portfolio included more than 5,500 patent applications, over 6,500 trademark applications, and 741 registered software copyrights. Its patents increasingly focus on generative AI, recommendation systems and audio technologies.

However, the company continues to face legal challenges. Its annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission indicated 160 ongoing copyright-related lawsuits at the end of 2025, with claims totalling approximately RMB 187.1 million (about US$26.8 million). The company said it does not expect these cases to have a material impact on its operations.

During the year, Tencent Music also entered into a strategic copyright cooperation agreement with the Music Copyright Society of China, aimed at improving licensing systems and enforcement mechanisms for lyrics and compositions. It also participates in industry and policy bodies focused on AI copyright standards and digital music regulation.

The company said its copyright protection practices have been presented at international forums, including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly, as examples of governance in the digital music sector.

Separately, Tencent Music has contributed to industry standards on AI content labelling and audio technology, including guidelines for metadata tagging of AI-generated audio and standards for high-quality and spatial audio playback systems.