Liz Pelly's book covers this in depth. It's mostly in Spotify's mood and activity playlists ('Chill Vibes', 'Deep Focus', 'Peaceful Piano'). Spotify realized they could save on royalties by paying producers a flat fee to bang out dozens of tracks under fake artist names. "Ghost artists" with no online presence, no merch, no tours, just millions of streams. Pelly calls it 'leanback listening' - music designed to fill silence rather than be actively chosen. If you mainly listen to specific artists you seek out, you'd never encounter it.

The tricky part is where you draw the line. A guitarist using auto-tune, a producer using loop libraries, a bedroom artist using preset drums - at what point does the tool become the creator? Focusing on 'wholly or largely' AI-generated feels like the right call. It's about whether a human is at the center of the creative process.

The working dog analogy really resonated. I've noticed this same trait in teachers, nurses, even parents; that intrinsic satisfaction from being needed. The tricky part is knowing when it tips from fulfilling to self-depleting.