Photo Credit: Christmas Melodies YouTube Channel
Families seeking Christmas background music on YouTube during the holidays instead found AI-generated mash-up carols. The effect is subtle, since these Christmas compilations often start with a song that is only slightly altered before devolving into Christmas chaos.
The YouTube compilation ‘Best of 1950s to 1970s Christmas Carols’ by a channel called Christmas Melodies has more than 6.4 million views. But the playlist itself seems to be AI-generated. As pointed out by 404 Media, the playlist sounds relatively normal until the 36:55 mark. The lyrics for the song “O Little Town of Bethlehem” play, but the backing melody is that of “Silent Night.”
Another example from this video is a song labeled “Oh Holy Night” by ‘Nei Diamond.’ The song appears to be a complete AI generated fabrication, masked by a typo of Neil Diamond’s name—who absolutely is not singing the AI song playing. The same happens with “The First Noel,” which is attributed to Nat King Cole. The only problem is that Nat King Cole never covered that song solo and the choir is doing some decidedly unhuman singing in the background.
The YouTube channel ‘Christmas Melodies’ seems to be full of these compilation videos, seemingly preying on a families’ desire to have uninterrupted Christmas music in the background. Many of the videos feature AI-generated art (seen above) leading me to question if anything about them is authentic.
Of course, YouTube isn’t the only progenitor of AI slop this holiday season. A reddit thread points out completely fabricated artists that have appeared on Christmas playlists on Spotify. Artists like Dean Snowfield, North Star Notesmiths, Sleighbelle, Frosty Nights, The Humbugs, Snowdrift Sleighs, and Daniel & The Holly Jollies all appear on Spotify—and no where else.
Dean Snowfield’s songs sound like MIDI mixes with a stilted singing layered over the video-game inspired music. Many of the Christmas ghost artists found their way onto playlists alongside real Christmas music, disguised as actual music and racking up plays right alongside it.