James Blake has vented his frustrations about the music industry in 2026, noting how today’s artists are contending with bot farms and promotion tactics that are fuelled by financial incentives.

In his Instagram Story, Blake spotlights comment sections filled with bots, AI slop, and an entire system that is “faked”. Blake also believes many music critics (but not all) are now driven by financial backing from labels, and has since clarified that he feels bad for those who are underpaid and are being replaced by these figures.

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In his story, he writes, “Can’t trust a review because blogs/mags stopped making money so journalists now get paid off by labels. Can’t trust a comment section cause it’s full of fake fan accounts saying ‘omg their voice’ to create bandwagon effect. Can’t trust YouTube numbers because labels buy them.

“Can’t trust streaming numbers because labels pay for bot farms to drive discovery. Can’t even trust that a song was made by human beings. If you’re an artist, remember that in 2026 there’s not a single part of the system that isn’t faked. You’re probably doing better than you think.”

In the comment section, he goes on to add: “Just to be clear, I didn’t say *all journalists* – there are of course journalists who are not paid off or given perks for their critiques. Sadly they are becoming rarer and it has cheapened the craft (that I respect) for everyone else. It has also cast doubt upon the work being reviewed, which is a shame.

“This is obviously not a particularly new thing. In entertainment, and media at large, this has always existed. It has just become far more prevalent with the algorithms and bots making it easier to sway the public.”

He concludes, “I feel bad for the increasingly underpaid critics and journalists with integrity, that they’re dragged into it. I have come up alongside many of you and respect your work and dedication. But I’m watching you be replaced one by one for figures who will say what is asked of them.”

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Blake often speaks out against modern music industry struggles, including low royalty rates from streaming services and how artists lack ownership of fan data, meaning they don’t know how to directly reach out to those who support them. In 2024, he launched his own streaming platform, Vault.

Find out more about James Blake or view his full list of tour dates via the official James Blake website.

The post James Blake is frustrated with the “fake” music industry : “If you’re an artist…You’re probably doing better than you think” appeared first on MusicTech.