By Gavin Boyle
Like all other creative sectors, the music industry has faced a slew of AI content in recent years, but musicians are fighting back.
They’re stemming the spread of AI-generated music while compensating those who have had their work imitated by the technology.
“If you don’t build this stuff into the infrastructure, you’re going to be chasing your tail,” said Matt Adell, confounder of Musical AI, a company working to identify AI-generated songs. “You can’t keep reacting to every new track or model – that doesn’t scale. You need infrastructure that works from training through distribution.”
To that effect, companies involved in all steps of AI-generated music, from the technology producing the songs to the platforms used to distribute them, are working to make AI-generated music more identifiable.
Music streaming platform Deezer, for example, now labels songs if they were AI-generated and limits their spread. In April, it identified 20% of the new songs being uploaded to the site as AI-generated, more than double what it was experiencing in January.
While identifying AI-generated music is important, companies are also compensating artists whose work is being imitated by the technology so their efforts are not wasted. In June 2024, several big-name record labels sued AI music generation companies for copyright infringement.
Related: Is AI a ‘Threat’ to Human Artistry? Music Industry Lobbying Group Explains
“These are straightforward cases of copyright infringement involving unlicensed copying of sound recordings on a massive scale. Suno and Udio are attempting to hide the full scope of their infringement rather than putting their services on a sound and lawful footing,” RIAA chief legal officer, Ken Doroshow, said.
Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA has worked to protect musicians from being ripped off by labels looking to cash in on AI music as well.
“This agreement ensures that our members are protected,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator after a deal was reached in april of 2024. “SAG-AFTRA stands firm in the belief that while technology can enhance the creative process, the essence of music must always be rooted in genuine human expression and experience. We look forward to working alongside our industry partners to foster an environment where innovation serves to elevate, not diminish, the unique value of each artist’s contribution to our rich cultural tapestry.”
Nonetheless, AI-generated music continues to flood the market. Last September, a producer releasing thousands of AI-generated songs per day was arrested for defrauding the industry by also automating the streaming of these songs.
It is clear that the music industry needs AI protections, and it is encouraging to see steps being taken now rather than after the problem is too big to fix.
Read Next: Producer Scammed Millions of Dollars Through AI Music. He Was Just Arrested.
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