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AI's impact on music industry: Balancing quality and volume - Transformation of Traditional Music Education: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Music Industry
The future is here, and it's singing - computer-generated music. With specialized providers pushing a button, songs devoid of a human creator are a reality. However, this technology raises concerns about the ethics of using artists' works without their consent.
Streaming service Deezer receives an astounding 20,000 AI-created tracks daily, as announced in April. While the quality may not rival handcrafted tunes, according to German singer Levina to dpa, the sheer volume of content on streaming platforms is the real issue. “And when so much of it is still being flooded with AI, it makes it harder (for musicians) to stand out,” says the German ESC participant of 2007.
Unfair Distribution of Revenue
Most musicians do not denounce the use of AI entirely; rather, they find the unauthorized use of their songs uncomfortable. “AI can provide creative approaches that can later be emulated, but the problem lies in the fact that companies are using our songs without our consent," says the AnnenMayKantereit guitarist, Christopher Annen. “A lot of heart and soul is put into our songs, and personal stories flow in. With that, a company has developed an app with which millions and billions in profit are made - that's simply not fair.”
Uneven distribution of income is not a new problem for the music industry. AI serves as an accelerant to an existing fire, as Matthias Hornschuh from the “Copyright Initiative” puts it. Today's dominant streaming services have long been allowing the majority of incomes to slip away from many artists. A study funded by the federal government reports that by 2023, 75% of all streaming service revenues went to only 0.1% of artists.
Legal Challenges Ahead
The performing rights organization Gema fears that AI could exacerbate this problem. Representing the copyrights of around 95,000 members in the German music industry, Gema has even taken legal action against OpenAI, the provider of ChatGPT, and Suno, an AI startup, claiming copyright infringement.
Songwriters and composers are particularly dependent on funds paid by Gema. AI providers need to fulfill their duty and pay them, according to Hornschuh, as this is also beneficial for the companies, as they require constant new, human-produced music to feed their AI models.
Transparency for a Safer Space
Musicians request more transparency from streaming platforms, such as indicating AI-generated tracks. Artists need more clarity about the payments, as no one understands the complex workings behind the scenes and the end-goal for the money, as stated by Levina.
However, Annen believes that humans have a unique edge over AI - their emotional experiences. “AI might replicate some aspects of music, but it cannot evoke emotions, such as making someone feel less alone because another person has experienced that emotion," explains Annen. "The AI hasn't felt love, heartbreak, or joy.”
- Music
- Artists
- Streaming
- Computer
- Music Industry
- At the Push of a Button
- Christopher Annen
- Lyrics
- Berlin
- Deezer
- Helene Fischer
- ESC
- Great Britain
- AnnenMayKantereit
Extra Insights:
- The recording industry is grappling with the rise of AI-generated music, which threatens intellectual property rights and livelihoods of musicians and other industry professionals. Record labels argue that AI-generated songs often use existing music for training, potentially leading to litigation and the need for regulation[1][3].
- AI-generated music is driving streaming farm fraud, resulting in substantial financial losses for the industry. This scheme involves using bots to artificially inflate stream counts and extract royalty payments, estimated to cost the industry at least a billion dollars yearly[4].
- Despite the challenges, music companies see potential opportunities with AI, and some are even negotiating equity stakes in AI startups to ensure revenue sharing and safeguard their content[3].
- The rise of AI-generated music in the music industry has raised concerns about intellectual property rights and the livelihoods of artists, as AI could potentially use existing music for training without proper authorization.
- Music companies recognize the potential opportunities that AI offers, and some are even investing in AI startups to secure revenue sharing and safeguard their content.
