Music of The Future
It will be increasingly difficult to ignore the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays in reshaping the music business. AI has begun to establish itself in many different sectors of the industry that cohesively operate towards bringing music to our ears. It has jump-started a rapid transformation in how music is created, produced, distributed, and consumed (Henkin 2023). Its ability to not only generate music, but enhance existing content has led to both excitement and concern among musicians and industry professionals (Muller 2023). As the industry confronts this new technology, it will be important to take into account its capabilities, usage, and legal implications.
AI tools are utilized in several steps of the song making process. The technology can assist artists with both song writing and composition by generating melodies, chord progressions, and lyrics (Henkin 2023). This is made possible through tools like Amper Music's Songwriter, which generates royalty-free content based on entered parameters like genre and lyrics (Muller 2023). Another AI music tool is AIVA, which creates compositions based on training from thousands of iconic scores (Muller 2023). There are also tools that are used for mixing and mastering tracks, like Mix Monolith and LANDR AI Mastering, which automate the mixing processes and can analyze tracks to provide mastering options (Muller 2023). Furthermore, AI has the ability to clone voices using voice synthesis technology, which will replicate the pitch and tone of any artist's voice and show what they might sound like over any track using any lyrics (Leight 2023). Another AI tool allows for stem separation, which is the ability to split a track into the different components that make it up. For example, you can isolate just the drums or the melody, and then use that component to create a new song or remix (Leight 2023). These AI tools are just a few examples of how music creation has become more achievable. However, it has raised concerns about market oversaturation, which could then affect the market share of major labels (Leight 2023). When taking a closer look at AI usage in the industry, Ditto, a music distribution company, conducted a survey and found that a considerable 60% of artists had been using the technology in their music projects while only 28% disapproved of its usage (Muller 2023).
Although AI can help artists and musicians streamline their workflow, it raises significant ethical and legal issues, especially concerning copyright and intellectual property (Muller 2023). Copyright infringement becomes an issue as AI models are often trained on extensive, unlicensed datasets, potentially infringing on existing copyrights (Seabrook 2024). Fair compensation and attribution is a major problem. Debates center around the proper way to compensate and credit artists whose work is used to train AI algorithms. Because the technology is so new, the legal ramifications and ethical expectations of its use are unclear, and it can be difficult to assess how much the algorithm has stolen from the original artist (Muller 2023). This results in the unauthorized use of an artist's name and likeness, which is replicated without their permission. The recent SAG-AFTRA strike addressed this issue for the protection of writers and actors (Muller 2023). The proliferation of AI voice replication is exemplified by many "Fake Drake" songs circulating around social media and raises conversation about the right of publicity. Lucien Grainge, the head of Universal Music Group, views this unlicensed use of AI-generated voices and styles “as a form of identity theft” stating that “it’s ‘immoral’”(Seabrook 2024). Although Grainge sees many problems with AI’s current usage, his strategy for the future reflects his past approach to disruptive technologies like streaming: embrace the technology while implementing necessary safeguards (Seabrook 2024).
Many players in the music industry have followed Grainge’s lead to both embrace and reform the use of AI technology. They accept that it is here to stay while also aiming for its improvement in the future. UMG has urged streaming services to block AI-generated songs that have used their artists' music to train algorithms. They have also partnered with the AI company Endel, enabling their own artists to create AI-driven versions of their songs (Seabrook 2024). YouTube has also launched the Music AI Incubator in partnership with UMG, with an end goal of responsible AI use, protection for music partners, and refinement of safety protocols (Seabrook 2024). Additionally, YouTube has implemented Dream Track, which experiments with AI-generated vocals and explores the monetization of synthetic vocals (Seabrooke 2024). Streaming platforms like Spotify have started to integrate AI into their interfaces by personalizing music recommendations and populating playlists (Berger 2024). On the legal side, music publishers, including UMG among others, have sued AI companies like Anthropic for copyright infringement. Settlements of cases like this will set legal precedents related to the use of AI technology in the music industry and provide more transparency as to how it should be used in the future.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence into the music industry presents a complex and evolving landscape. On the one hand, AI offers unprecedented tools for music creation, enabling a new wave of accessibility and experimentation. On the other, it ignites significant ethical and legal concerns, particularly surrounding copyright infringement, the unauthorized replication of artists’ voices, and the potential for market saturation (Chow 2023). Reactions from players within the music industry, ranging from excitement about new creative avenues to profound anxiety over job displacement and lack of artistic integrity, underscore the deeply transformative nature of this technology (Chow 2023). As the industry grapples with these shifts, evidenced by legal battles and calls for clearer regulations, many will attempt to harness the power of AI to enhance human creativity and innovation. We hope the music industry will fight to protect the rights, livelihoods, and artistic value contributed by human musicians because the future of this technology and its place in music remains unclear.
References
Berger, Virginie. “Ai’s Impact on Music in 2025: Licensing, Creativity and Industry Survival.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/virginieberger/2024/12/30/ais-impact-on-music-in-2025-licensing-c reativity-and-industry-survival/.
Chow, Andrew R. “How Ai Is Transforming Music.” Time, Time, 4 Dec. 2023, time.com/6340294/ai-transform-music-2023/.
Henkin, David. “Orchestrating the Future-AI in the Music Industry.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/davidhenkin/2023/12/05/orchestrating-the-future-ai-in-the-music-in dustry/.
Leight, Elias, and Kristin Robinson. “5 Ways AI Has Already Changed the Music Industry.” Billboard, Billboard, 8 Aug. 2024, www.billboard.com/lists/ways-ai-has-changed-music-industry-artificial-intelligence/.
Seabrook, John. “Inside the Music Industry’s High-Stakes A.I. Experiments.” The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/02/05/inside-the-music-industrys-high-stakes-ai-exp eriments?_sp=acccc088-2803-4819-b980-41640471e6a3.1739061821805.
Smith-Muller, Talia. “Ai Music: What Musicians Need to Know.” Berklee Online Take Note, 30 Jan. 2024, online.berklee.edu/takenote/ai-music-what-musicians-need-to-know/.