“Responsible” AI Products

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AI-generated music is shifting from novelty to norm.

Incidents of AI-cloned artists continue to make headlines.

A viral AI-generated song using voice clones of Drake and The Weeknd was removed from streaming services in 2023.

A scammer managed to sell multiple leaked Frank Ocean tracks for thousands of dollars, but Frank didn’t record the tracks. The songs were made with AI and sold as leaked releases on Discord to music collectors.

In August, award-winning singer Emily Portman got a message from a fan praising her new album and saying, "English folk music is in good hands". That would typically be a compliment, but the Sheffield-based artist was puzzled.

Someone had published an AI-generated album on Spotify that closely resembled Portman’s voice and style. But Emily was not involved in the album’s production.

Back in the summer, I wrote about the AI “band” The Velvet Sundown. A band that doesn’t exist, but whose songs have received millions of listens on Spotify.

Many high-profile musicians, such as Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, have spoken out against AI tech companies training generative AI tools on their music without payment or permission and proposed legislation to protect artists’ ownership of their music.

But not every artist is opposed to the slopification of the industry.

When a British rock band, Breezer, put together an eight-track album called The Lost Tapes / Vol. 1 was released by “AISIS”, using generative AI to sound like Oasis, Liam Gallagher tweeted, “it’s better than all the other snizzle out there.”

Even before AI music was a thing, it was estimated that around 100,000 new songs were uploaded to streaming music services every day, and somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of these songs have never been streamed… not even once.

As AI-generated music fills YouTube and Spotify with more and more AI-generated slop, it becomes harder for new artists to be discovered. It is also raising questions about what defines a song as a piece of art and who gets paid for that artistry if the production is rendered in the cloud by a large language model.

In response to the deluge of AI-generated music appearing on their platform, Spotify announced a new impersonation policy intending to clarify how they handle claims about AI voice clones (and other forms of unauthorized vocal impersonation), giving artists stronger protections and clearer recourse.

This week, in a subsequent move that can only be described as “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”, Spotify announced a new partnership with Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, as well as licensing giant Merlin and global digital music company Believe, to develop “responsible” AI products to empower artists and songwriters.

“AI is the most consequential technology shift since the smartphone, and it’s already reshaping how music is created and experienced,” Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström said in a statement. “At Spotify, we want to build this future hand in hand with the music industry, guided by clear principles and deep respect for creators, just as we did in the days of piracy.”

Spotify already uses AI to create custom playlists, such as the "daylist” and its AI DJ, but has stopped short of generating music directly.

Spotify did not provide details about the new products and tools they are working on. The company stated that artists would not be forced to participate and their copyright would not be violated.

“Merlin’s approach to the use of AI in music is straightforward. We actively look for partners who respect and value copyright, respect and value artists and want to enrich, not displace, the creative community. Spotify’s principles on AI announced today demonstrate that same commitment. We are excited to work together to ensure these principles translate into products that genuinely enhance the creative and commercial eco-system – for the benefit of our independent members, their artists and their fans.”

I guess we’ll see what Spotify and their new partners manage to put together and how these new tools might benefit artists and listeners alike.

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