Transforming Educational Structures in Music: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Music Industry
🎵 AI-Generated Music: The Copyright in Computer-Created Melodies 🎵
💻 Streaming platforms are currently swarming with tunes created by AI, and the landscape of the music industry is rapidly changing. Although these AI-powered songs may not yet have the emotional depth of human-made music, the sheer number of these computer-generated serenades is making it challenging for artists to shine.
🎤 For example, German chart-topper Levina, who represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017, has taken notice. In an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), Levina expressed her concerns about this new trend, saying:
AI could indeed provide musicians with a creative spark, as stated by Christopher Annen, a representative of Germany's musicians' association Pro Musik. But when AI providers exploit the effort and emotions that musicians put into their songs, the situation becomes problematic.
💰 The uneven distribution of income in the music industry is a long-standing issue, with a majority of artists struggling to make ends meet. Thanks to AI, the problem has been amplified. A study commissioned by the German government supports this claim, reporting that an overwhelming 75% of streaming platform revenue goes to just 0.1% of artists.
Professionals within the music industry, like the German collecting society Gema, are not sitting on their hands and letting AI become a chart-topping tsunami. Gema is advocating for musicians' rights, filing lawsuits against AI providers and pressing for clearer legal guidelines.
One of Gema's primary targets is ChatGPT's developer, OpenAI. In January, Gema filed a lawsuit against Suno, a US company allegedly using AI to create songs that closely resemble well-known hits like "Breathless" by Helene Fischer and "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega. Gema argues that this AI-generated music infringes on its members' rights, potentially resulting in losses of over €2.7 billion in Germany and France by 2028.
📄 If lost revenues are not addressed, Artist and creative agencies will suffer critically. Songwriters, in particular, depend on the funds distributed by collecting societies like Gema. Matthias Hornschuh, from the "Copyright Initiative," emphasizes that AI providers must respect musicians' rights, as disregarding these will ultimately harm the AI industry as well.
🔀 AI may never be able to truly replicate the one emotion humans can create through music—empathy. Listening to music can make us feel less lonely, knowing that what we're experiencing is also felt by others. As Annen puts it:
In an attempt to balance innovation and artistic integrity, musicians and industry organizations need to continue advocating for clearer legal guidelines and better remuneration structures. Levina summarizes the important message for her peers:
- Technology's advancement, such as artificial-intelligence (AI) in music production, is causing a shift in the business landscape, leading to concerns among musicians about fair remuneration for their work.
- As AI-generated music becomes increasingly prevalent, industry organizations like Gema are advocating for musicians' rights and filing lawsuits against AI providers to ensure clearer legal guidelines and protect their members' income.
- Against this backdrop, Levina, a successful musician, emphasizes the importance of fighting for musicians' rights, not just for themselves but for the entire music industry, as it will also protect the AI industry from potential damage.
