Every September, on the eve of the Formula 1 race, a conference called All that matters. Thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs from across Asia gather to talk about the latest developments in sports, technology, marketing, gaming and music. I try to go every year because in many ways Asia is already living in the future. (Actually this is not true. They live in the present; it is parts of the West that cling to the past. But I digress.)
Artificial intelligence was the focus of many sessions, especially those focused on music. There has been a lot of discussion about how AI will impact things like music creation, distribution, and copyrights. I took notes.
The Internet is changing again
The Internet we are used to is changing rapidly again. The browser wars are back again thanks to AI-enhanced searches. I tried Comet, a brand new browser from the developers of artificial intelligence program Perplexity. It still has some rough edges, but I find that I like it better and use it more often than Google. Again, Google has its own AI in the form of Gemini, which counters Microsoft's Co-Pilot.
Artificial intelligence programs that create music are about to have their moment.
Over the last quarter century there have been changes in consumption, from CDs to MP3s, to piracy and streaming, and then to vinyl. The next decade will see major shifts in creativity. Ignore and neglect it all you want, but it will happen.
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When it comes to creating artificial music, the big players are Suno and Anthropic, two generative AI programs that are getting better at making music based on user input. Although both are engaged in deep legal battles with copyright holders and labels, expect licensing deals with major labels to be struck sooner rather than later.. This means more human-made music will be used to power the models behind artificial intelligence programs. By this time next year, these programs will be able to analyze trillions of data points when answering queries. More data points means (theoretically) more realistic and – this is the main thing – emotional music. This is predicted to usher in a new era in the recording industry.
One way to achieve this goal is to simplify user interfaces. One of the biggest challenges with any computer program is learning how to use it. Today it is believed that the less user interface (UI), the better. We're getting to a point where software will say, “Just tell me what to do and I'll do it using all the tools that exist in the cloud.” We already have programs that will bring back created music if you just weave an idea into it.
What about artists?
In this case, the bulls outweighed the bears. Here's how AI could benefit musicians very soon.
- Thanks to artificial intelligence, fans will be able to collaborate more directly with artists, directly contributing to the protection of intellectual property. They will be involved in “world building”, creating and realizing the artist's vision, which can lead to monetization for fans. In other words, fans will be creating new material with their favorite musicians. Until now, fans have invested a lot of money in artists. New technology will allow artists to give something back to fans.
- Artists must – must! — benefit from negotiations between labels, publishers and companies involved in the generation of artificial intelligence. This will be a new form of licensing that could – could! — be more profitable and long-lasting than revenue generated from streaming.
- Indie and emerging artists may benefit the most in this regard.
- The music loaded into these models comes from all over the world. Artists who learn to use AI as a music production tool will have access to a much wider range of influences than they have today. All of them will be stored in AI models and waiting to be used.
- AI will further increase the number of people making music. During Mozart's time, approximately 50,000 people were actively and regularly involved in music. Today's estimates put their number at over 100 million. Thanks to AI, even more people will be able to do this. Not all of them will be good or worth hearing, but new stars will be minted.
- The cost of making music will continue to fall, even approaching zero.
- How about this: Can AI-powered music distribution speed up and increase the value of human-made music?
Terribly pink. What about the cons?
Whenever any promising technology comes along, there is always a part of humanity that gravitates towards the lowest common denominator. (Hello, social media!) There will be side effects. For example, if generative artificial intelligence programs blow up as expected, what will happen to real musical instruments and the people who make them? What's happening to traditional recording studios and the people who staff and equip them? Will people of the future learn to play a traditional instrument with 10,000 hours of practice?
And that's not all. How will copyrights be divided? What about unintentional duplication, imitation or development of existing works? Is AI training a fair use under current law? What about data privacy?
When music starts pouring in—maybe billions of new pieces a year—how will anyone discover new music? How will the artist of the future hope to be found? If we have billions of new songs every year thanks to AI, is it possible that the future will be dominated by mediocre music? What will happen in 20–50 years when AI becomes indistinguishable from human intelligence?
What about the current record company system? Is it ethical to sign a recording contract with artificial intelligence? (SPOILER: This is already happening. Have you heard about Xania Mona?)
All conference participants agreed that there are still more questions than answers when it comes to artificial intelligence and music. But they also agree that the space is growing quickly. Ignore this at your peril.
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