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The music industry is composed of thousands of artists from every corner of the world. Musicians have found a way to create rhythmic sounds since the beginning of time. As the industry evolves, executives have found a consistent way to monetize music.
Some artists started making money by playing live during a time when there was no way to record or play back any work. Over time with the development of technology, 8-track records and nonlinear systems made recordings portable for people to access. Nowadays, the industry has adapted to how music is consumed online on different platforms.
The introduction of artificial intelligence into music is no different from linear systems being the second choice for recording sessions. It’s no different from music being consumed from a vinyl, cassette, CD, iPod or streaming services. AI resembles the same shift explained by experts who describe it as a predictive tool that analyzes large amounts of data instead of creating original ideas.
Dr. Jacob Sudol, a professor of Music Technology & Composition at Florida International University, has spent years researching how digital tools are used in music production. He knows how predictive systems work and how they influence modern creative industries. Dr. Sudol has researched the impact of algorithms on music, distribution, and culture.
“I have a personal issue with the way people talk about AI because it gives the technology a human character that it does not deserve,” said Dr. Sudol. “The language around it creates the idea that these systems have awareness or intention, when in reality they are just tools. Once you remove the human qualities people imagine, it becomes easier to understand what the technology is actually doing.”
South Florida singer and songwriter, Kailyn Auplan, is working on an eight-song album. Her inspiration to write songs comes from emotions and life experiences. She doesn’t use AI because she thinks it takes away from the process of creating something organic.
“I wouldn’t use AI to write my music in a time crunch,” said Auplan. “I feel like it takes away from the challenge of the whole thing of ‘can you write this song in this time and produce this song in this time.’”
Brandon Menard, an AI engineer and music producer, uses technology to help speed up his ideas. He writes and produces music on his own, but sees AI as a modern tool that helps him work more efficiently.
“It is not that I need AI, I have always been a strong musician,” said Menard. “It just helps me work faster and keep up with how fast everything moves today.”
He uses Suno, an AI music creator, to create songs and tones from detailed prompts he writes. Within minutes, the platform makes full songs and he draws ideas from the results.
“I am a great musician, I have always been at the top of my peer group,” said Menard. “AI does not change that, it only expands what I can do in a day.”
AI productions don’t necessarily produce new ideas as the systems pull from thousands of existing works to create a song or instrumental. Some artists are concerned about copyright infringement and who is compensated.
“A lot of what people call AI is really just old marketing and recommendation algorithms repackaged. These systems have shaped what we listen to for years,” said Dr. Sudol.
The creative process is at risk as engineers continue to advance AI tools used in music. AI tools are used for branding, marketing, and advertisement campaigns. AI is also used by many artists for ads, audience suggestions and visual designs because the same systems that make suggestions on Spotify and Amazon are now used to promote music.
Menard has been developing a decentralized platform that allows artists to turn their songs into tokens and monetize their work without a middle man taking large cuts the way Spotify does.
“Artists finally get paid what their music is worth. One buyer on our platform can earn an artist more than ten thousand streams on Spotify,” said Menard.
As AI continues to grow, it’s likely that music will keep evolving in exciting and unexpected ways. We may soon see AI-generated bands, virtual performers who sing songs written entirely by machines. Some artists might collaborate with AI in real time during live shows, creating spontaneous pieces of music that respond to the audience’s mood or movements.
