AI (artificial intelligence) music is raising questions about authorship as artists use tools that range from vocal cleanup to full song generation. Those differences affect what listeners can understand about who created a recording.
Dr. Dre recently described AI as “a new tool for creativity” and said he does not view it as a threat, comparing objections to the technology with earlier resistance to drum machines and synthesizers.
From production tools to generated songs
Technology had lowered barriers to making and sharing music before generative AI arrived. SoundCloud, YouTube, online comments and genre-specific platforms expanded the ways listeners discovered and circulated tracks.
Bedroom production, beat marketplaces and mobile recording apps also widened access to music-making. Hip-hop incorporated drum machines, sampling, synthesizers and Auto-Tune into its production practices.
AI use encompasses different levels of human involvement. Cleaning up a recorded vocal preserves a person’s performance; generating an entire track from a text prompt changes the role that person plays in making the recording.
Examples of AI use in music include:
- Vocal cleanup and recording enhancement.
- Idea generation, melody extension and assistance with production workflows.
- Automated mastering, which LANDR has offered using AI since 2014.
- Full song generation through tools such as Suno.
Distribution does not guarantee listeners
A recent University of Chicago study found that 93% of the AI-generated tracks it examined received few or no plays. It also found that mass-produced AI music was easy to distribute.
The findings distinguish the ability to generate and release recordings from their ability to attract an audience. They also provide context for technology-industry claims that AI will broaden access to creative work.
Artists discuss their use of AI
Tyga openly discussed using AI to create his recent album $TARFACE. He compared its adoption with the arrival of Auto-Tune and characterised it as another tool for making music.
His comments bring the distinction between AI assistance and automated generation into discussions of released music. An artist can use AI at a particular production stage or rely on it to generate the recording itself.
Human contributions can also span an entire project. Kevin Parker of Tame Impala has created an entire album himself, performing the instruments and handling production and mixing.
