More AI Artists

The country song Walk My Walk may have been described by one critic as "lacking sincerity" and "pretty obviously the product of AI".

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But it still reached the top of Billboard's Country Digital Song Sales chart this week, while the AI-generated artist behind it, Breaking Rust, now has 2.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.     

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It's a similar story for Xania Monet, a virtual R&B singer who reportedly got a $3m record deal this month. She was created by Mississippi poet Telisha "Nikki" Jones, who writes the lyrics herself but generates the music using the AI app Suno. 

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Several big artists have criticised the latest developments, which come as stars like Sir Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa have warned that AI could destroy musicians' livelihoods unless politicians intervene.

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The corporate side of the music industry is scrambling to respond. Major labels Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group are reportedly working on licensing deals that would grant AI music platforms permission to train their models on artists' work in exchange for compensation. Spotify has struck a deal to develop "responsible" AI tools that "put artists" first. 

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Mark Mulligan from MIDiA Research believes the industry has to make a deal because AI has become an "unstoppable force" in music. "Legislation, regulation and even litigation are moving too slowly for the labels to wait." 

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He doesn't expect big-name artists to be muscled out. That's because AI music-generators, on the whole, aren't good enough to make chartworthy music yet.

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The real threat, he says, is that AI can, and already does, create music "good enough" for inclusion in background or "mood" playlists which have become big business for labels and streaming platforms. 

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These songs are already vying for royalties. And it's not crazy to think the majors might one day launch their own AI record labels to get a slice of the action.   

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The download: Given the state of play, label attempts to reach a deal make sense. But artists may step up calls for legislators to intervene.