Mashene Music, Las Vegas April 27, 2023
Hold onto your airpods, because the music industry is about to be shaken up like never before. If you haven’t heard about the controversy surrounding the supposed 100% AI-made track “Heart on My Sleeve” by Drake and The Weeknd, then you’re not keeping up with the times.
The label behind the artists, UMG, has been trying to take down the track, but it’s still easily accessible online. And let’s be real, it’s a catchy tune. But the truth is, most likely it wasn’t entirely made by AI. People who work on AI voice and music systems say it was probably created using a combination of AI technologies and human input, with voice conversion possibly thrown in there too.
But who cares about the specifics? The 100% AI label was a genius marketing move that sparked a freak-out in the music industry, generating even more streams and attention. And now, Discord is filled with AI covers of the song.
But here’s the thing: these AI covers aren’t going anywhere. They’re the latest take on remixing, just like the ones we saw in the early days of hip hop. And most of them will just be fan fiction that generate few streams. But the few that do go viral, like “Heart on My Sleeve,” will be subjected to the same takedown requests that remixes face today.
Labels and artists might eventually recognize the value of these AI creations and monetize them instead of taking them down. And who knows, we might even see AI voice remixing become a new revenue stream for artists, with embedded technology that can distinguish an authorized version from a fake.
But let’s be real, there are some concerns about these AI creations. They’re essentially deep fakes, using someone’s voice in an intimate and invasive way. While most of these AI covers are harmless fan fiction, the potential for misuse is there. We’ve already seen the negative effects of deep fakes in politics, so it’s important to consider the legal and ethical implications of using AI in music.
All in all, the music industry is in for a wild ride. Fake tracks are going to become easier to create and harder to detect, just like remixes. But with the right technology and legal protections in place, we might be able to turn these AI creations into a positive force in the industry. And who knows, maybe Grimes will even make an AI-made album next.
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