Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making waves in various industries across the globe. However, the conflict between its usefulness and its ability to infringe on intellectual property (IP) has been a particular struggle in the creative industries.
Major players in the music industry, from artists and record labels to institutions like the Grammys and YouTube, have all had to factor in AI in some form.
As traditional spaces in the music industry deal with technology, new platforms are popping up that embrace the technology from the start are popping up. Musixy launched on Sept. 14 to serve as a streaming platform, label and marketplace for music exclusively generated by AI.
Cryptox spoke with Can Ansay, founder and CEO of Musixy, to better understand how giving AI-generated music its own space could shape the future music industry.
Musixy aims to become the “Spotify for AI hit songs,” particularly those that have been banned from other platforms. Over the last year, Spotify and other major streaming platforms have become more vigilant since Universal Music Group sent out an email asking them to step up their policing of copyrighted AI tracks.
Ansay said “the establishment,” or major labels, is in panic mode again, “as it was back then with Napster because they fear revenue losses due to a new disruptive technology.”
“Unlike back then, the AI revolution is not only perfectly legal but even threatens the existence of record companies. Music is not only produced much more efficiently but also cheaper.”
He said AI presents “talented producers” with the ability to produce and monetize a hit song with any famous voice in any language. Musixy particularly emphasizes the creation of new and covered hit songs with AI-generated vocals of well-known artists.
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Musixy also works with Ghostwriter, who produced a viral song with AI-generated vocal tracks of artists Drake and the Weeknd called “Heart on My Sleeve.”
The song was initially said to be eligible for a Grammy, though the CEO of the Recording Academy later clarified that it wasn’t eligible for nomination, highlighting that it was taken down from commercial streaming platforms and never received permission from the artists or labels to use their vocal likenesses.
Ansay said thatif Musixy is recognized as a streaming platform by the Recording Academy:
“For the first time, these amazing AI-assisted songs could rightfully win the Grammy recognition they deserve, produced with the help of AI.”
“This is especially true for those songs that unofficially use the vocals of famous singers with the help of AI that were arbitrarily banned from all other recognized streaming platforms,” he continued.
Ansay argued that from a legal perspective, vocal likeness is not “protectable,” as it would violate professional ethics and make it difficult for singers with a voice similar to another, more famous voice to work.
Instead, he suggested that AI vocal tracks should be marked as “unofficial” to avoid confusion.
Google and Universal Music Group were reportedly in recent negotiations over a tool that would allow AI tracks to be created using artists’ likenesses in a legal way.
When asked whether AI-generated music should compete on the same level as non-AI-generated music in terms of awards and recognition or have its own playing field, Ansay said both directions could be viable.
“For that to happen, one must legitimately, legally, and arguably under the rules of the Grammys, distinguish what tasks AI is used for in music production and to what degree.”
Otherwise, he believes a new category should be created, such as “AI Song of the Year,” or something similar. “According to the Grammys’ mission statement on their website,” he argued, “they also want to recognize excellence in ‘science.’”
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