The Western Canadian university surveyed 263 Canadian musicians about their thoughts on AI’s rampant rise and the use of streaming services as an artistic tool.
A new study from the University of Alberta surveyed 263 “working Canadian musicians,” asking them about their experiences working in the evolving music industry. As respondents discussed an increase in the industry’s tech advancements, namely generative AI, many were not optimistic.
Of the 142 participants who highlighted the rapid use of AI, 87% viewed it “negatively.” Many shared they are actively avoiding the tool in their music, with some explaining that it’s devaluing human-made work. As AI continues to affect the music industry, participants say that it’s becoming a challenge to bring in new listeners and earn a livable wage.
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Beyond the moral implications of using AI, which the survey explains as “the loss of human artistry,” the surveyed musicians cited copyright theft, environmental concerns and the “fear that AI-generated tracks are drowning out authentic music, potentially threatening livelihoods.”
The use of AI in music is becoming one of the most talked-about issues within the community in Canada. Recently, there’s been a wave of artists' musical likeness being used to create AI music, and they have no clue and aren’t being compensated. Canadian singer Alessia Cara said it was "a little scary" after an AI-generated song appeared online. Meanwhile, The Atlantic reported that artists including Drake and The Weeknd, among others, were included in "four giant datasets of songs” being shared in the AI music development community.
It has even impacted the charts. “I Run” was a viral EDM track that debuted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, released by electronic duo HAVEN. After revealing that they had used the AI tool Suno to craft the uncredited female vocalist in the song — bearing similarities to Jorja Smith — the pair tapped TikTok singer Kaitlin Aragon to step in. This became the version that charted. In the U.S., rapper Fenix Flexin's '80s-sounding "Rubberz" charted on the Billboard Hot 100. After early denials, he admitted he used AI for the song.
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This week, Billboard Canada joined Billboard in its affirmation towards transparency on the charts and in editorial when it comes to AI in music.
Others in the Canadian industry are approaching AI with optimism, finding ways to regulate it so human creators are still compensated and credited. Last year, it was announced that three major North American music rights organizations, including SOCAN, would accept registrations of partially-generated AI music while remaining vocal about the need for strict copyright laws to stop the theft of copyright-protected music in Canada, calling on the federal government to “enact meaningful input transparency laws.” SOCAN partnered with Musical AI last month to offer “consent management and attribution” for generative AI music being created, which CEO Jennifer Brown says the collaboration will establish “a foundation for attribution and compensation, to ensure that music creators are paid when their music is used by AI.”
Margaret McGuffin, CEO of Music Publishers Canada, was recognized as this year’s Impact Award recipient at Billboard Canada Power Players for her advocacy on the subject. Recently, the organization filed a submission with the federal court to intervene in one of the country’s first-ever legal proceedings on the role of generative AI in copyright laws. Depending on the outcome, the law could impact how the federal government determines whether an AI-assisted piece of music is eligible for copyright protection and set a precedent for who the rightful author of that work is.
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AI-generated music often gains traction on social media apps like TikTok or streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music. The UAlberta study reports that artists have described that there’s “a forced, ambivalent relationship” with them.
In the digital age, it’s considered “a practical necessity” for success. However, participants shared there’s a “distrust over low payouts” and “opaque algorithms replacing organic discovery,” with many citing that the industry is “overly reliant on Spotify metrics to evaluate musicians” and “many wanted to leave these platforms but did not see any alternatives.”
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“Musicians felt the shift to streaming about 10 years ago, and haven’t recovered or seen the benefits,” says the study’s lead researcher, Brian Fauteux, explaining that artists are facing “this other variable, AI, that is coming from the big tech world, from people who don’t seem interested in music as an art or a craft.”
Still, some artists have taken their music off the streaming platform. Throughout much of last year, artists including Chad VanGaalen, Sunnsetter, Deerhoof, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sarah Harmer removed their discographies from Spotify after news of CEO Daniel Ek's investment in an AI weapons company came to light. Ek has since stepped down from that role, but remains at the company.
Other Canadian artists have faced a rampant issue on Spotify: AI-generated music being uploaded to their profiles without their consent. Last July, singer-songwriter Leith Ross had eight AI-generated songs uploaded to their Spotify profile. Icon Anne Murray faced a similar situation at the top of the year, after four songs featuring a noticeably different voice appeared on the Canadian music legend's page.
“It’s not like this fell from the sky and people are mad about it,” Fauteux explains. “These problems go back to the years of record labels and exploitation, where you have many stories of musicians not being paid properly or having their rights stolen.”
