The industry is facing yet another revolution, but what sort isn’t yet clear. Is A.I. a format change in the way music is consumed, like the transition from records and cassettes to CDs, or is it a threat to the business model, as were free downloading and file-sharing? Is generative A.I. a new kind of digital workstation for making music, or is it the new radio—a platform for promoting acts and engaging with fans?
Source: Inside the Music Industry’s High-Stakes A.I. Experiments
The Hollywood labor community is up in arms again after the Directors Guild of America (DGA) made a number of retroactive additions to its film & TV contract with the studios. The deal, which was revealed yesterday and gives directors a streaming performance bonus that matches that of the writers, has sown more discontent across town.
Source: Directors Back In The Labor Spotlight As DGA Deal Ruffles Feathers In Hollywood
A surge in AI-generated literature is raising concerns among some who believe this trend could undermine the authenticity and value of the reading experience. The debate is intensifying amid increasing worries about the rise of generative AI and its potential impact on jobs, especially those involving creative professionals. There is growing apprehension that AI-created content might eventually replace human-produced materials.
SoundCloud has struck partnerships with three music technology companies to allow artists to directly upload songs created with AI tools to its platform. Those three companies are Fadr, Soundful, and Voice–Swap. SoundCloud said in its announcement on Thursday (January 25) that the move “marks the latest milestone in SoundCloud’s efforts to empower artists on the platform”.
Source: AI-made music can now be easily uploaded to SoundCloud, thanks to a trio of new deals
Even by the standards of a news business whose fortunes have plummeted in the digital age, the last few weeks have been especially grim for American journalism. Prominent newspapers like The Washington Post are shedding reporters and editors, and on Tuesday, The Los Angeles Times laid off more than 20 percent of its newsroom. Cable news ratings have fallen amid an uncompetitive presidential primary contest.
Meta has been de-emphasizing news across Facebook’s feed, upending many publishers that had come to rely on referral traffic. In September, Meta said it would “deprecate” its Facebook news tab in European countries including the U.K., France and Germany as “part of an ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most.”
Source: Facebook made a major change after years of PR disasters, and news sites are paying the price
The American Federation of Musicians, the union that represents music performers and artists, could be the latest entertainment industry union to go on strike over artificial intelligence. The AFM is starting negotiations with Hollywood producers. Shelly Palmer, of Syracuse University, said artificial intelligence will hit the musicians who produce TV theme songs and instrumental music for stores and theme parks the hardest.
Source: Artificial intelligence could be ‘devastating’ to these musicians
The EU has proposed sweeping changes within the music streaming industry to promote smaller artists and make sure underpaid performers are being fairly compensated. A resolution to address concerns regarding inadequate streaming royalties for artists and biased recommendation algorithms was adopted by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Wednesday, highlighting that no existing EU rules currently apply to music streaming services.
Source: Music streaming platforms must pay artists more, says EU
The new collective bargaining agreement struck between the major Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild may have an impact on the longevity of future shows, according to one Walt Disney executive. The increasingly complex terms gives actors more flexibility to move on to projects and makes it more costly to retain them for future seasons, which could lead to shows ending prematurely, warned Grant Michaelson, vice president of business affairs for Disney’s branded television unit.
According to Luminate’s 2023 Year-End Music Report, fully 158.6 million tracks each received 1,000 or fewer plays on audio streaming services in 2023. That number amounts to a whopping86.2% of the 184 million music tracks that Luminate measured on audio streaming services at the close of last year via ISRCs. Even more tellingly, a total of 45.6 million tracks received zero plays in 2023.