Marketplace

The Audio Landscape is Overrun by AI ‘Podslop’—It’s Not Just a Music Industry Problem

It’s not exclusive to the music industry. The sheer volume of AI-generated podcast content is beginning to affect traditional discovery methods across the industry that podcast creators and their listeners rely on. Over a period of just nine days, nearly 39% of new podcast feeds were identified as potentially AI-generated. This rising trend in “podslop” was recently illustrated by data from the Podcast Index. Most of these shows target high-volume search terms, such as health and wellness or celebrity biographies.

Source: The Audio Landscape is Overrun by AI ‘Podslop’—It’s Not Just a Music Industry Problem

AI Can Write a Song. It Can’t Build a Career.

For years, artists have operated inside a system where millions of streams translate into fractions of a cent, algorithms dictate visibility, and ownership is often diluted long before a song reaches an audience. The conversation around AI is not a battle between humans and machines over creativity. It’s a structural shift that puts the entire artist economy at risk, and how we respond will determine if AI expands opportunities or quietly erodes them.

Source: AI Can Write a Song. It Can’t Build a Career.

There’s now a collecting society just for AI-generated music

For now, most established collecting societies are not representing GenAI-music creators, amid concerns over the training models of the platforms that they use – and also questions about whether their work even qualifies for copyright protection. A new organization called Aimpro is hoping to fill the gap, pitching itself as “the first PRO designed to serve creators of generative AI works, allowing AI music creators to collect royalties for their work on a global basis”.

Source: There’s now a collecting society just for AI-generated music

YouTube creators hit by music copyright claims can now replace tracks with AI

The feature is currently limited to US desktop users of YouTube Studio. A global launch and rollout to Studio mobile are planned for later this year. Rather than having to remove or re-edit videos that have triggered copyright claims, creators will now have the option to swap out the offending audio for an AI-generated, royalty-free alternative — keeping the video live and potentially restoring its ability to be monetized.

Source: YouTube creators hit by music copyright claims can now replace tracks with AI 

Some Film & TV Companies Imposing “Strict Internal Controls” On Artificial Intelligence

Some UK film and TV industry organizations are imposing “strict internal controls” around artificial intelligence, according to a new report from training body ScreenSkills. According to interviewees in the report, “some organisations” in the industry are imposing “strict internal controls” on AI, “especially around copyright risk, leading to limited use.” Industry views on generative AI are “cautious,” the report said, also citing “copyright” and “accuracy concerns.”

Source: Some Film & TV Companies Imposing “Strict Internal Controls” On Artificial Intelligence

Inside the UMG-backed patent portfolio targeting AI music derivatives

UMG has been building a patent portfolio around AI-music infrastructure, through a partnership with IP asset management, investment, and advisory firm Liquidax Capital. The technology, depending on how it is commercially deployed, could potentially support a so-called ‘walled garden’ approach to AI-generated music derivatives, among other possible applications, which currently remain unclear.

Source: Inside the UMG-backed patent portfolio targeting AI music derivatives

YouTube expands its AI likeness detection technology to celebrities

The technology works similarly to YouTube’s existing Content ID system, which detects copyright-protected material in users’ uploaded videos, allowing rights owners to request removal or share in the video’s revenue. Likeness detection does the same, but for simulated faces. The feature is meant to help protect creators and other public figures from having their identities used without their permission — a common problem for celebrities who find their likenesses have been used in scam advertisements.

Source: YouTube expands its AI likeness detection technology to celebrities

EU study examines music discoverability on streaming services

While the research found that “exposure is still concentrated around superstar artists” there were some bright spots. “Younger listeners emerge as key drivers of diversity, showing greater openness to new genres and emerging artists”. The report identifies some big challenges too. A mountain of new releases – “worsened by streaming fraud and the rapid proliferation of AI-generated music”.

Source: EU study examines music discoverability on streaming services

OpenAI CEO Says AI in Hollywood Will Get People to ‘Care More About Human Creators’

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes AI is a good thing for Hollywood and will not hurt the industry as much as critics of the technology may be worried about. “I think people really care about other people,” Altman [said] at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony. “I think people really care about the human beings behind the stories and the art and the creative work that matters so much.”

Source: OpenAI CEO Says AI in Hollywood Will Get People to ‘Care More About Human Creators’

Artificial Intelligence in the Art Market

A recent Artsy survey of more than 300 gallery professionals underscores a widening gap between operational adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and cultural acceptance of AI as an artistic medium. Though galleries are integrating AI into back-office functions, artists, collectors and market professionals remain cautious of AI in the art industry. Works that blend human and machine inputs continue to complicate authorship, ownership and valuation analyses.

Source: Artificial Intelligence in the Art Market

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