The Problem With AI Music: How Robots Are Diluting the Industry

full disclosure: The image of this robot taking my job was created by Chat GPT in about 10 seconds.

There’s a lot being said about Artificial Intelligence these days, especially language models like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. The truth is, AI has almost fully integrated into our society, and we’re left with no choice but to adapt to its presence among us.

“It’s robots communicating with robots,” I told my son the other day. Think about it: you’re applying for a job, so you “optimize” your resume using ChatGPT. The hiring manager receives it and runs it through ChatGPT to compare it against a job description (also written by ChatGPT.) Now both your application and the job listing are having a conversation you’re not even in. I see the signs everywhere: emails filled with em-dashes, repetitive phrasing like, “this isn’t just a ___, it’s a ___,” and writing that feels like a parody of itself. These are clear signals that people are outsourcing their voice and tone to the machine.

But I don’t want to dive into the sociological or psychological implications of AI in general. I want to focus on its impact on art (specifically music) and the business that supports it. As a full-time music producer and founder of my own record label, this conversation hits close to home.

Creating Music Isn’t Supposed to Be “Easy”

I was doom-scrolling on TikTok recently when I came across a clip of a CEO from an AI music company. He said something along the lines of, “Creating music isn’t fun or easy. Our software solves those pain points.” That line made my blood boil.

Nobody is forced to create music. And more importantly, no one is entitled to a career in it. If you don’t enjoy the process of creating or sharing your music, then maybe this isn’t your path. In my book, Finding Your Rhythm: Time Management for the Creative Mind, I wrote that creating is a spiritual act. It’s healing. It’s self-expression. It’s the closest we get to our cosmic purpose. Why would you hand over that connection to someone (or something) else?

The Streaming Model Is Already Broken. AI Just Makes It Worse.

Let’s talk business. AI-generated music poses a massive threat to up-and-coming and independent artists, largely because of how the streaming economy works.

Here’s the simplified pipeline: You create a song and upload it to a distributor. That distributor sends it to digital streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, etc.) and negotiates licenses for your music to be heard by subscribers or free users. Here’s how Spotify explains how artists get paid:

Spotify, like the other major streaming services, pays royalties to rights holders based on an artist’s share of overall streams across the platform. This is referred to as “streamshare.” For example, in 2024, an artist who accounted for 1 in every 1 million streams on Spotify generated over $10,000 on average.

The model rewards volume and frequency. If you’re human, music takes time, money, and collaboration. But if you’re an AI, you can pump out music 24/7 at no cost. Even if the music isn’t good, it adds up. AI-generated content floods the market and quietly chips away at your streamshare. Consumers adjust. Humans can’t compete.

I Use AI, But Not to Replace Myself

I use ChatGPT and Gemini regularly. But as I told my son:

“I don’t want AI to make music for me so I have time to do the dishes. I want AI to do the dishes so I have more time to make music.”

I use AI for organizing my thoughts, developing strategy, or gaining clarity. What I don’t use it for is creating my music, because that’s what I was put on this earth to do.

A Simple Solution: Let AI Exist, But Don’t Let It Monetize Like Humans Do

So how do we fix this?

There’s already watermarking tech that detects if music was generated with AI. My suggestion is simple:

Make watermarking mandatory for all music uploads to streaming platforms. Any audio identified as AI-generated should not be eligible for monetization via the streamshare model.

I’m not saying AI music can’t exist. I’m saying it shouldn’t compete with or dilute the earnings of human creators. Robots don’t have rent. They don’t have families. They don’t get out of bed with self-doubt and chase a dream against all odds. We do.