By Henry Taala
@redlineproject
AI disclosure: ChatGPT was used to help identify relevant sources. The images were created with Midjourney. The FAQ was generated by NotebookLM.
Introduction
For thousands of years, music has been a form of art nearly everyone can enjoy. The endless amounts of genres within the music industry ensures that someone can find sounds and artists that they can relate to. With this form of art being so popular, and its industry cashing in on billions of dollars annually, it is clear that music has a large influential role within society.
Music artists create connections with their fans on an audible and emotional level with their lyrics, struggles and personality. This strengthens the bond between artist and the audience because it allows the two can relate. Music makes us feel like we are not alone in our struggles, and motivates us in times of need. However, this timeless relationship between artist and fan is diminishing with artificial intelligence. Songs that used to have heart and soul poured into them are now quickly being written without thought through the use of AI. Real emotions from real people are now being replaced by a model that can pull from all aspects of music theory and history to instantly create a song that can stimulate a large audience.
This is not just lyrically, now people can use AI models to write entire songs with full instrumentals and vocals without having any prior music experience. Playlists can be cultivated through AI by pulling from the large library of established genres. AI’s current uses can be viewed with positive and negative impacts on the music industry as a whole.
The Scarcity of Musicians in an Expanding Industry
To be a musician, you must have music qualifications. Whether this be singing, being able to play an instrument, or a drive to pursue it based on passion alone. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that musicians make up around 2% of careers in North America. This means 98% of the population either does not pursue music as their primary career. It could be due to a skill issue, but it is commonly thought that artists struggle to make money pursuing their creative passions.
With its already scarce group of people who contribute to the music scene, it’s controversial to think that part of that two percentile could be accounted for by AI contributions in the future. The Global AI in Music Market size is expected to be worth around $38.7 billion by 2033. Although the market is expected to continue to grow, it may offset the number of musicians that are represented by real-life individuals, proving more difficult to succeed in the industry.
AI DJs
One method of success would be teaming up with an already established DJ, if an artist solely is a lyricist whose voice is their instrument. However, even DJ’s are now being replaced by AI, such as Spotify’s AI DJ. Spotify’s recommendation engines use it to deliver personalized playlists to you based on your listening habits, and an AI DJ will provide a voiceover while you listen. With this new artificial DJ being incorporated within one of the top music streaming services, it’s clear to see that AI is being used to improve your overall listening experience by building a realistic connection with its listeners.
In 2018, Spotify started a regular event called Machine Learning Day, which brings together company researchers to discuss core topics in AI. Dedicating a day specifically for AI research shows the importance of utilizing AI within Spotify’s algorithm to improve developments on their streaming platform. Spotify generated €1 $5.6 billion in revenue in 2024, a 17.9% increase year-on-year. With Spotify’s continued growth, it makes sense that they would utilize as many AI tools to learn and cater to the variety of audiences on the platform.
Although an AI DJ is not a composer of music, it’s an aspect of music that is typically translated by a real human being. It would be strange to have an AI DJ perform on a landmark day in one’s life such as a wedding, especially because the model can make mistakes. It also takes away from people who DJ as their career, affecting their income. With costs in the economy already being so high, people might opt for an AI DJ for their future events due to the cost savings, which ultimately affect people in the music industry as a whole.
Some people are willing to embrace AI’s takeover within the sphere of DJing. It can introduce efficient track selections, seamless transitions enhance creativity. This statement has merit because AI can be utilized to freshen up the pace of one’s song choices, and can overall enhance listening experiences with its ability to learn and adapt to playlists and tasks.
It’s clear to see that the incorporation of AI within DJing is inevitable, with negative impacts including potential pay cuts. But its uses can be utilized more progressively, by not replacing human DJs as a whole, but helping them enhance their ability to play tracks more creatively.
AI In Music Production
The accessibility to personal computers has aided many modern aspiring musicians to thrive by helping them produce their music independently. Artists no longer need a big record label in order to be successful. They just need to be talented and relatable enough to cultivate an audience, as well as having an authentic attitude and aesthetic.
This idea of being successful as an independent musician by starting from nothing is being challenged with AI technology. Using AI, musicians and songwriters have the power to generate content in seconds. No longer must you practice your instrument and learn music theory for years. Now models can be given prompts such as, write a rock song with a catchy chorus, and it can be developed within minutes. This is concerning to the personability of being an artist because it takes away the backstory behind a musician’s struggle. Stories about successful artists who learned and produced their early songs on a $20 guitar will be lost to the instantaneous production of AI music.
The music industry will be affected negatively overall, because there will be less effort put into writing songs. Somewhere between 100,000 to 150,000 songs are being released each day on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. With so much music being produced, there is an endless stream of new AI-produced songs coming out that people may not even recognize. It’s also concerning to realise the oversaturation of AI music can affect search functions within streaming platforms, as well as take away the spotlight from real artists. The amount of streams an artist gets determines their payment from streaming platforms, so by overall increasing the amount of music produced, there’s a quality-to-quantity perspective that can affect the music industry.
A positive impact with the utilization of AI within the industry can be represented by its help within production rather than writing entire pieces. AI in music production has the ability to quickly generate new ideas and variations. AI can be used to quickly make an instrument sound better, or even restore old music that has lost its quality overtime. These are beneficial ways AI can be used within the industry because it is used as a tool rather than a one-stop shop for music production. For example, if a producer is having trouble making vocals cut through a mix, they can use AI plugins to enhance the vocal recording in order to increase its clarity within the final song. Another example could be old demos by bands like The Beatles, that may have deteriorated. AI can restore the sounds and vocals that remain within these files, to give us a historical idea on how the artist sounded when the original song was recorded.
The negative impacts of music production with AI include removing the personal connection between artist and listener, and the oversaturation of music being produced. This overall affects the music industry because it makes music less genuine, which is the entire point of being an artist and connecting with art. With these drawbacks, there are positive uses of AI. Programs that utilize AI can help increase the clarity of audio in production, overall enhancing the listening experience of music. It is important to utilize AI sparingly within music because of its personable nature, but there can be beneficial uses overall.
AI in Live Performances
A big aspect of enjoying music is seeing artists live. Much of an artist’s income actually comes from these live performances and merchandise sold at these events.
Some live performances include visuals that are accompanied by the music. This can include a projector screen in the background that plays videos or art while the musicians are performing. Overall, this visual stimulation enhances a live performance, and it’s nice when artists put thought into their stage presence. Some of these projections are now being developed by AI programs. AI can help create dynamic projections, animations, or holograms that match the mood, tempo, or style of the music (TSE 2025). Overall, this can be seen as beneficial, for it enhances the experience for everyone.
But thinking about it from the perspective of a crew member at the venue, it can take away jobs of qualified light technicians or audio engineers. AI technology is being employed by 30.6% of artists for mastering tracks and 38% for creating artwork associated with their music. AI could potentially learn these lighting cues and do it more efficiently, but it takes away the human elements within a show’s production. This can be further criticized by projector visuals that are developed by real artists. Individuals who create backgrounds for musicians are in jeopardy because AI is now being implemented in the artistic designs that were originally created by a human being. This further disconnects the relationship between artist and listener, because the collaborative effort between communities is obstructed by AI.
As mentioned previously, AI’s use in music production can be beneficial in the aspect of sound design. AI-assisted sound engineering can overall troubleshoot problems in a live performance. A lot can go wrong during live events, so having AI’s ability to diagnose problems and create a better listening experience for audiences can go a long way. There are stakes in live performances in the fact that the whole crew needs to put on a show, as well as the artist. This is further emphasized by people spending lots of money on tickets for the night. With the help of AI, live performances can run smoother with its ability to quickly recognize mistakes. This is beneficial for the music industry because more people will enjoy live events, as well as word of mouth may inspire others to see shows they wouldn’t typically spend money on.
Conclusion
The implementation of AI within the music industry will ultimately affect everyone involved in the production of music and live events. Some aspects of AI’s use such as DJs, music production, and live performance visuals can take away from the human aspects of music. Sounds created by artists will no longer be personable with instantaneous music creation with AI, and it can financially impact the income of all artists in the creative process. However, the future of AI within music can be seen in a positive light, with its ability to inspire creativity, increase the quality of sound engineering, and enhance the live performance scene. These beneficial aspects are an example of how AI can be utilized to help the music industry grow and be more productive. Like with all AI tools, it’s important to use them ethically and disclose when they are used within the creative process. Music will never stop being produced, so it is important to recognize the ethics and credibility when it comes to the incorporation of artificial intelligence within the industry.
FAQ: AI’s impact on the music industry:
1. How is AI currently impacting the relationship between music artists and their fans?
AI is diminishing the traditional bond because AI can quickly create music without the emotional depth of human experience, replacing the personal connection between artists and their audience.
2. What are some of the ways AI is being used in music creation and what are the potential consequences for musicians?
AI can write entire songs with instrumentals and vocals, challenging the traditional path of musicianship. This growth in AI music may make it harder for real musicians to succeed and could oversaturate streaming platforms, affecting their visibility and earnings.
3. How is AI being implemented in the role of DJs and in live music performances?
AI is used in streaming services for personalized playlists and AI DJ voiceovers, potentially replacing human DJs. In live performances, AI can create visuals and assist with sound engineering, but this could take jobs from technicians.
4. Are there any potential benefits of using AI in the music industry?
Yes, AI can help generate new ideas in music production, improve sound quality, enhance DJ performances, and contribute to smoother live events.
5. What are the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in music?
Ethical use and disclosure of AI in music creation are important. Concerns exist about AI diminishing the personal and emotional aspects of music and potentially impacting the income of musicians and other industry professionals.