This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: New research shows Canadian musicians are feeling increasingly hostile toward the tech industry and advances like generative AI, which they say are devaluing art and making it harder to gain listeners and earn money from music. The University of Alberta study surveyed 263 working Canadian musicians about their experiences navigating the industry.
It found they feel squeezed by dwindling opportunities in both the physical and virtual worlds, especially as the power to distribute music has become concentrated in the hands of a small number of companies, says Dr. Brian Fauteux, a U of A professor of popular music and media studies. One significant industry change is the introduction of AI tools like Suno, which generate complete songs at the click of a button.
Of 142 respondents who addressed generative AI, 87% viewed the technology negatively. "There's an aversion to it. Some see it as not falling into their definition of art," Fauteux says.
"A number of respondents pointed to environmental concerns and ongoing issues with land and water, and problems with the music industry taking those concerns seriously." Others said they were "personally and professionally" offended by the existence of generative AI tools for artistic practices, noting that it's part of an ongoing problem of theft of copyrighted works. Some artists were concerned that AI could affect their earnings. Generative AI has allowed non-musicians to flood streaming platforms and other music-sharing sites with artificial songs, potentially drowning out authentic artists, Fauteux says.
Though Fauteux thinks the tools are mainly being used by non-musicians who are simply playing around—generating funny songs for social media, for example—he expects AI has already cut into the livelihoods of some musicians, especially those who write background music and jingles for advertisements. The resentment of AI is likely a signal of a larger issue, he says. "Musicians felt the shift to streaming about 10 years ago, and haven't recovered or seen the benefits," he says.
"You throw in the disruption to the live music industry with COVID, and now you have 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. "It's not like this fell from the sky and people are mad about it. I think 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." The researchers also asked musicians about their feelings toward social media and the music streaming platform Spotify.
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