Yeah still that 30 sec upload is all AI needs to extract your sonic signature and assimilate it into its model.
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In my early rave days you had to go to the club, otherwise it was inaccessible/ or to expensive (buyimg 12"). The problem is now, you cant get the genie back in the bottle.
Yes. “Back in the day” there were multiple factors that effectively gate kept access to music as well as ability to produce the music. Together with the continual development of the technology, the music and the experience was fresh. The moment was special and often shared by necessity. That’s not the case today.
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AI can only be fought by putting pressure on the government. That‘s what governments are for. Might require a change of government in many cases, but still. Artist can and should help to bring that about, but I‘m afraid there is no way they can change the system on their own, because the system goes way beyond art: it’s about making skill accessible to those with money without having to pay a fair price. AI is just a way to drive the price for labour to practically zero.
Making things hard to get might drive up price, but I doubt it can drive up demand. And that is not even taking into account piracy. So even if one could create enough demand, people would not necessarily buy more music, because pirating is free plus it is more convenient. IIRC on average people spent very little on music, like $50 per year or so, before streaming arrived, now they spend more, and they pay that for streaming.
Besides, there is enough great music out there for a lifetime, if that was what people wanted. Most people don‘t, I‘m afraid, they to favor convenience over quality, thats what made streaming so popular. No more need to even select what to listen to, just listen to curated playlists and recommendations on autoplay. Just like your very personal radio (even though many people actually listen to the exact same stuff).
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I’m in the process of setting up a record label. Our primary focus will be physical media. Not fucking records and tapes and all that hipster shit, it’s fucking 2025.
I’m hoping that I can convince artists to trust my model, because there will be risk attached, but I’ll put my own band’s neck on the line first to see how it goes.
There’s no going back to that excitement of buying a record or CD. The anticipation of only having the sleeve and art to look at til you get it home. But everyone seems to agree that removing the physical aspect of music consumption has devalued the art form, leaving it ripe for exploitation by all the AI bollocks.
So we’re not going to beat it by putting our music on Spotify and YouTube, then crying cos no-one gives a fuck.
We have to make something that people want, an experience that AI can’t deliver. Something handmade, something real, that has appeal beyond the data. A complete package that people can buy into that wears it’s humanity very firmly on its sleeve.
There’s not going to be opportunities to make millions, but that’s what makes it work. Enough people making a living doing it for themselves. Nobody getting mega rich, nobody storming the charts, just artists being rewarded for their art delivered independently and thoughtfully.
But if that’s what we want, we need to think a bit more and cry a lot less.
And fuck the nostalgia. They’re the ones using nostalgia as a trap to stop us moving forwards.
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I love records! Tapes can get to fuck though.
So are you thinking CD/pen drive and an arty farty pack, gig tickets etc?
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The only solution for AI in art is education and culture, an appreciation of art as one of the most sublime expressions of human experience. And education and culture are of course two things being actively undermined for the population at large. Not coincidental.
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my mate does that with some releases on his label Countersunk. you buy a real nice print/poster n you get the digital album with it. I like that kinda idea. good vibes, you get a tangible piece of art and some tunes.
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I would like to add that one has to let go of perfectionism in my opinion. Coming from the late 90 and 2000s Punk and Hardcore szene, we recorded on 4 track tape sometimes. Lots of records back in the day were recorded in the rehearsal space.
Nowadays everyone is obsessed with mixing and mastering to sound professionell. But the AI can make those stuff.
I would go back to imperfect in a way. Create and make it your own, not go for perfect. Its way harder for the AI to copy you quirks.
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That sort of thing, but everything that can be handmade is handmade.
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This sounds suspiciously like something an AI would say if it wanted to kill all the people.
Also while I’m here ya’ll sound like a Sunday congregation when they invented the printing press.
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+1
Like it sometimes feel everybody’s so focused on mid-side compression, mastering and what not, that they lose sight of the main thing: actual music
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Thats the point. And I really don‘t care how fucking loud it is mastered and if the highend is pristine. Make me feel something. I don‘t care how.
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I make stuff (Graphic Designer by day with background in printmaking) so happy to help if you ever need owt.
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Exactly this.
And when AI mastering is so good at all that bollocks now, what’s the fucking point…
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This sounds good!
I still regularly buy CDs, mostly from folk bands. But, quite a few have done things like remove the booklets that used to come with CDs. That does make them less appealing for me to purchase, because it was those booklets that distinguished them from listening online.
I do still buy them, but I’d much rather have something with the CD that made it feel different to purchasing a digital file.
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I understand new technology or influence of large players can abruptly change options to make a living from one’s profession. And if one was active in illustration, graphic design, dub synchro actor/speaker, model, current times are probably bad. Same will be true for all office people who’s jobs are already obsolete but we wait for the impact which will be different depending on culture and social security.
Idk if artists can fight the general phenomenon. I rather stick to the idea l’art pour l’art and that real artists always have been poor and had their patrons in order to work freely.
The current oversaturation with mass produced AI generated audio, gfx and media will create a small market for authenticity. A little like: real watches did not die with the advent of mass produced digital quartz watches although many manufacturers had to close, people lost jobs and the mass produced thing does what it does. Same for when photography made all the painters jobless - but painting as art survived.
Just some thoughts. I am not in anybodies camp here. I can see cause and effects. I can understand why people want to fight to keep something.
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I am in no Camp either. I think AI can be a great tool.
Generating sounds and short loops are great. Obviously you have to make it your own or else the AI doesn‘t need you.
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That’s awesome. You get it. Not everyone is going to get it and that’s ok.
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Physical media seems like a great way to ultimately fail to reach a cohort of people like likes to fret about owning stuff and how little physical space they have.
And, of course, there is absolutely nothing that prevents people from using genAI to create music that is later released on physical media.
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