Part 3

The Team that hosts the music discovery podcast called Derringer Discoveries posed some questions about AI generated music in their most recent newsletter. I responded to it.  By the way, they have a great podcast . I recommend you find it on your favorite platform and subscribe. 

I am including the entirety of my response as an article here with links to my two other articles on this subject at the bottom of the write-up, Thank You for the prompts DD Team.

My thoughts on this stuff are far from mature as this is all coming at us so fast but here is my view today.

Thanks for sharing a moment with me

Dave

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My Thoughts on AI and Music

• I deep-dived into your article on AI in the newsletter. Very well thought out.
• I’ll admit I’m a little reluctant to air strong opinions at such an early stage. The pace of change is so fast that the dust hasn’t even had time to settle. Maybe the meteor hasn’t fully hit the ground yet—the crater is still widening.
• I could write on this for hours, but I’ll keep it brief and stick to sharper points this round. Honestly, part of me just wants to put the debate down and get back to making music—even if my audience ends up being just the birds, cows, and crickets outside my window. That alone would make me happy. Still, this is a fascinating discussion, and I’m torn.
• So let’s start with the dark side… and hopefully end on a brighter note.

Dark Side

Bottom line:

• Big companies—UMG, Sony, Warner, Spotify—suing other companies over AI doesn’t make me feel any better as a DIY artist.
  • They’re not doing this to protect us; they’re protecting their profit margins.
  • Independent artists will be, at best, collateral damage—discarded as “acceptable losses.”
• Meanwhile, UMG and the like will fight tooth and nail to protect their biggest stars (Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Bad Bunny, etc.). They’ll reap any benefits from this legal mess—just like today, only worse.
• In the short run, all artists will be harmed. The UMGs of the world will figure out how to capitalize before the rest of us even have a chance. Stay strong, artists… we’ll need it.
• AI isn’t going away. For those who wish it didn’t exist, I feel for you—but reality doesn’t bend to our wishes. Personally, I think the pre-AI world was better in many ways. But let’s be honest: we’ve been using AI-like tools for years already.
  • I’ve used Ableton Live for over a decade. It’s packed with built-in instruments, presets, arpeggiators, samples, loops.
  • Then there are third-party plug-ins like EZ Drummer or Kontakt Acoustic Strummer. If these tools fall under “AI-generated content,” technically all my music could vanish from Spotify overnight. Hours, weeks, weekends of creative work—poof, gone.
• The truth is, legal nuances and boundaries will be nearly impossible to enforce cleanly in the short run. And when that happens, it won’t be the big stars who burn first—it’ll be the little artists.

Lighter, More Hopeful Side

• Despite all that, real art has a way of shining through. You can feel authenticity. You can hear it, taste it, see it. Somehow, through all the corruption and profit-chasing, it survives.
• I don’t know exactly how independent artists will push past the legal and business mess ahead, but I believe they will. Maybe it’ll be friends sharing songs around a campfire, or communities supporting local venues. However it happens, I keep the faith.

Quick Answers to Your Questions

Should AI-generated music carry mandatory labels?

• Yes—but defining what counts as “AI-generated” will be nearly impossible. That ambiguity will benefit corporations, not small artists. You could even argue all music has AI influence, if you consider how every “original” song is shaped by other songs, ideas, and people.

Can algorithms create art with genuine emotional resonance?

• This makes me laugh, because I picture Star Trek: The Next Generation—the android Data dressed as a rock star, singing an original song. If Data moved me to tears, wasn’t that AI moving me to tears?

How do we protect human artists while embracing technological innovation?

• I honestly don’t know. Wish I did.

How do we protect humanity as AI expands beyond music?

• That’s the scarier question. What happens to our brains when AI begins thinking for us? Hard to imagine a world where humanity isn’t increasingly dependent. I’ll try to stay hopeful.

Should platforms limit AI-generated content to protect human musicians?

• Yes—but again, the how is the real challenge. For now, I’m not very hopeful that there will be any positive outcome for DIY creators. I truly hope I’m wrong. That said, PLEASE keep creating, all you artists out there!

Should there be a unique payment structure for AI-generated music?

• If we ever get a clear definition of AI-generated music, then yes. Personally, I’d prefer to filter it out of my Spotify or Apple Music algorithms unless I intentionally want it. But until we cross the Rubicon of defining it, everything else is just noise. Filtering only works if it can accurately and fairly discern what to filter in. Easier said than done, I suspect.

Closing

I’ll be publishing these thoughts on my blog, but feel free to use them as you wish.

These are just my “off the cuff” reflections, subject to change as the story evolves. I’m no expert—just a guy making sounds in a small, humble home studio, trying to create something that feels real to me at least.

Link to Previous Article: Blurred Lines: Part 2

Thanks again,
Dave
Davidhusted.com

Photo by ROMBO