guest column
The music publishing industry has long been a battlefield, with independent publishers often struggling against the overwhelming dominance of the majors. Companies like Warner Chappell, Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group control vast resources and have significant influence due to their connections with their major record label counterparts, making it difficult for indies to compete.
Despite these challenges, independent publishers continue to embody the spirit of creativity and resilience, navigating the obstacles with unparalleled determination in the face of industry issues including licensing and financial disadvantages, increasing competition and costs, fewer income streams, and more that threaten to push us out of business. Recently, these obstacles have intensified, demanding a more assertive and determined approach from indie publishers. As we progress through 2024 and look ahead to 2025, the reasons for our frustration are pressing and undeniable.
Over the past few months, the gap between indie and major publishers has widened due to systemic problems and recent controversies. TikTok’s licensing deals, heavily influenced by agreements with major record labels and publishers, have sidelined indie publishers, affecting our ability to monetize our catalogs effectively on a platform that has become critical for music discovery. TikTok’s role in propelling songs and artists to the top of the charts and securing lucrative synch deals makes this marginalization particularly troubling. Indie publishers find themselves at a disadvantage, forced to either accept less favorable deal terms or risk losing out on the opportunity to reach these audiences and, in turn, straining our label relationships.
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Similarly, the recent Spotify bundling controversy highlights the stark inequalities between major and independent publishers. By adjusting its service offerings to lower mechanical royalty rates, Spotify has given a significant advantage to major publishers. While all publishers are aligned in fighting Spotify’s move, major publishers, with their extensive financial reserves, can more easily absorb the impact of reduced royalties. Additionally, integration with their record label arms allows their parent companies to negotiate recording royalty deals that help offset losses on the publishing side. Independent publishers, however, operate with much tighter margins and lack the diversified revenue streams of their larger counterparts. For us, every penny matters. A reduced mechanical rate isn’t just a cut; it’s a threat to our very existence.
Beyond these specific cases, the challenges of 2024, including rising operating costs and intense competition in catalog acquisitions, have placed a heavier burden on indie publishers. The surge in catalog acquisitions by major publishers, driven by their financial power and access to capital, has driven up prices, making it increasingly difficult for indies to compete. This trend not only inflates catalog values to potentially unsustainable levels but also concentrates power in the hands of a few dominant players, stifling diversity in the market. Additionally, the rising costs of daily operations, from licensing negotiations to administrative expenses, are squeezing indie publishers even further, forcing some to consider selling their businesses, merging or even closing down.
Despite these challenges, there are still reasons for indie publishers to be optimistic. The Luminate 2024 Midyear Report shows that indie artists’ market share has grown by an average of 1.76%, with the most significant increase in the 500M+ on-demand audio streams category, increasing 2.7% over 2023 to 9.9%. Additionally, 62.1% of artists with 1 million to 10 million U.S. on-demand audio streams have independent distribution. These two examples out of many showcase the continued impact and growing influence of indie creators in the digital space. Advances in technology, especially AI tools, are providing new opportunities for music production, metadata refinement and distribution, leveling the playing field for indie artists and creators. Organizations like the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) continue to advocate for and support indies, ensuring we have the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the industry. Additionally, the rise in synch opportunities and revenue following 2023’s entertainment labor disputes offer indie publishers a growing source of income in a segment of the industry that, fortunately, remains a free market.
The path forward for indie publishers is clear: We must unite and use our challenges to motivate change. By channeling our collective frustration, we can fight for fairer treatment and greater solidarity in the industry. Far from being destructive, our anger can be a powerful force, driving indies to recognize our strength, advocate fiercely for our rights, and reshape the industry. We can create a more just environment for our songwriters, ensuring they are fairly compensated and contributing to a more balanced music industry. The time for complacency is over; it’s time for indies to take action and secure our future, and the future of the songwriters who depend on us.
Marc Caruso is the co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based independent music publisher Angry Mob Music, with successful operations in publishing, music rights management and music production. Throughout his more than 20-year career in music as an entrepreneur, composer, producer and Emmy-nominated music editor, Marc has been at the forefront of music publishing and master rights administration for film and TV and has continually been a champion for musician and songwriters’ rights.
The rise of DIY music distribution platforms like TuneCore and DistroKid has been unequivocally transformative for artists — it has given them the ability to reach listeners without traditional label constraints.
Yet, while democratization has opened doors for countless artists, it’s also opened the floodgates to an equally pernicious, unintended byproduct — rampant fraud and copyright infringement. For context, Luminate reported that in 2023, over 120,000 new songs were uploaded daily, a sharp increase from 93,000 per day in 2022. The surge is predominantly due to two things: the ubiquity and growth of the DIY distribution sector and the proliferation of consumer-facing music production resources. This relatively nascent landscape has dramatically increased not only the volume of content but also the industry’s exposure to unauthorized and infringing material.
Universal Music Group’s recent $500 million lawsuit against TuneCore and its parent company Believe highlights the severity — as well as a tipping point. The lawsuit asserts that these platforms are illegally profiting from large-scale copyright infringement, where the culprit for disseminating and monetizing the unauthorized IP is both distributor and unethical user alike. Ultimately, this case highlights a broader, systemic failure, exacerbated by insufficient monitoring, accountability and safeguards for control. But the ecosystem has become too big, too unregulated and too profitable for some of its stakeholders to rectify it on their own. Reform is overdue.
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Democratized Distribution
DIY distribution was originally designed to level the playing field, allowing any artist to release music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. However, open access came with side-effects — most notably, rampant IP abuse. The sector has become a breeding ground for exploitation; malicious users take advantage of the low barrier to entry by uploading pirated, remixed, or slightly modified versions of copyrighted songs. Collectively, these uploads generate significant revenue, with a portion of that going to the distributors who host them.
This is far from an isolated issue. With millions of tracks uploaded annually, there is an immense challenge in verifying every song. While some platforms claim to have anti-fraud systems in place, policing measures frequently fall short. The sheer volume of uploads makes scalable monitoring difficult, in turn creating a laissez-faire approach that indirectly allows infringement to thrive.
YouTube Royalty Collections Unique Challenge
Nowhere is this problem more pervasive than YouTube, where scale and visibility is inherently even more challenging. Some users deliberately circumvent YouTube copyright policies by uploading and distributing pitched remixes, slowed down/sped up remixes or near-identical versions specifically in order to bypass Content ID. Detection is challenging, and most of this infringement goes unnoticed. Even when violations are flagged, recouping misappropriated payments is impossible. Artists are left to navigate an opaque, complicated system and often leave their rights exposed and earnings minimized. For many independent artists, YouTube is a key, significant revenue stream and copyright fraud siphons away that income with little recourse.
Industry-Wide Consequences
Overvaluing volume vs. quality control creates a system ripe for exploitation because the current model often benefits the infringer. But solving the core issue mandates more than increasing lawsuits. There needs to be enforceable quality-control metrics that are clearly communicated and that actively deter fraud, while protecting rights holders. Transparent protocols to ensure flagged content will not generate income for infringers along with improved early detection systems will help standardize accountability and visibility. An enforceable and sustainable safeguard system will:
A. Prevent infringing content from reaching listeners at allB. Mandate greater transparency when infringement occurs, andC. Ensure rightful compensation for rights holders.
Closing the knowledge gap and developing industry-wide standards are also essential for meaningful change. By raising public awareness, providing a forum where artists and rights holders can report infringement and increasing pressure within the industry, the path to reform is achievable — and similar to regulations that have been implemented to curb other forms of online piracy.
A Call for Collective Responsibility
Setting clear deadlines for reform will hold platforms and distributors accountable while improving transparency. Fundamentally, and despite the challenges of volume, even en-masse DIY distributors must showcase a basic respect for IP and prioritize rights holders/artists while identifying (and deterring) the bad actors who undermine them.
With collective, industry-wide efforts, digital music distribution can become a sustainable model that supports independent artists while upholding their rights. A system that empowers artists while maintaining integrity is essential to preserving the value of music and protecting it from exploitation.
George Karalexis is co-founder/CEO of Ten2 Media. His expertise as a media executive, strategic advisor, and serial entrepreneur spans 15-plus years across multi-sector leadership, with a focus on music, marketing strategy and tactical team building. Donna Budica is co-founder/COO of Ten2 Media. With a degree in finance from The Wharton School and an MBA from USC Marshall, she leads corporate strategy and operations at Ten2 and its subsidiaries.
Ten2 Media is a rights management and content marketing company specializing in asset monetization, audience development and content optimization on YouTube. Ten2’s expertise on YouTube and decades of experience in the music Industry is the foundation of its unique approach to maximizing revenue and marketing music for the world’s leading artists and labels.
World Mental Health Day and Sober October take place this month, and Grammy-nominated guitarist Marcus King has found his sobriety and mental health are inextricably linked. In the below commentary, he shares how 1 Million Strong and his own Curfew Fellowship Fund have helped him foster a compassionate, supportive community for saying sober, especially on the road.
I spent most of my time in addiction feeling guilt and shame for the time I’d lost. There are many moments, incredible career defining moments, like the first time I played with Eric Clapton, Little Featand Lynyrd Skynyrd, that I simply cannot fully recall.
Addiction ran in my family and partially ran my life for quite some time.
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I had my first drink around age 12 or 13. I was often the youngest one at the party. I drank in an effort to quiet down the demons from years of trauma and abandonment that I hadn’t learned how to cope with yet. Drugs and alcohol helped to summon a muse and overcome my social anxiety.
I spent most of my teens and early 20s under the influence. Two years ago, I didn’t think I’d live to make another album. I’d tried many times to quit drinking and while getting clean could be a high of its own, my sense of self sunk even lower when I fell off the wagon. I’m certainly not the first to self-medicate.
We’ve lost many of the greats to addiction – Hank Williams, Billie Holliday, Townes Van Zandt, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse – and not having the right resources and community in place to support them. Behind the glamor of the sex, drugs, and rock & roll lifestyle, the music industry can be isolating with grueling hours on the road, often times away from loved ones and little time to focus on your health. But it is getting easier to be an artist or fan and maintain sobriety.
What I’ve learned in the past two years is that sobriety and mental health are a journey, not a final destination. Each day I just need to make progress and lend myself compassion when I don’t live up to it – when I fall off, I have to remind myself I am not a fuck up, I just fucked up.
I’ve also learned what tools I need for the journey. Community is one. And it’s key.
It’s easier for me to be sober on stage than alone with my own mind. Having people on my tour who know I am better when I’m sober and help me stay the course is necessary. That’s why I’m currently on the road with my pals 1 Million Strong. This initiative is working with artists, festivals, and venues to create community and engaging sober experiences, encourage open conversation about addiction, and give support for those impacted by substance use.
To take it a step further, 1 Million Strong connects people with The Phoenix’s sober-active community which give those struggling with addiction opportunities to make meaningful connection in their daily lives through virtual and in person events across the country.
For me, it’s making time to ride my Peloton bike before shows. Even just the virtual community I find there helps me keep going.
Building community starts from the bottom up — music venues and tours are no exception. By working together to make the music industry a place where sober communities can grow and thrive, we’re hoping to change the way people think about experiencing music.
I’ve been so impressed by my friends in the industry and fans who have shown up to support this sober community and chart a better path. If I have any advice for people whose loved ones are struggling with addiction it’s to listen.
Substance use disorders truly are an illness, so don’t cast blame. Judgment only shoves those of us trying to stay sober further into darkness. It erodes our sense of self and our connection to you — the very things that could be lifelines to sobriety.
We also need to get honest in this country about mental health and how darkness drives addiction. That’s what I am trying to do by sharing my experiences, and that’s the mission behind my Curfew Fellowship Fund, which is building a support system for those battling mental health challenges.
The foundation is named for my friend, tour manager, and fellow songwriter Matt “Curfew” Reynolds who died by suicide in 2017. I’d like to believe if Curfew, Hank, Billie, Townes or any of the other greats we’ve lost to addiction had access to a sober, supportive community equipped to help them wrestle their demons, their careers and their lives would have been longer.
I once heard Tyler Childers describe getting sober as regaining time. My sobriety journey is about getting my time back that I could have lost all together.
For me, meditation and spending time each day being grateful for my wife, and my dog, Duck — who hates the smell of alcohol on people’s breath — and this life keeps me grounded. When I’m not drinking, I’m more present, more creative, and see things more vibrantly. I am who I want to be for myself, my loved ones and my fans.
Just because you’re sober doesn’t mean you can’t party. I believe everyone has a role to play in reimagining the music industry as a sacred space where everyone can show up as they are and rock out together, no matter what’s in their cup.
The newest upsurge in artificial intelligence technology is streamlining the tedious tasks that run beneath the glamor of the industry, from simplifying marketing strategies to easing direct fan engagement to handling financial intricacies. And as this ecosystem matures, companies are discovering unprecedented methods to not only navigate but thrive within these new paradigms.
In our previous guest column, we explored how the wave of music tech startups is empowering musicians, artists and the creative process. Now, we shift our focus to the technologies revolutionizing the business side of the industry, including artist services, ticketing, fan engagement and more.
Music marketing has continued to evolve and become increasingly data-driven. A natural next step after creation and distribution, marketing involves creating assets for a campaign to effectively engage with the right audience. Traditionally, this has been a resource-intensive task, but now, AI-driven startups are providing efficiencies by automating much of this process.
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Startups like Symphony and un:hurd are now providing automated campaign management services, handling everything from social media ads to DSP and playlist pitching from a single automated hub. Some of these platforms even incorporate financial management tools into their offerings.
“Having financial management tools integrated into one platform allows for better revenue management and planning,” says Rameen Satar, founder/CEO of the financial management platform BANDS. “Overall, a unified platform simplifies the complexities of managing a music career, empowering musicians to focus more on their creative work and succeed in the industry.”
One hot topic as of late has been superfan monetization, with multiple startups creating platforms for artists to engage with and monetize their fan bases directly. From fan-designed merchandise on Softside to artist-to-fan streaming platform Vault.fm, which recently partnered with James Blake, these platforms provide personalized fan experiences including exclusive content, NFTs, merchandise, early access to tickets and bespoke offerings.
Drew Thurlow and Rufy Anam Ghazi
Courtesy Photo
“The future of fan engagement will be community-driven. No two fan communities are alike, so engagement will be bespoke to each artist,” says Andy Apple, co-founder/CEO of superfan platform Mellomanic. “Artists will each have their own unique culture, but share one commonality: Every community will align, organize and innovate to support the goals of the artist.”
Managing metadata and accounting royalties through the global web of streaming services is another area seeing innovation. With nearly 220 million tracks now registered at DSPs, according to content ID company Audible Magic, startups are stepping in to offer solutions across the music distribution and monetization chain. New tools are being developed to organize and search catalogs, manage track credits and splits, handle incomes, find unclaimed royalties, and clean up metadata errors.
”While we have well-publicized challenges still around artist remuneration, there are innovation opportunities across the value chain, driving growth through improved operations and new models,” says Gareth Deakin of Sonorous Global Consulting, a London-based consultancy that works with labels and music creators to best use emerging technologies.
Another issue that some AI companies have stepped in help solve is preventing fraud — a significant concern stemming from the ease of music distribution and the sheer volume of new music being released every day. Startups are helping labels and digital service providers address this problem with anti-piracy, content detection and audio fingerprinting technology. Beatdapp, for instance, which developed groundbreaking AI technology to detect fake streams, has partnered with Universal Music Group, SoundExchange and Napster. Elsewhere, MatchTune has patented an algorithm that detects AI-generated and manipulated audio, and a few others are developing tech to ensure the ethical use of copyrighted material by connecting rights holders and AI developers for fair compensation. Music recognition technology (MRT), which also utilizes audio fingerprinting technology, is becoming a prominent way to identify, track and monetize music plays across various platforms, including on-ground venues and other commercial spaces.
In the live music industry, there has been minimal innovation in ticketing, especially at the club level. That’s starting to turn around, however, as new technologies are emerging to automate the tracking of ticket sales and counts, thereby helping agents and promoters reduce manual workloads.
RealCount is one such startup that helps artists, agencies and promoters make sense of ticketing data. “We see RealCount as a second brain for promoters, agents and venues, automating the tracking of ticket counts and sales data from any point of sale,” says Diane Gremore, the company’s founder/CEO. Other exciting developments are taking place in how live events are experienced virtually, with platforms like Condense delivering immersive 3D content in real time.
Drew Thurlow is the founder of Opening Ceremony Media where he advises music and music tech companies. Previously he was senior vp of A&R at Sony Music, and director of artists partnerships & industry relations at Pandora. His first book, about music & AI, will be released by Routledge in early 2026.
Rufy Anam Ghazi is a seasoned music business professional with over eight years of experience in product development, data analysis, research, business strategy, and partnerships. Known for her data-driven decision-making and innovative approach, she has successfully led product development, market analysis, and strategic growth initiatives, fostering strong industry relationships.
TikTok’s decision to boycott Merlin and pursue direct deals with Merlin’s member labels is a troubling move that undermines the rights of labels to choose how their music is licensed. While TikTok frames this shift as a way to tackle streaming fraud, it’s clear that the real motive is to weaken the bargaining power of independent labels and use that leverage to suppress rates.
Merlin has built strong partnerships over the last 16 years with more than 40 digital services worldwide. These partners recognize the value Merlin brings—efficiency, scale, and a deep understanding of the independent music community. TikTok’s move to sideline Merlin is not about protecting against fraud but about undermining the ability of independent labels to achieve competitive terms, not just now but for the long term. The ultimate consequence of its refusal to negotiate with Merlin for the music that earns TikTok billions of dollars, will be to damage artists’ ability to make a living from their art.
This tactic is not new. It echoes the historical struggles of the music industry with partners such as terrestrial radio and MTV, both of which profited massively from the use of recorded music while refusing to pay artists under the pretext of “promotional value” or “exposure” — ostensibly for the sale of an artist’s CDs or LPs. In this largely digital economy the stream is the sale – and it has been widely reported that TikTok pays rights holders far less than other services for equivalent uses of music.
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Richard James Burgess, President and CEO of A2IM
Independent labels choose Merlin to license their rights, because of its expertise, experience and track record in striking these kinds of deals. This ensures compensation at levels enabling them to compete with the majors and protects independents from being unfairly exploited. TikTok’s decision to bypass Merlin and demand direct deals is an assault on the freedom of small and medium sized enterprises to determine their own business strategies. The fact that TikTok is giving Merlin members a matter of days to accept TikTok’s terms or lose access to its massive platform, is an unfair exercise of its market power.
This apparent divide-and-conquer strategy is, we believe, designed to keep payouts for indie artists low by exploiting their perceived reliance on TikTok’s platform. It’s not about addressing fraud or improving the digital music ecosystem. In fact, by exponentially multiplying the number of license deals TikTok will need to strike and by losing Merlin as a partner in the fight against fraudulent material, more fraud is likely to ensue. Merlin simplifies licensing, making it easier for platforms to access diverse, independent music. Fragmenting this system hurts artists and fans and will limit the range of music available on TikTok.
At its core, this issue is about respecting the rights of independent labels to determine how their music is licensed. TikTok’s behavior doesn’t reflect a problem with Merlin; it reflects TikTok’s lack of respect for the value of music. Every other major platform has struck responsible deals with Merlin that balance the needs of the service with optimized compensation for artists. TikTok’s refusal to do so sets a dangerous precedent for recording artists and their labels.
TikTok must stop undermining and disrespecting the independent music community. It can do this by working with the labels’ rights management agency of choice to establish a fair, transparent licensing system that benefits all stakeholders in the music ecosystem. Independent labels have the right to choose their representatives to negotiate deals that truly reflect the value of their artists’ creative contributions. Anything less is a disservice to the artists and the fans and undermines the very fabric of music culture.
Dr. Richard James Burgess is an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, author, manager, marketer and inventor, who presently serves as the president and CEO of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).
Chhappell Roan recently canceled two shows just one day before they were due to take place, saying that she felt overwhelmed and needed to take a break. She’s not alone — over the past few years, artists including Adele, Rihanna and The Rolling Stones have all done something similar, and likely at an eye-watering cost for all involved.
People will always get sick, but the kind of health issues artists state are often more complex. While it seems that labels and management companies have put an increasing amount of investment into mental health programs over the last few years, is there anything more that could help cancellations like these to be prevented?
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One area of the business slow to change is allowing adequate recovery time on tour for emerging artists. Costs are high and labels want to get the maximum amount of exposure for new artists, but scheduling proper breaks is so important when it comes to preventing illness, overwhelm and vocal issues. A quick glance at Chappell Roan’s tour dates shows her playing in three different cities on three consecutive nights. Combine this approach with a meteoric rise in profile and you’ll have an exhausted, overwhelmed artist in no time.
It is in this state that pre-existing health issues can raise their head. Exhaustion and stress will do that to any of us. No amount of mental health support can compensate for an over-tired artist who can’t cope. But also, for artists, exhaustion and stress impact their live performance in ways that executives often forget. An artist experiencing visceral symptoms of overwhelm, as Chappell stated, will find it incredibly hard to perform. She even said: “I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible,” suggesting that her current state is preventing her from doing that.
For singers, their body is their instrument, and signs of tiredness, illness or stress will show in their voice. Tension in the body can result in feelings of tightness, vocal fatigue and an inability to reach high notes. Sharing their music onstage with fans is incredibly meaningful to artists, so they want to be fit and strong enough to do the material justice. The world of social media is brutal — any significant vocal issues or performance mistakes will likely end up being shared online, inviting a wealth of stress-inducing (and often unfair) criticism. No artist wants to go onstage worrying that their voice might give out at any point, so they need to be properly supported to prevent this from happening. Additionally, increased stress can raise performance anxiety levels to unmanageable states, even for those who haven’t suffered from it before.
How can things change? Firstly, executives need to work with artists to find out what a reasonable tour workload is for them, remembering that everyone is different. Be mindful that promo is tiring for the voice, and the body doesn’t process a TV or radio appearance as a “day off” from performance, no matter how tempting it is to squeeze an opportunity into a scheduling gap. Travel days are also exhausting.
Many major artists further along in their careers now demand recovery to be built into their tour schedules, but it’s harder for younger acts to feel they can ask for this. It can also be tough for teams to facilitate — it’s well-documented how long it takes for touring to become profitable, especially when taking into account the rising costs faced by the industry post-pandemic. However, it’s worth taking a long-term view. As we mentioned earlier, cancellations are also expensive and risk harming the important dynamic of trust between artist and fan.
Secondly, invest in some proper performance psychology training for artists. Classical musicians know the importance of this — all major conservatories around the world now educate their students on how to perform under pressure, using virtual reality and mental skills training techniques, among others, to help musicians cope with the challenges of a high-level performance career.
Researchers have suggested that performing live can be compared biologically to sky-diving, in terms of the levels of stress in the body. Without proper management, recovery and support, cortisol levels can stay heightened, contributing to health issues in the long term. This is why management of performance anxiety is vital. All artists need a pre- and post-performance routine to help the body, mind and voice prepare for, and recover from, performance. You’ve probably heard of them from the world of sport, where they’re commonplace for athletes. Classical musicians use them too, but pop is slow to catch on — and to its detriment.
Finally, a routine performance health check-in with artists should be mandatory. These look at vocal health, performance psychology, hearing health, musculoskeletal issues and general mental health. Research suggests that musicians are slow to seek help for health issues, leaving problems until they become chronic, at which point many are harder to deal with and can even be career-ending. These early, cheap interventions can prevent problems from escalating. A standardized offer across the industry for all artists to access support would make a huge difference in reducing performance health-related cancellations long-term.
We cover all of this and more in the upcoming international edition of our health-focused career guide for artists (and those who work with them), Sound Advice, which aims to help prevent health and performance issues before they escalate, through a combination of research, interviews, professional advice and resources.
There’s been so much discussion and headway made on the health issues faced by artists in recent years. However, as Chappell Roan’s example and many others show, there are big gaps in care and provision that need to be addressed if the industry wants to prevent last-minute cancellations and move towards a more sustainable (not to mention ethical) future.
Rhian Jones is a respected freelance journalist who specializes in the business of music. She writes for The Guardian, Music Business Worldwide and Hits, amongst others.
Lucy Heyman runs a performance health and psychology consultancy, Elevate, where she works with industry organizations, advising artists and those that work with them on how to optimize performance. She has an MSc in Performance Science from the Royal College of Music and has published original research on the health and well-being experiences of artists in popular music.
We are in a transformative era of music technology.
The music industry will continue to experience growth throughout the decade, with total music revenue reaching approximately $131 billion by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs. This lucrative business is built on streaming but also witnessing an unprecedented surge in innovation and entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence. With over 300,000 tech and media professionals laid off since the beginning of 2023, according to TechCrunch, a new wave of talent has been funneled into music tech startups. This influx, coupled with the dramatic decrease in cloud storage costs and the global rise of developer talent, has catalyzed the emergence of many startups (over 400 that we have tracked) dedicated to redefining the music business through AI.
These music tech startups are not just changing the way music is made and released; they are reshaping the very fabric of the industry. They’re well-funded, too. After raising over $4.8 billion in 2022, music tech startups and companies raised almost $10 billion in funding in 2023, according to Digital Music News, indicating that venture capitalists and investors are highly optimistic about the future growth of music technology.
As Matt Cartmell, CEO of Music Technology UK, said, “Our members want us to present the music tech sector as a highly investible proposition, educating investors about the opportunities that lie within. Music tech firms are also looking for innovative models of engagement with labels, DSPs and artists, as well as looking for our help to bring diverse talent into the industry, removing the barriers that continue to restrict individuals with passion and enthusiasm from a career in music technology.”
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Riding this wave of investment, several startups have already made a splash in the music AI space. Below is an overview of a few of those companies and how they’re contributing to the industry’s rapid evolution.
Generative AI: The New Frontier
At the heart of this revolution is generative AI, a technology rapidly becoming indispensable for creators across the spectrum. From novices to professional artists and producers, AI-powered platforms offer unprecedented musical expression and innovation opportunities. It’s now possible for users without any formal musical training to craft songs in many genres, effectively democratizing music production. Music fans or content creators can utilize products that score their social content, while seasoned musicians can use these tools to enhance their creative workflows.
“I like to think of generative AI as a new wave of musical instruments,” says Dr. Maya Ackerman, founder of Wave AI, a company that has introduced tools to aid human songwriters. “The most useful AI tools for artists are those that the musicians can ‘play,’ meaning that the musician is in full control, using the AI to aid in their self-expression rather than be hindered.” These tools focus on generating vocal melodies, chords and lyrics, emphasizing collaboration with musicians rather than replacing them.
For non-professionals, one ambitious company, Beatoven.ai, is building a product to generate music in a host of different ways for many different use cases. “(Users) can get a piece of music generated and customize it as per their content without much knowledge of music,” says Siddharth Bhardwaj, co-founder/CTO of Beatoven. “Going forward, we are working on capturing their intent in the form of multimodal input (text, video, images and audio) and getting them as close to their requirements as possible.”
The concept of “artist as an avatar” has become increasingly popular, which draws inspiration from the gaming community. Companies like CreateSafe, the startup powering Grimes’ elf.tech, have built generative audio models that enable anyone to either license the voice of a well-known artist or replicate their own voice. This innovative approach also reflects the adaptive and forward-thinking nature of artists. Established artists like deadmau5, Richie Hawtin and Ólafur Arnalds have also delved into AI initiatives and investments. Furthermore, a few innovators are crafting AI music tools tailored for the gaming community, potentially paving the way for the fusion of music and gaming through real-time personalization and adaptive soundtracks during gameplay.
The Community and Collaboration Ecosystem
The journey of music creation is often fraught with challenges, including tedious workflows and a sense of isolation. Recognizing this, several startups are focusing on building communities around music creation and feedback. The Singapore-based music tech giant BandLab recently announced that it has acquired a user base of 100 million, making it one of the biggest success stories in this arena. “Our strength lies in our comprehensive approach to our audience’s needs. From the moment of inspiration to distribution, our platform is designed to be a complete toolkit for music creators and their journey,” says founder Meng Ro Kuok. There are several startups pioneering spaces where creators can collaborate, share insights and support each other, heralding a new era of collective creativity.
A Toolkit for Every Aspect of Music Production
This landscape of music tech startups offers a comprehensive toolkit that caters to every facet of the music creation process:
Track and Stem Organization. Platforms like Audioshake simplify the management of tracks and stems, streamlining the production process.
Vocal & Instrument Addition. These technologies allow for the addition of any human voice or instrument sound to a recording environment, expanding the possibilities for frictionless creativity.
Sound Libraries. Services provide or generate extensive libraries of samples, beats and sounds, offering artists a rich palette.
Mix and Master. The process of mixing and mastering audio has historically relied heavily on human involvement. However, several startups are utilizing AI technology to automate these services for a more comprehensive audio production experience. Others also offer the ability to convert stereo songs to spatial audio.
Remixing and Freelance Musicianship. Many platforms now offer creative and innovative solutions for remixing music. Additionally, some platforms allow users to easily source and connect with talented artists, session musicians and other music professionals. Need an orchestra? There are tech platforms that can arrange and source one for you remotely.
The Future of Music Tech: A Vision of Inclusivity and Innovation
The barriers that once kept people from participating in music creation are falling away. Now, anyone with a passion for sound can create content, engage with fans, find a community and even monetize their work. This more accessible and collaborative music ecosystem offers an exciting glimpse into a future where anyone can participate in the art of creation. The explosion of creators, facilitated by these technologies, also suggests a new economic opportunity for the industry to service this growing creator class.
Drew Thurlow is the founder of Opening Ceremony Media where he advises music and music tech companies. Previously he was senior vp of A&R at Sony Music, and director of artists partnerships & industry relations at Pandora. His first book, about music & AI, will be released by Routledge in early 2026.
Rufy Anam Ghazi is a seasoned music business professional with over eight years of experience in product development, data analysis, research, business strategy, and partnerships. Known for her data-driven decision-making and innovative approach, she has successfully led product development, market analysis, and strategic growth initiatives, fostering strong industry relationships.
In June 2022, Jeffery Williams, the rapper professionally known as Young Thug, said from jail: “I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and I see now that Black artists and rappers don’t have that freedom.”
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Rap is the most important musical development of the last half-century. It is a Black art form that reflects, comments upon and helps define the American experience. Like other artistic expressions, rap lyrics are often fictitious and hyperbolic; they cannot be assumed to be autobiographical. And like famous surrealist painters, some rappers combine their experiences with flights of imagination, leaving the audience to decide what is “real” and what is not. Other rappers write wholly fictional accounts without labeling them as such — sometimes for commercial appeal. As Young Thug explained to XXL Magazine in 2016: “I started doing a thuggish style … I started to make cool trap music … Them songs have made millions of dollars but them songs are not me.”
Just like other artists, the creators of rap music are protected by the First Amendment; as such, they are entitled to create ambiguous art that does not separate fact from fiction.
Unlike other types of artists, however, rappers find their art used against them in criminal court, as overly aggressive prosecutors charge rappers with having committed the alleged crimes depicted in their lyrics. It seems the ultimate rap battle is between the First Amendment and the Sixth Amendment — pitting the freedom of expression against the right to a fair trial. The racial injustice of this tactic is obvious. Directors of horror and action movies are not forced to defend themselves in criminal court against allegations that their films depict actual events. Nor must the creators of country or death metal music justify their songs to a judge or jury as fiction — no matter how violent their lyrics may be. Only rappers are singled out in this way.
Hearteningly, the music industry and the social justice community have joined forces with lawmakers in opposition to this egregious prosecutorial overreach. For instance, California amended its rules of evidence to place additional burdens upon prosecutors who seek “to admit as evidence” of criminality “a form of creative expression.” In New York, proposed legislation similarly seeks to create a presumption against admitting evidence of a defendant’s creative expression in criminal trials. And, at the federal level, the Restoring Artistic Protection Act (RAP Act), seeking to shield artists from the misuse of their lyrics in both criminal and civil proceedings, has been reintroduced in Congress. This bill has support from groups such as the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), the Recording Academy, the Black Music Collective and SAG-AFTRA. All of these pieces of legislation aim to safeguard artists from prosecutors who want to use their creative expressions as evidence in criminal trials — ensuring rap artists enjoy the benefits of both the First and Sixth Amendments of our Constitution.
While these efforts are commendable, a significant loophole remains within the domain of criminal conspiracy prosecutions. A conspiracy is a crime where two or more people agree to commit an unlawful act, and someone in the conspiracy takes an affirmative step — or “overt act” toward the act. While the actual and proposed California, New York and federal statutes would make it harder for prosecutors to use rap lyrics as evidence of a crime, they do nothing to prevent prosecutors from alleging that rap lyrics themselves are an element of a crime — specifically, the so-called “overt act” element of a conspiracy crime. Additional legislation is urgently needed at the state and federal levels to prevent this from happening.
Conspiracy charges are darlings of prosecutors because many criminal conspiracy statutes permit the government to charge each alleged conspirator with all crimes committed by the conspiracy, so long as the alleged conspirator: (1) knowingly and willfully joined the conspiracy; and (2) committed an “overt act” in support of the conspiracy. Thus, by alleging that a rapper’s lyrics constitute an “overt act,” a prosecutor can seek to hold that rapper criminally responsible for crimes that the rapper did not even commit but rather were committed by other members of the “conspiracy.” In other words, rappers can be charged with and convicted for other people’s crimes merely by virtue of rapping. This prosecutorial tactic is literally criminalizing rap music.
The ongoing Young Thug/YSL trial vividly illustrates the urgent need for legislation banning this tactic. In that case, the prosecution has charged the defendants under a criminal conspiracy statute, Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) law. The grand jury indictment characterizes YSL as a gang engaged in criminal activities, with the Grammy-winning artist purportedly at the forefront. To link various defendants to the alleged “conspiracy,” and thus to ensnare them into the defendants’ seats at trial, the prosecution has alleged that specific sets of rap lyrics constitute “overt acts.” On their face, these lyrics are a mode of artistic expression, involving clever wordplay and other forms of humor. Lyrics cited by prosecutors include the following:
“Red just like Elmo but I never f—in’ giggle”— Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams
“Where you from, I’m from Bleveland, throw your set up” — Wunnie “Slimelife Shawty” Lee
“I shot at his mommy, now he no longer mention me” — Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams
Without legislation preventing these or other rap lyrics from being charged as “overt acts,” prosecutors will continue to use them to bolster their cases. We call for the music industry to unite with its allies to press for the introduction and passage of such legislation. Until that happens, the music industry and its allies should press candidates running for district attorney to promise not to prosecute rap lyrics as “overt acts.” Moreover, and until new legislation passes, criminal defense and music industry attorneys should advise their clients about the risks of prosecutions for merely creating rap, however outrageous and unfair that may be. Otherwise, rappers will continue to navigate a precarious line that could see their lyrics construed as a crime, undermining the fundamental principles of artistic freedom and raising urgent questions about racial and creative justice in the courtroom. Rap artists should not have to choose between their First and Sixth Amendment rights.
Jeffrey Movit is a civil litigator in New York and Los Angeles whose practice areas include copyright, trademark, defamation and entertainment law. He has been called the “lawyer to the stars” by the New York Post, and he was named by Billboard magazine as one of the “Top Music Lawyers” for 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Priya Chaudhry is a nationally-known, award-winning criminal defense trial attorney who routinely handles high-profile, high-stakes criminal cases. With nearly 50 jury trials in 25 years of practice, The Hollywood Reporter named Ms. Chaudhry as one of the “25 Power Lawyers” it recognized as “Hollywood’s Troubleshooters.”
Awais Arshad is a criminal defense attorney at ChaudhryLaw, a Fulbright Scholar and barred in multiple jurisdictions, including New York, England & Wales and Pakistan.
The business of music has transformed in the last two decades, driven by technology that shattered barriers to entry and creators’ determination to control their destiny. At the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year, more than half of the nominees were independent. And it’s more than just business: the indie movement has enabled diverse voices that could not be heard previously to occupy their rightful place in the industry. This makes music, and our society, more egalitarian and better.
Whether blues, punk, hip-hop or country, America’s most recognizable music genres started out in the indie sector, and today the association I lead has more than 750 members across 35 states, and most of them are small businesses with less than 50 employees. As the music industry has changed, so have they.
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Yet, some of the most important players in the music ecosystem cling to a bygone era that was dictated by the motto, “Might Makes Right.”
Exhibit A is iHeartRadio. The corporate behemoth controls 860-plus stations across the country that play over 50 million songs a year. Those songs helped iHeart’s multiplatform group — covering broadcast radio and national sales — generate more than $2.4 billion in 2023 alone, according to its latest earnings report.
But iHeart is stuck in 1990. It doesn’t bother discovering new artists. Instead, it overplays the hits and milks classic songs that were released decades ago. Despite the growing movement to achieve economic justice, iHeart denies artists and labels payment for their work.
Take a moment to reflect on that. iHeart makes $12 billion a year playing music but refuses to pay the hard working and talented people who perform and produce the songs that are the reason consumers tune-in in the first place. In its desperate attempt to cling to the past, iHeart and lobbyist group the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have spent nearly $100 million since 2020 lobbying Congress and spreading campaign contributions around to maintain the unfair status quo.
iHeart is powerful. But it’s on the wrong side of history. And it’s about to face what it hates most: a public forum where broadcasters must defend their craven practices. On Wednesday (June 26), the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the refusal of broadcasters to pay music creators for their work.
Richard James Burgess speaks onstage during the GRAMMY Influencer Activation at GRAMMY House during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 1, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Jerod Harris/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Of course, iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman won’t testify. He leaves the dirty work to the NAB. But that doesn’t matter. When the issue of compensation for AM/FM airplay is held in a public forum, broadcasters lose. That is why their lobbyists work so hard to prevent congressional hearings. But courageous members of Congress such as Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY) are making sure there is a public debate. And they have a solution to ending the injustice: the American Music Fairness Act, which would grant an AM/FM performance royalty. This bill would bring AM/FM radio into the 21st Century, and finally grant American recording artists the same rights enjoyed by their counterparts in almost every other country on the planet.
In the last two decades, how we discover and listen to music has dramatically changed, and not just the move from vinyl records to streaming. We can now ask a device in our house, such as Alexa, to play music, and it does. Spotify and SiriusXM are now buttons next to AM/FM on the dashboard of our cars. Polling from 2020 found that of the people who regard staying up to date on new music as important to them, only 11% turn to AM/FM radio to do so. Even in my generation, that number is only 27%. OK, Boomers!
We need to update the laws to catch up to these changes. It makes no sense if, when driving, music creators heard on SiriusX are being compensated, but not if you hear them on an AM/FM station. If you listen to radio programming through the iHeartMedia app on your phone, through a smart speaker, or even in your car, iHeart has to pay creators too. That’s why they have their hand out to Congress asking for a mandate to keep AM radios in cars.
The American Music Fairness Act brings justice and balance to the industry. Music creators get paid for their work. AM/FM stations have to pay just like the streaming services. And, because the legislation protects truly local radio stations, most stations in the country would pay just $10 to $500 a year to play music.
I know independent music creators, who I represent as president and CEO of the American Association of Independent Music, could definitely use the income from those royalties. My members love partnering with true locally controlled community radio stations, but the behemoths usually don’t take their calls. There are hundreds of thousands of artists and other creators who hustle and struggle to make a living by giving us the music we love.
This approach is fair, it’s equitable, and it’s just. And iHeart hates it.
Broadcasters try to create as much fear, uncertainty, and doubt to avoid doing what’s right. They claim a $500 annual fee to play music would decimate stations’ ability to broadcast emergency communications – then they hike the annual dues it charges its members. They cling to the asinine rationale that the alleged promotional value of radio play justifies their immoral scheme. Worse, broadcasters claim they shouldn’t have to pay for the songs they play while demanding Congress get more money for them when their content is used by YouTube and other platforms.
Broadcasters do all of this with a straight face. But time is running out. When the arc of justice comes around, iHeart and the National Association of Broadcasters will learn they are on the wrong side of history.
Dr. Richard James Burgess is an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, author, manager, marketer and inventor, who presently serves as the president and CEO of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).
A few weeks back, a member of the team at my company, Ircam Amplify, joined one of the multiple AI music generators available online and input a brief prompt for a song. Within minutes, a new track was generated and promptly uploaded to a distribution platform. In just a couple of hours, that song, in which no human creativity played a part, was available on various streaming platforms. We diligently took action to remove the track from all of them, but the experiment highlighted a significant point.
It is now that simple! My aim here is not to pass judgment on whether AI-generated music is a good or a bad thing — from that perspective, we are neutral — but we think it is important to emphasize that, while the process is easy and cost-effective, there are absolutely no safeguards currently in place to ensure that consumers know if the music they are listening to is AI-generated. Consequently, they cannot make an informed choice about whether they want to listen to such music.
With AI-generated songs inundating digital platforms, streaming services require vast technological resources to manage the volume of tracks, diverting attention away from the promotion of music created by “human” artists and diluting the royalty pool.
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Like it or not, AI is here to stay, and more and more songs will find their way onto streaming platforms given how quick and easy the process is. We already know that there are AI-generated music “farms” flooding streaming platforms; over 25 million tracks were recently removed by Deezer, and it is reasonable to speculate that a significant proportion of these were AI-generated.
In the interest of transparency, consumers surely deserve to know whether the music they are tuning into is the genuine product of human creativity or derived from computer algorithms. But how can AI-generated tracks be easily distinguished? Solutions already exist. At Ircam Amplify, we offer a series of audio tools, from spatial sound to vocal separator, that cover the full audio supply chain. One of the latest technologies we have launched is an AI-generated detector designed to help rights holders, as well as platforms, identify tracks that are AI-generated. Through a series of benchmarks, we have been able to determine the “fingerprints” of AI models and apply them to their output to identify tracks coming from AI-music factories.
The purpose of any solution should be to support the whole music ecosystem by providing a technical answer to a real problem while contributing to a more fluid and transparent digital music market.
Discussions around transparency and AI are gaining traction all around the world. From Tokyo to Washington, D.C., from Brussels to London, policymakers are considering new legislation that would require platforms to identify AI-generated content. That is the second recommendation in the recent report “Artificial Intelligence and the Music Industry — Master or Servant?” published by the UK Parliament.
Consumers are also demanding it. A recent UK Music survey of more than 2,000 people, commissioned by Whitestone Insight, emphatically revealed that more than four out of five people (83%) agree that if AI technology has been used to create a song, it should be distinctly labeled as such.
Similarly, a survey conducted by Goldmedia in 2023 on behalf of rights societies GEMA and SACEM found that 89% of the collective management organizations’ members expressed a desire for AI-generated music tracks and other works to be clearly identified.
These overwhelming numbers tell us that concerns about AI are prevalent within creative circles and are also shared by consumers. There are multiple calls for the ethical use of AI, mostly originating from rights holders — artists, record labels, music publishers, collective management organizations, etc. — and transparency is usually at the core of these initiatives.
Simply put, if there’s AI in the recipe, then it should be flagged. If we can collectively find a way to ensure that AI-generated music is identified, then we will have made serious progress towards transparency.
Nathalie Birocheau currently serves as CEO at Ircam Amplify and is also a certified engineer (Centrale-Supélec) and former strategy consultant who has led several major cultural and media projects, notably within la Maison de la Radio. She became Deputy Director of France Info in 2016, where she led the creation of the global media franceinfo.