Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Monday edition • 3 min read

AI Music: All Bark, No Listeners

What's Up

Turns out nobody's listening to AI music. Don't take it from us; take it from Apple. According to Apple VP Oliver Schusser, AI made up a full third of everything submitted to Apple Music, but people listened to only 0.05% of it. That's the kind of small number you win arguments with.

So What

Apple's already got the detection tool that can sniff out which AI model made which track. And they doubled the fraud penalties for good measure. Anyone caught manipulating streams is looking at fines of 10% to 50% of royalties earned. As you can imagine, fraud dropped 60%. Funny what happens when people stop getting slapped on the wrist.

Now What

Keep making music with your hands and whatever you've got in your head. Could be a brain. Who knows. Oh, and make absolutely sure your stuff is registered and distributed properly, because when Apple takes the trash out of the pool, that money is going somewhere. Might as well be your bank account.

[Full story at Hypebot]

The American Dollar Wants 35 Million American Dollars From Suno

What's Up

Ambient duo The American Dollar just filed a $35 million lawsuit against everyone's favorite punching bag, Suno. You've probably already heard them on CSI: Miami without even realizing it.

So what did Suno do this time? Allegedly, they stole 236 songs from American Dollar to train their AI model. Same old, same old, right? But since Suno launched, American Dollar has watched 80% of their licensing revenue disappear.

So What

They didn't take that lying down, though. The duo went and signed up for Suno Pro, typed in prompts using their own song titles, and Suno spat out tracks that mimicked theirs. They caught Suno using Suno. Maybe they did pick up a thing or two from CSI.

Now What

Yeah, it's still a lawsuit, not a verdict yet, but the pattern's clear: AI can wipe out your income overnight. Register your copyright and make a paper trail of your earnings. Don't be that one indie saying, "I think they stole from me." Get proof.

[Full story at DMN]

The Protect Working Musicians Act Is Back

What's Up

Apparently, this is "Bring Bills Back from the Dead" week in Congress.

Last edition, we covered the No Fakes Act. This time, it's the Protect Working Musicians Act. Does exactly what it says on the tin. If it passes, indies making under $1 million a year from licensing (so, pretty much all of you) could finally band together, negotiate with streaming giants and AI companies, or refuse licensing deals entirely without needing to worry about antitrust lawsuits.

So What

Saying that indies have no leverage with platforms like Spotify or Suno is the understatement of the year. That's what the Protect Working Musicians Act is here to change. It could let indies move more like a pack. Something like a union, but for musicians.

Now What

It's another bill that was introduced before but didn't make it through. But the climate around AI and music rights is different now. Hit up your reps and let them know that you support it. A2IM has resources to make that easy at a2im.org.

Everybody from A2IM to the Recording Academy is backing this, so you're not alone.

[Full story at DMN]