Can you really recognize AI songs? According to the IPSOS study, 97% of listeners cannot do this. But what is the solution?
In a world where Manuelsen releases a song with an AI artist and lo-fi chillout music is listened to while studying, artificial intelligence abounds. But while some people don’t want to acknowledge the obvious problem with AI-generated music, many don’t want AI-generated songs in their playlists. But how can you recognize AI yourself?
The problem
You might think: Pff, I don’t care if it’s AI, as long as it sounds good. But beyond the moral question of whether an AI can create art, there is a much more real problem. It’s about the streaming money pot. Because if you want to make a living from music, you shouldn’t rely on the Spotify payout. For around 0.003 cents per stream, being able to afford an 8-person shared apartment in Kreuzberg is a significant achievement. However, what has an even more drastic impact on artists’ payouts is the sheer volume of AI songs being uploaded to streaming platforms every day. According to Deezer, there are now more than 75,000 completely AI-generated titles every day, which corresponds to around 44 percent of all uploads. These dilute the offer and ensure that the songs by real artists are actually worth less. A cycle that leads to fewer and fewer artists being able to make art without paying attention to trends due to financial dependency.
But how can you tell whether the song you’re listening to can also be enjoyed at a live concert? The short version is: not at all. An IPSOS study commissioned by Deezer shows: 97 percent of music listeners cannot distinguish whether a piece of music is AI-generated or of human origin. So there are now no reliable characteristics in the song that an untrained ear can recognize. However, there are a few ways to prevent AI music from being added to your playlists.
AI recognition software
True to the motto “fight fire with fire,” there are several companies that are developing AIs that promise to be able to distinguish real songs from artificial intelligence. Deezer released software that scans its own library and detects with supposed 99.8 percent accuracy how many of its own tracks are AI-generated. It’s just a shame that only the percentage is shown without any reference to the perpetrators – possibly in order not to risk legal disputes. However, this is not proven.
The choice of platform
Another option is to choose the platform on which you can sort your favorite songs into playlist number 104. While platforms like Deezer and Bandcamp have strict AI guidelines with integrated recognition software, according to SRF, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music do not mark when a song was produced with AI.
Or you dig out your parents’ record box and dust off the record player – that’s the only 100% option to avoid AI music. Otherwise, just go to the concerts live and pinch the artists to be really sure – you never know.