The Recording Academy, responsible for the Grammy Awards, must constantly update its guidelines and rules to reflect the changing landscape of the music industry. This year, the Academy has had to consider a new factor–AI-generated music. Generative AI has become increasingly popular in the music industry, allowing people to create entire songs using AI. An AI-generated song featuring The Weeknd and Drake recently went viral, demonstrating the technology’s ability to create music that sounds like it was made by human beings.
However, there are copyright implications when using AI in music production, especially when artists’ voices are being re-used without their explicit consent. The Grammy Awards’ guidelines state that “only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a Grammy Award.” While AI-generated music can be submitted for consideration, only the human contributors to the piece will be recognized, and if the work contains no human authorship and depends solely on AI, it is not eligible for consideration.
In the songwriting and performance categories, the piece must be mostly written or performed by a human for it to be considered for a Grammy. This means that AI-generated music can only be recognized if it has significant human input. The Beatles are one example of artists who are using AI to bring John Lennon’s voice back for one last track, but they are doing so with human input.
As AI continues to impact and change the music industry, it is likely that the Recording Academy’s guidelines will continue to evolve. One day, we may see AI artists being recognized for their work. However, for now, the focus remains on human creativity and input in music production.
It is important to note the copyright implications of using AI in music production. While AI can be a useful tool in creating music, it is essential to obtain explicit consent from artists before using their voices in AI-generated songs. Failure to do so could result in legal action and damage to an artist’s reputation.
In conclusion, while AI-generated music is becoming increasingly popular, it is important to recognize the role of human creativity and input in music production. The Grammy Awards’ guidelines reflect this, stating that only human creators are eligible for recognition. As AI continues to evolve, it is likely that the Recording Academy’s guidelines will also continue to evolve, but for now, the focus remains on human creativity and input in music production.
