As if life wasn’t hard enough for musicians trying to make a living in the age of streaming, now they have AI-generated tracks to contend with too. But not on Qobuz.
The French streaming and download platform is rolling out a tool that can spot AI-generated music so it can be purged from the platform. It’s part of the firm's AI Charter which was published last month.
The aim is to protect musicians trying to make a living, and listeners who want to hear music made by actual humans.
The tool can identify and tag AI-created tracks across both new releases and the existing catalogue. This AI-generated content is then “removed upon detection” according to Qobuz.
We have asked exactly how the proprietary tool works, and whether it uses AI itself, and will update this story once we have an answer.
It’s a noble intention, looking to safeguard artists’ earnings while also giving users a more authentic listening experience. But it’s worth pointing out what Qobuz says in its AI Charter about the technological limitations of these kinds of tools.
“No reliable solution exists today to identify all AI content with certainty, especially when partial human intervention occurred,” it says. “We invest in the best available tools but remain humble about this technical reality.”
Qobuz already has tools to root out fraudulent uploads, and is keen to stress that all of its recommendations are editorial decisions made by humans.
It’s not the first streaming service to take a stance against AI. In January, Bandcamp made clear that it would not permit music that is “generated wholly or in substantial part by AI” on its platform, with a reporting tool for use by anyone suspecting that what they are listening to wasn’t made by humans.
AI is a fast evolving technology, and as it becomes more sophisticated, it could become harder to spot tracks made using it. It’s a challenge for the entire music industry – expect to hear a lot more about it in the coming years.
MORE:
Would an OpenAI speaker actually sound any good?
I spent a week playing with Spotify's AI playlist curator, and things got a little strange
JBL’s Xtreme 4 wireless speaker uses AI to boost sound quality
