Have you noticed the band The Velvet Sundown exploding across streaming platforms with millions of plays? The catch, it seems the band does not exist, the music is AI generated, and it is competing head to head with real artists.

This is not a complaint against technology, it is a reality check. AI generated tracks can be produced at scale without the years of practice, late nights, and emotional labour that real creators pour into their work. When those tracks enter the same ecosystems as human made music, without clear labels or provenance, listeners and platforms cannot tell the difference. Writers, performers and producers risk being sidelined, and the market for human creativity becomes harder to sustain.

At Copyright Power International we welcome innovation, but innovation must be responsible. That means platforms, developers and labels must be transparent about what is AI generated, and AI systems that learn from existing music should be licensed, so creators receive proper compensation. We also believe royalties should reflect the difference between human made and AI generated works, so real people keep a reason to keep creating.

This moment also underlines why industry conversations matter. We will be at the Buma ‘AI and the music industry’ conference this December, joining publishers, societies, platforms and artists to push for clear rules, better labelling and fair payment models. If you care about a future where creative voices can thrive, join the discussion, speak up, and demand transparency.

Real music deserves a fair shot, and real creators deserve to be paid. Let us protect the human heart of music, while exploring what AI can offer in ways that respect those who make the songs we love.