Future musicians won’t need instruments or training, but they might not get paid either.
AI is rewriting the rules of who gets to be a musician. Suno AI, for example, can create songs instantly, and its CEO Mikey Shulman says that’s great news. In fact, he claims that musical skill won’t matter as much anymore.
Yet, established artists like Paul McCartney warn that we’re heading for a creativity crisis if AI this keeps on.
How AI Makes Everyone a Musician
For years, artificial intelligence have been used to turn the “who can be a musician” question on its head.
That’s why his company built Suno AI with one clear goal: to give “everybody the joy of creating music.”
Traditionally, calling making music ‘demanding’ can be an understatement. You needed tons of practice time, had to master instruments, and really know your way around complex production software to release anything.
So, most people got stuck at this technical roadblock and never got to create the music they dreamed up.
However, over the past three decades, the requirements for creating music have steadily decreased.
“Think about it: Thirty years ago, if you wanted to be a rock star, you had to be an incredible guitarist. You had to shred,” Shulman notes.
“Fifteen years ago, people wanted to be DJs, where you still needed technical skills but not at the same level of instrumental virtuosity. Now, people just want to be influencers—they want to be famous for being famous.”
According to Shulman, this change represents a new era where musical taste matters more than technical prowess.
“Increasingly, taste is the only thing that matters in art, while skill is going to matter a lot less.” he claims.
“People will be able to make an enormous amount of content, and the ones who stand out will be those with the best taste—the ability to sift through all that material and say, ‘This is good, this is bad.’ That will be the defining creative skill.”
Paul McCartney Responds to Creative Loss
Despite the seemingly good promise of using AI in music creation, Paul McCartney, along with many musicians, have spoken up to warn about AI’s threat to creative rights.
“AI is a great thing, but it shouldn’t rip creative people off. There’s no sense in that.” he says.
The problem isn’t just theoretical for McCartney. In fact, he’s already spotted AI copies of his voice popping up online without his okay.
“I think I’m on the internet singing God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. But I never sang it,” he explains.
“AI made me sing it. So somebody’s getting some sort of payoff there, and it’s not me.”
Even Suno CEO Mikey Shulman admits to using copyrighted works in their AI training data, though he defends the practice as industry standard.
However, when artists’ work gets used without permission, it creates bigger problems for the future of music. McCartney warns that without proper protections, the next generation of musicians might never emerge.
“If it gets a bit like the Wild West, then the people who created these copyrights don’t benefit, and I think that takes away a lot of incentive.” Mccartney explains.
“So, you know, if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists. Or you’re not going to have them. As simple as that.”
The On-Going Battle Between AI and Artists
The fight between AI companies and musicians heated up in June 2024 when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) took Suno to court over copyright issues.
Shulman, however, brushes off the criticism.
“Most AI companies get sued. The music industry is highly litigious,” he says.
“I think it’s a little depressing, honestly. There’s a much bigger and brighter future for music that we could build together with the existing industry instead of fighting it out.”
But musicians and industry experts aren’t buying it. They say AI companies are making money off their work without asking or paying up.
This concern extends beyond established artists to the next generation of musicians who might struggle to make a living.
While some music pros like producer Timbaland have started working with AI companies as advisers, lots of artists and industry leaders want more than just voluntary teamups. Instead, they demand systematic protections for creative rights.
The argument boils down to two sides: those who think AI will get more people into making music, and those who worry it’ll make it impossible for musicians to earn a living.
And, with neither side budging, it looks like the government might have to step in to sort things out.