AM Audio Productions

Ok so we are all sick of talking about AI… but for music creators this one matters.

Music publishers are suing Anthropic for $3 billion over claims that 20,000+ copyrighted music works were used to train AI models without permission.

This is following a successful lawsuit of $1.5 billion, but the scope of copyright infringement of the first suit only scratched the surface.

Anthropic calls itself a “Public Benefit Corporation”, but we have had public domain rights since 1909, with roots dating all the way back to ancient Roman law. So yeah, thanks for thinking of us Anthropic, but it appears that the “Benefit” you’re seeking is your own?

I am obviously all for technology and have even found AI very useful in data driven development.

But, my question is:

Where do we draw the line between data and intellectual property that should require permission and compensation when it comes to “training” AI?

Whether it's in the studio or a live event, great productions are made before you press the record button or go live....

Firewire?! Literally upgraded to the latest Pro Tools today. I mean on the one hand it shows how long this software has been around, which is great, but firewire really? 🧐😂

These guys right here are some of the most legit country and Western swing pickers and singers in the US bar none. Jake Ho**er and The Outsiders flat lay it down. Gonna be a great album!

Jake Ho**er and the Outsiders Jess Meador

Well said.

I feel so sad about Spotify CEO Daniel Ek saying the cost of creating “content” is close to zero…For multiple reasons

(There’s many types of creators on Spotify, but I’ll speak as a songwriter & artist bc that’s what I know. And I’ll focus on the cost of creating songs as that’s the “content” I put on Spotify -we can talk another day about the cost of everything else😂)

Ok, here we go.

Firstly, Daniel’s comment implies that making content is my goal

It is not.

Creating work that fully expresses my voice, sharing it with people to (hopefully) have a positive impact, paying my bills & having enough for retirement is my goal. “Content” is one vehicle to (maybe) help me get there

Me creating “content” is DANIEL’S goal for me so that his business remains viable

Which brings me to my second point:

“close to zero” is simply not true.

My album DEAR JOHN cost around $20,000 to make. It took three months.

(btw time IS money bc time I spend creating is time I can’t work to earn real life cash)

But it’s not just about time & money for each “piece of content”

I wrote my first song at 14. I’m now 40. I’ve been fine tuning my songwriting, arranging, production & performance skills for 26 years - all at my own cost

So DEAR JOHN (recorded in 2020 & my best work, if using the above goal of positive impact) actually took me 23 years to make

Imagine not paying a CEO, with 23 years experience, fairly for his work 🙄

I love that my music is globally accessible and, right now, if I take it off Spotify I cut off my nose to spite my face

I want to create & share my work and I’m even happy to do it on a budget

(This morning I shot a film clip in my neighbours bathroom. My partner filmed it for free & I spent $24 on red lipstick. That’s “close to zero” for you)

But -whether it’s time or money- making songs costs. And making videos to promote those songs (& actually get them streamed) costs too

So if one platform provides all the worlds music to most of the worlds people, and the musicians themselves are required to work harder and harder to get that music heard, while earning less and less - well, that’s not a business model to be celebrated. That’s exploitation.