WHY BRANDS SHOULD CHOOSE REAL ARTISTS & COMPOSERS, NOT AI MUSIC

From the earliest synthesisers to today’s digital audio workstations, technology has always shaped the way music is created - and AI is simply the next chapter in that evolution. Its potential to enhance creative tools and streamline production is undeniable. But no matter how powerful these innovations become, we believe the role of the artist must remain at the heart of music.

At Audio Network we only work with music by real artists. We invest in human talent, commissioning the brightest and best artists, composers and producers to record at the world’s finest studios. That means you can browse our catalogue in the confidence that you will only ever find real composers’ music, all with the correct licenses for brands and businesses.

In this blog we dig into the risks of AI-generated music and explain how our search tools can speed up your search for the perfect track, whether you’re seeking safe music for marketing videos or branded content music.

What Are the Drawbacks to Using Generative AI Music?

For time-pressed and the budget-conscious marketing professionals, opting for AI-generated music could seem like a no-brainer: after all, you simply open up your AI music generating software, type in your prompts and wait for some music to emerge. But by opting for AI music, you’re leaving your brand open to a number of significant risks:

Originality - AI music generators are trained on existing music catalogues, meaning they simply regurgitate what they ingest.

Legal issues - Because AI music generators regurgitate music that already exists, the music they produce may contain significant chunks of copyrighted material, leaving you open to legal claims and possible takedown requests. To learn more about music copyright for businesses and music licensing for brands, head to our guide to music licensing and our music licensing glossary.

Another potential legal minefield presented by generative AI is its ability to mimic or clone famous voices. This was illustrated by the controversy around 2023 viral hit ‘Heart On My Sleeve’, which received takedown requests from Drake and The Weeknd – the two stars it mimicked.

Authenticity - AI music generators are only as good as the data they’re trained on. As Vox reports, “Today’s AI models are liable to exclude vast swaths of music, especially from musical traditions that predate recording technology and come from non-Western origins. As currently designed, they are more likely to produce stereotypical sounds within a genre or style than they are to produce anything peculiar, let alone innovative or interesting.” In opting for these so-called “safe” and predictable choices, AI stunts the diversity of music on offer.

Brand values - The music you select for your campaign ultimately reflects the ethics and values of your brand. By using AI-generated music rather than authentic music for marketing, you are essentially telling your audience you don’t value or don’t wish to invest in human creativity.

Audio Network & AI

In terms of emotion, experimentation, storytelling and sensitivity to cultural sensibilities, there is simply no substitute for a human composer. That’s why you will never find AI-generated music at Audio Network.

Created by industry-leading composers, producers and artists, our catalogue of more than 280,000 high quality tracks offers brands and businesses a whole world of creative choice. And because we own both master and publishing rights, there are no copyright risks as there are with AI music.

We see AI as a supportive tool that helps us work smarter and faster, and therefore our website now features lightning-fast, AI-powered search to help you discover the perfect track from thousands spanning every style, mood, and genre. These advanced tools are designed to enhance human creativity, not replace our human-crafted, commissioned, recorded, and produced music:

Prompt Search - Enter a description of your content, a scene, or the emotions you want your audience to feel, and we’ll generate a playlist full of music options within seconds.

Audio Search - Found a song you like? Paste the YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, Apple Music, Vimeo or SoundCloud link into the Audio Search tool and we’ll return tracks with a similar style and feel from our catalogue. You can then filter the results as you normally would to narrow down your search.

Start exploring our catalogue now and discover a wealth of high quality marketing music and licensed music for brands.

Discover More

So now you know why brands should choose real composers, not AI music, why not check out more of our blogs, from how Audio Network helps you collect every penny of your music publishing revenue and how to select the right music for your brand to busting music licensing myths and music licensing 101: a marketer’s guide.