It’s the weekly headline roundup!
This week we’re looking at the latest global music forecast, Suno’s new set of principles, a Kickstarter initiative, and more!
MIDiA Research 2026–2033 global music forecasts | A diversifying market
The headline is that by 2033, global recorded music industry revenues will reach $121.1 billion in retail terms. That figure includes DSP / retailer and publishing revenues deriving from recorded music, as well as labels’ share of revenue from expanded rights (such as that from merch and live).
– Perry Gresham, MIDIA
AI Music Company Suno Unveils Download Caps for Free, Paid Tiers in Quest to Combat Abuse (EXCLUSIVE)
Starting Sept. 3 for all songs in a user’s library, free Suno users will be limited to seven total downloads, while those on its $8-a-month Pro plan — which gives users the right to license their tracks for commercial use — will be limited to 20 downloads a month. For Suno users shelling out $24 a month for the company’s “Premier” tier, which provides access to its “Studio” production suite of generation tools, users will be given 60 downloads a month. Users eager to download more songs beyond their limits can purchase them, though no limits apply to users of Suno Studio. It is unclear how the limits will impact downloads for Suno’s upcoming vinyl program, which the company expects to unveil in the coming months.
– Corbin Bolies, Variety
Suno publishes set of principles showing “support for artistry and creativity”
Suno has published a blog post titled “How We’re Building the Future of Music Responsibly.” The author, Suno co-founder and CEO Mikey Shulman, says it shares the company’s “clear set of principles”, ones that are, “always rooted in supporting artistry and creativity.” It’s an attempt to position Suno as an artist-friendly service that empowers original human creativity – with Suno described as a creative assistant tool, and the company framed as one that cares about the music industry, fraud, artists, metadata, transparency and misuse.
– Joe Sparrow, Music Ally
Spotify will label ‘AI Persona’ profiles and exclude their music from recommendations
Spotify will begin labeling AI-generated artists with “AI Persona” profile tags and ban their music from its editorial and algorithmic recommendations, the company announced on Tuesday.
– Sarah Perez, TechCrunch
In mid-September, Spotify users will see “AI Persona” badges appear on some artists’ profiles that signal the artist’s identity is AI-generated, instead of representing a real person. While Spotify will allow artists to identify themselves as AI Personas, the company says it won’t rely on self-disclosure alone.
Why have we yet to hear an AI-generated hit?
The biggest fears AI stokes are most often rooted in displacement. Generative AI music models are trained on vast quantities of existing music and capable of producing songs that are catchy, enjoyable, and even beautiful. Those tracks then often compete for listening in the same spaces as the catalogues they are trained on, with fully AI-generated tracks now exceeding 50% of daily uploads at peak, per Deezer.
– Tatiana Cirisano, MIDIA
It’s now been more than three years since generative AI music broke into the mainstream consciousness. So why is AI-generated music yet to produce a genuine hit?
Kickstarter launches fund for “next generation of music creators”
Kickstarter has announced the Kickstarter Culture Fund, a $1 million fund “supporting independent creators” in art, fashion, film – and music. It’s financed by Kickstarter and is open to creators around the world. Through the fund, Kickstarter will provide “direct financial contributions to live campaigns from independent creators using its platform, helping them build momentum.”
– Joe Sparrow, Music Ally