Music Business Worldwide published Deborah Mannis-Gardner’s newest op-ed titled “Why AI is sampling – and how that will affect the future” in which she argues that the music industry’s existing sample-clearance framework could be applied to AI licensing.
AI is sampling. There, I said it. And as someone who’s been handling sample clearances for over three decades, I should know.
– Deborah Mannis-Gardner, Music Business Worldwide
When generative AI first hit the music industry, many didn’t know what to make of it. Here was a new, rapidly growing technology that was capable of creating a serviceable ‘Fake Drake’ track, and the usual suspects were claiming ‘fair use’. Were we in the midst of another Napster-style industry disruption?
The answer is no, but many would sure like it to be yes. Of course, technology companies are going to claim ‘fair use’ whenever they need copyrighted material to make their new products work correctly. So when Suno and Udio were sued for the age-old “ask forgiveness, not permission” approach and claimed ‘fair use’, it wasn’t a big surprise.