Friends, here is another note regarding the threats and opportunities presented by AI. While more varied topics are on the way, this issue is urgent, and occupies much of my arguably limited brain space.
Remember:
Our human creations are what AI companies call their “training data.”
Our work is being taken and used without permission, and most often without remuneration.
Much like “thoughts and prayers,” petitions won’t work. Creators must show AI companies what their work is, without sending it to them, in order for them to do the right thing.
“An application programming interface (API) is a connection between computers or between computer programs. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software.”
I haven’t made music for a long time now, but for years I released albums and went on tour. It occurred to me that since this music is out there, it’s being used, like everyone else’s music, to make money for an AI company.
I was never asked permission for use of my work, and neither were my co-writers, musical collaborators, or anyone else involved in that creative chain that was both the love and bain of my existence. So while I’m not planning on getting the band back together anytime soon, I am pleased to announce that on Nov. 7, 2024, I got confirmation that my complete recorded and published musical works, including voice, melodies, lyrics, stems, even MIDI files, are protected, and have been opted in for AI training, on terms that I have chosen.
All songs "currently residing in the 'Where Are They Now?' file."
As of the date above, the APIs at Sureel are the only legitimate place to access and train on my music.
I have APIs for AI companies who want to do the right thing. Where are yours?
As illustrated below, I now control not just my songs but also the DNA that makes them essential and valuable to AI companies, whether compliant or not.
I chose to opt-in to having my works used for training because I truly believe that it will, over the long haul, far surpass any streaming income. I’m predicting that attribution share will soon be larger than market share is today.
This also means that AI companies are not authorized to turn my music into “synthetic data” and never require a license for my works on an ongoing basis, should they choose to do the right thing. (This is probably the biggest single threat to creators and rightsholders, and grows more acute with each passing day.)
LifeLock™ …but for media
Various databases are being created and petitions are being signed online, but these approaches are telling AI companies nothing, and give them no path toward doing the right thing, even if they wanted to. Remember, they have already taken the majority of human-made content without our permission!
So I chose to do something about it. I protected myself and my music as securely as possible in 2024. The whole process took about ten minutes, and I was able to use the best of what AI can do to shield me from the worst that AI can do. It’s like having LifeLock™ for my music.
As I see it, whether you’re an emerging artist or just paid a billion dollars for an artist’s rights, your works cannot be protected from this future unless your music is protected this way. No audio fingerprinting, watermarking, sampling, or data poisoning will save you. And to be clear, there is no silver bullet. The Sureel solution presented here uses technology to show AI companies how to do the right thing—it does not force them to. Any and all opt-out companies, platforms, and databases that offer a similar service should be tried.
Your work is your digital gold! Treat it with the respect most AI companies so far haven’t seen fit to do. Although it’s great you’re writing public statements on AI training, technology is the only real way for any AI company to acknowledge your wishes. You need APIs!
So what can you do?
The record label group Rostrum Pacific just became the first label and distribution company to offer this service to their clients. If you are with a label, publisher, or distributor already, then you should immediately ask them to get your music protected (with a time and date stamp, with the time of attribution opt-in/out, and at what terms if you were opted in).
It is critical to make sure you engage with your team and let them know that they should never be sending your music to an AI company, and that you are not OK with letting them scrape it from the internet, no matter the payment offered. (If they are considering this plan, please immediately read The AI threat to artists, labels, and everyone in between that keeps me up at night.)
Even if you work with a label or have distribution, you should still do it yourself here. Waiting for these companies to come to a consensus could take ages, while in the meantime you are unprotected, and they could just take the easy money (as others have, who will soon regret it).
When an AI gets involved, your art, music, lyrics, beats, voice, and words all become data that machines use to create value for themselves. And they live in a world of APIs, not petitions. Your best move is to PROTECT, CONTROL, and if you choose, MONETIZE. Work within rules that you set. Otherwise, they will be set for you, and the option will be taken off the table.
So, to repeat:
I have APIs for AI companies who want to do the right thing. Where are yours?
Although Sureel will handle the notifications to the platforms for you, artists should still post a version of the below to their networks. Let AI companies know how to do the right thing in a language they can understand. Otherwise you are effectively opted into letting them build their businesses out of your hard work.
🚫 AI TRAINING OPT-OUT NOTICE 🚫
I'm formally opting out of all my music and songwriting from AI training.
✅ All works registered at here
✅ APIs available to assist opt-out process
✅ No other sources to be used for training
✅ Opt-out recorded in Sureel AI system
Opting out until licensing deal made with my distributor.
Questions? Contact info at Sureel AI
Thank you for respecting my decision.
#AIOptOut #MusicRights #CreativeControl
or
🎵 AI TRAINING OPT-IN NOTICE 🎵
I'm opting in my music and songwriting for AI training, with conditions:
✅ Works available here
✅ Proportional payment based on usage
✅ Full attribution required
✅ Exclusions for certain prompts/platforms
Terms of opt-in recorded at Sureel AI
Questions? Contact info at Sureel AI
Appreciate your cooperation!
#AIOptIn #MusicLicensing #FairCompensation
