AI-generated music, like "Heart On My Sleeve," gained popularity on social media earlier this year. Despite the song's millions of views on Spotify and Apple, it was removed from YouTube due to copyright issues. Universal Music Group, which both Drake and the Weeknd have deals with, has reportedly asked streaming services to prohibit AI platforms from using streamers to study copyrighted songs. However, it is unclear whether Universal requested the removal of AI-generated songs from streaming platforms.
Key takeaways:
- The song "Heart On My Sleeve," which uses artificial intelligence to mimic the vocals of artists Drake and the Weeknd, is not eligible for a Grammy nomination because it is not commercially available after being removed from streaming services over copyright issues.
- Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, announced that lack of commercial availability disqualified the song, although it was eligible in all other respects according to new Academy standards.
- The song was created by an anonymous TikTok creator using generative AI voice modeling, which would be eligible for a Grammy since the human’s authorship was meaningful and more than minor with respects to the music, lyrics and performance.
- AI-generated music that took the voice of popular artists to make new songs or have them “cover” other songs gained traction on social media earlier this year. However, Universal Music Group requested streaming services prohibit AI platforms from using streamers to study copyrighted songs.