AI music companies say their tools can democratize the art form. Some artists are skeptical.

Musical creations made with artificial intelligence continue to go viral, from tunes like “10 Drunk Cigarettes” to “BBL Drizzy.” But despite the recent popularity of AI-generated music, the use of the technology has been met with strong criticism.

Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group sued AI music companies Uncharted Labs and Suno this summer over software that allows users to create music from text prompts, claiming that copyrighted songs were used without permission to train the AI became. Universal Music Group has no connection to NBCUniversal, which operates NBC News.

Record companies have worked quickly to remove music containing AI versions of Drake and The Weeknd’s voices.

And more than 200 musicians, including Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder and Nicki Minaj, signed an open letter this year calling on AI companies to “protect themselves from the predatory use of AI to create the voices and likenesses of professional artists.” steal, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.”

Despite the resistance, AI music companies have continued to grow and are using a novel argument to promote their business: accessibility.

Websites like Sound Draw, Musicfy, AIVA, and Boomy allow users to easily create music with AI using various inputs.

Users can choose from different genres of music and then adjust things like the tempo, mood, and instruments featured in the music.

AI music companies say the new ease of use allows users who may not have been able to easily create music before to create their own content.

“You don’t have to buy fancy equipment. You don’t have to have music lessons,” said Cassie Speer, head of creative success at Boomy. “There are a lot of things you have to do to be able to make music, and Boomy’s goal is simply to give anyone who wants to experiment with creativity the opportunity to come to our website and just try it out.”

Speer has traveled the country educating students about generative AI technology and Boomy, and she said she hopes AI technology can give low-income students new access to music.

“Marginalized people are often left behind in the tech space and don’t get equal access,” she said. “If we can work with people who want to do it right and provide resources to students and create a symbiotic relationship within the music industry and with schools, we can achieve much more.”

Access to music education is becoming increasingly restricted in public schools across the United States

According to the Arts Education Data Project, a data collection and analysis project run by an arts education nonprofit, 8% of all students in U.S. public schools did not have access to music instruction during the school day.

Other companies have embraced the idea that AI can lower the barrier to creating music and democratize the art form. Software company Musicfy said in a blog post that its technology “shortens the learning curve and allows beginners to focus on creativity rather than technical challenges.”

Canadian musician Grimes also highlighted the ideal by inviting her fans to make music with her AI-generated voice, writing on AI vocals used by Grimes with Smart. Contracts!? The future is now! That’s so cool.”

In Denver, Speer led a course on AI music tools with Boomy for young musicians.

Some of the local artists who performed at Youth on Record’s festival support the integration of AI technology into music education and production.

“Imagine how much more vibrant the Denver scene could be if everyone sitting at home with a song idea in their head but no keyboard or guitar skills or anything to actually execute it had a tool that could could start it for them,” said Regi Worles, a member of the band Dog Tags.

Worles took part in the AI ​​workshop with some bandmates where Boomy’s software was presented.

“I really feel like no one should feel like they can’t achieve their dreams because they don’t know how to use software that costs $400 or more to purchase,” he said. “If AI is a way to influence this in a different direction, then I’m pretty open to it.”

Boomy is free to use, but there are different pricing tiers depending on how many songs someone wants to release. Mitchell said Boomy keeps 20% of an artist’s profits when a song is created and distributed using its software.

Any track created using its software becomes the sole property of Boomy.

Michael Merola, bassist and vocalist of Dog Tags, said he used AI tools to aid his creative process, such as asking ChatGPT for synonyms for words in song lyrics.

Worles said the duo also took inspiration from music-specific AI tools.

“I just show Michael, ‘Oh, hey, here’s what I was thinking about. Listen to it mostly for the melody, but for a few chord ideas in the background.’ And then he says, “Oh, I could do that better, watch.” And then we’re writing the song now. So, as always, it is a starting point.

But not all young musicians at the festival in Denver were enthusiastic about the further development of the technology.

“Honestly, I’m really scared of it,” said singer-songwriter Genevieve Libien.

“I am a skeptic. Probably just because music is so human to me and is inherent and inextricably linked to our humanity. So any kind of artificial intelligence almost feels like a small affront to that sanctity,” she added.

Although she attended the Boomy workshop out of curiosity, it didn’t change her mind.

“I personally don’t see myself being able to use generative AI,” she said. “I think my biggest fear would be turning on the radio and hearing every song that plays like ChatGPT.”

Creatives across industries have expressed Libien’s concerns about the impact of AI on art and creative professions. In September 2023, writers ended one of the longest Hollywood writers’ strikes in history after film and television companies agreed on rules for the use of AI in their industries.

Tennessee this year became the first state to take legal action to protect musicians and artists from AI, passing a law to ensure that AI tools are not used to recreate artists’ voices without their consent, said The Associated Press.

Still, Speer hopes that integrating AI into music education can be beneficial.

“I hope this technology will enable more resources and more companies within public school systems and nonprofits to collaborate to support their mission so that music and art are never left behind,” she said.