With rightsholders urging streaming services to de-recommend, de-monetise and even remove AI-generated music, it’s a ballsy move to announce a deal opening up a new pipeline for it, to say the least.
SoundCloud is the DSP in this case, and its partner is AI firm ElevenLabs’ ElevenMusic service. Users of the latter will now be able to publish their tracks directly to SoundCloud.
Given the sensitivities, it was no surprise to see SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton focusing on the humans involved in his statement on the partnership.
“We’re opening up new possibilities for artists to experiment, share their work, and build an audience,” he said, while trailing plans to “continue exploring how responsibly developed AI can expand creative possibilities while keeping artists at the centre”.
SoundCloud stressed that “music published through the integration will be subject to SoundCloud’s existing content policies, including applicable ownership and rights requirements”.
These tracks will also carry disclosures of their origins. But SoundCloud will nevertheless need to monitor the response from its existing artist community carefully, in case there is a backlash.
ElevenLabs has, to be fair, been one of the most pro-active AI firms in terms of rightsholder partnerships, ethics and a willingness to engage with the wider music industry.
Another example of that came yesterday alongside the SoundCloud announcement. ElevenLabs has become the first AI company to join music-standards organisation DDEX as a full member.
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