Earlier this year, when the anonymous
musical creator known as Ghostwriter released an unauthorized track that used
artificial intelligence voice effects to mimic pop superstars Drake and the
Weeknd, the fallout was immediate and far-reaching.
اضافة اعلان
The mostly original song, “Heart on My
Sleeve,” was promptly removed from official streaming services, even as experts
acknowledged that its use of AI fell into a rapidly expanding legal gray area.
But while the major record labels sought to protect their intellectual property
and scrambled to prepare for disruptions to come, the track also proliferated
on social media, earning millions of listens and helping to inspire a wave of
similarly novel compositions.
Throughout the aftermath, Ghostwriter
stayed silent — at least in public.
Behind the scenes, however, the shadowy act
and its team were making overtures to the very industry figures “Heart on My
Sleeve” had unnerved. In the months since, those behind the project have met
with record labels, tech leaders, music platforms, and other artists about how
to best harness the powers of AI, including at a virtual roundtable discussion
this summer organized by the Recording Academy, the organization behind the
Grammy Awards.
“I knew right away as soon as I heard that
record that it was going to be something that we had to grapple with from an
academy standpoint, but also from a music community and industry standpoint,”
Harvey Mason Jr., a producer who is the CEO of the Recording Academy, said in
an interview. “When you start seeing AI involved in something so creative and
so cool, relevant and of-the-moment, it immediately starts you thinking, ‘OK,
where is this going? How is this going to affect creativity? What’s the business
implication for monetization?’”
Mason said he had contacted Ghostwriter
directly on social media after being impressed with “Heart on My Sleeve.” He
added that Ghostwriter attended the meeting in character, including using a
distorted voice.
On Tuesday, Ghostwriter returned with a new
track, titled “Whiplash,” this time using AI vocal filters to sound like the
rappers Travis Scott and 21 Savage and deliver a message to the industry: “Me
and Writer raise a toast,” the AI version of 21 Savage raps. “Trying to
shadowban my boy/but you can’t kill a ghost.”
The song — which was posted to social media
platforms like TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter, instead of Spotify and
other proper streaming services — came accompanied by a statement that called
on both Scott and 21 Savage to collaborate on an official release. “The future
of music is here. Artists now have the ability to let their voice work for them
without lifting a finger,” Ghostwriter wrote. “If you’re down to put it out, I
will clearly label it as AI, and I’ll direct royalties to you. Respect either
way.”
Representatives for Scott and 21 Savage did
not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A representative for Ghostwriter, who
requested anonymity to not expose those behind the project — acknowledging that
much of its marketing power comes from its mystery — confirmed that “Whiplash,”
like “Heart on My Sleeve,” was an original composition written and recorded by
humans. Ghostwriter attempted to match the content, delivery, tone and phrasing
of the established stars before using AI components.
They added that the Ghostwriter team had
recently submitted “Heart on My Sleeve” for Grammy Awards in two categories at
next year’s ceremony: best rap song and song of the year, both of which are
awarded to a track’s writers.
“As far as the creative side, it’s
absolutely eligible because it was written by a human,” Mason said.
He added that the academy would also look
at whether the song was commercially available, with Grammy rules stating that
a track must have “general distribution,” meaning “the broad release of a
recording, available nationwide via brick-and-mortar stores, third-party online
retailers and/or streaming services.”
Ghostwriter’s representative said they were
aware of the commercial availability requirement.
The Ghostwriter team noted in a statement
that it hoped to raise awareness about the creative and business possibilities
of AI voice filters, comparing the technology to the early days of hip-hop
sampling or user-generated content on YouTube. It offered examples like the
ability to do karaoke in the voice of one’s favorite artist; at-home creators
making original music a la fan fiction; or artists’ estates using the filters
for posthumous original releases.
With guidance from Mason, the Recording
Academy and its partners in the industry, the team said it hoped to work with
stakeholders to build a platform that ensures artists who choose to license
their voice can control how it is used and make sure they get paid when it is.
“Ghostwriter really has played an important
role here to bring awareness and attention,” Mason said. “We know AI is going
to play a role in our business. We can’t pretend to turn our back on it and try
to ban it.”
He added, “I’m not scared of AI, but I do
believe work needs to be done to make sure that things are in place so that the
creative community is protected.”
Read more Music
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
