Anthropic's Dario Amodei says AI will reshape global music industry

Anthropic co‑founder Dario Amodei warned that AI‑generated music is set to transform the $150 billion recording sector. By 2026, AI‑produced vocals made up about 12 % of new Spotify releases, prompting major labels such as Sony and Universal to test “AI co‑writing” clauses that could alter royalty splits.

Legal disputes are already emerging, including a class‑action suit over AI‑assisted tracks that used scraped session recordings, and patent filings by Universal for “emotionally adaptive AI composition.” Record contracts are being updated with AI participation rights, allowing labels a share of any synthetic version of a song, while streaming platforms like Spotify now treat AI‑assisted works as hybrid, allocating 60 % of royalties to the original artist and 40 % to the AI developer. Live performances are also adopting AI backup vocals, sparking debate over performers’ rights.

The industry’s response divides between rapid monetisation of AI tools and pushback from artists and unions seeking new protections, indicating a looming shift in ownership, copyright and revenue models for music creation.