Believe has unveiled a significant update to its Generative AI policy \u2013 one that simultaneously hardens the company’s stance on unlicensed music AI platforms, while deepening its investment in other AI tools.<\/p>\n
On the first front: Believe and its global platform for self-releasing artists, TuneCore<\/strong>, are automatically blocking the distribution of AI-generated tracks partly or fully produced on unlicensed “pirate studios”.<\/p>\n Speaking to MBW<\/em>, Believe founder and CEO, Denis Ladegaillerie<\/strong>, reveals that Believe (including TuneCore) has deployed Gen-AI detection technologies whose capabilities have become “99% reliable”<\/strong> \u2013 enabling them to identify the specific AI model and platform that spawned any given track.<\/p>\n When said model\/platform is identified as originating from an unlicensed service<\/strong>, Believe and TuneCore will block distribution of any content.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Believe has also confirmed to MBW<\/em> that it has inked new music licensing agreements with two notable Gen-AI companies: ElevenLabs<\/strong> and Udio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n These deals add to a growing list of significant music industry licenses for both ElevenLabs<\/strong> (inc. Kobalt, Merlin) and Udio<\/strong> (inc. Universal, Warner, Merlin, and Kobalt).<\/p>\n Believe’s definition of “pirate studios” includes Suno<\/strong>, which remains the target of active copyright litigation <\/a>from Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment \u2013 and also remains unlicensed by Believe.<\/strong><\/p>\n “Two or three months ago, everyone still thought Suno<\/strong>, and some of the other still-unlicensed studios, might yet get licensed [by the industry’s biggest rights-holders],” Ladegaillerie<\/strong> tells MBW<\/em>.<\/p>\n “The reality now is it’s unlikely, at least for the models they’ve already trained on. Which means the Gen-AI content made on those models is illegal,<\/strong> and is going to stay illegal, for the foreseeable future.”<\/p>\n “We do not understand why streaming services<\/strong> aren’t blocking tracks that create significant potential copyright liability, pollute the user experience, and are essentially used to enable streaming fraud.”<\/p>\n Denis Ladegaillerie, Believe<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Adds Ladegaillerie<\/strong>: “TuneCore has already taken a bit of a hit on some [DIY artist] forums for doing this. But it’s the right thing to do. We have implemented full blocking<\/strong> of Gen-AI tracks created by unlicensed studios.”<\/p>\n Believe has additionally written formally to all major DSPs, calling on music streaming platforms<\/strong> to deploy similar AI-detection tools.<\/p>\n Indeed, Ladegaillerie<\/strong> has a warning for DSPs and indie distributors who continue to duck the issue on illegal AI content: they risk leaving themselves exposed to “a litigation time bomb.”<\/strong><\/p>\n On Believe’s<\/strong> outreach to music streaming services, Ladegaillerie<\/strong> says: “We do not understand why they’re not blocking these tracks \u2014 tracks that are creating real potential liability<\/strong> for them down the road.<\/p>\n “Contracts already allow them to decide what to distribute or not. We do not understand why streaming services<\/strong> aren’t blocking tracks that create significant potential copyright liability, pollute the user experience, and are essentially used to enable streaming fraud.”<\/p>\n He adds: “Anyone distributing copyright-infringing content<\/strong> is liable for copyright infringement [action]. I think people sometimes forget that.”<\/p>\n “Anyone distributing copyright-infringing content<\/strong> is liable for copyright infringement [action]… I would encourage all content providers to think twice about their policies.”<\/p>\n Denis Ladegaillerie, Believe<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Addressing rival distributors who continue to push out unlicensed AI content, Ladegaillerie<\/strong> comments: “The distributors who are not acting responsibly here are creating a litigation time bomb<\/strong> for themselves.<\/p>\n “You might drive a decision that is positive for your business in the short term, while creating a very significant amount of risk<\/strong> for yourself in the medium term. I would encourage all content providers to think twice about their policies.”<\/p>\n (Not irrelevant: A credible review of 1,551 AI-made recordings<\/a>\u00a0recently concluded that 90%+ of the most popular AI tracks uploaded to DSPs are created on Suno<\/strong>, and over 75% of them are distributed by DistroKid<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n Today’s announcements from Ladegaillerie<\/strong> represent a maturation of Believe’s “Responsible AI Principles”<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 a memo first published by the company in 2023.<\/p>\n Those principles set out the company’s two-sided framework in Gen-AI: combining a commitment to artist and copyright protection<\/strong>, while investing in “value-creative AI”<\/strong> designed to enhance artist creativity\/promotion.<\/p>\n “Our conviction is stronger than ever,” Ladegaillerie<\/strong> tells MBW<\/em>. “These technologies will enable the music industry to enter a new age. But it needs to be approached very responsibly.<\/p>\n “We need to work with artists and make sure they understand that using unlicensed Gen-AI tools carries significant risks<\/strong>, from content being taken down to legal liabilities.”<\/p>\n On the flip side, Ladegaillerie<\/strong> tells MBW<\/em>: “The adoption of Gen-AI is going to enhance human creativity<\/strong>. It’s going to help people make better music, and train themselves to make better music.<\/p>\n “I genuinely believe that Gen-AI will democratize creativity<\/strong>. And out of that democratization will come new forms of very powerful music.”<\/p>\n Music video creation is another priority “value-creative” Gen-AI investment area for Believe, Ladegaillerie<\/strong> adds.<\/p>\n “Gen-AI is going to help us create better music videos<\/strong>, faster, and cheaper. It’s an area where we’re investing seriously.”<\/p>\n In October, Believe<\/strong> was named as one of five music industry partners co-developing Spotify’s new AI music products<\/a>, alongside the three major record companies and Merlin.<\/p>\n “Everyone’s talking about ‘AI slop’. <\/strong>My view is simple: we should kill the illegal<\/em> AI slop.”<\/p>\n Denis Ladegaillerie, Believe<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Some in the industry \u2013 most vocally Universal Music Group<\/strong> \u2013 have advocated for so-called “walled garden”<\/strong> policies around AI, which would prevent music produced on Gen-AI platforms from being downloaded and distributed to third-party services like Spotify and Apple Music.<\/p>\n For Ladegaillerie<\/strong>, this approach pales in importance to a more fundamental question: whether the underlying AI model<\/strong> for any track was trained on properly licensed music.<\/p>\n “Everyone’s talking about ‘AI slop,’<\/strong>” Ladegaillerie tells MBW<\/em>. “My view is simple: we should kill the illegal<\/em> AI slop.<\/p>\n “Walled gardens<\/strong> are fine for users wanting to experiment with AI on artist work, but not for artists who are using AI in their creations,” Ladegaillerie adds.<\/p>\n “We think ‘open’ AI platforms<\/strong> [that allow downloadable content] are great \u2014 they can create value for artists.<\/p>\n “But they need guardrails: they need to be properly licensed<\/strong>, and they need to compensate artists fairly for training.”<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Deezer r<\/strong>evealed that approximately 75,000 fully AI-generated tracks are now being uploaded to its platform every day<\/a> \u2014 44% of all daily deliveries.<\/p>\n Yet Ladegaillerie argues that AI-generated content still accounts for “less than 0.5%”<\/strong> of total streams across the industry.<\/p>\n “Numbers like that are the best illustration I have ever seen of the real role of the music industry: curation and artist development first and foremost,” he says, noting that the subject is having a disproportionate influence<\/strong> on investor sentiment regarding the value of publicly traded music companies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n “Everyone seems focused on the fact that over 40%<\/strong> of uploaded content is Gen-AI, and is being used to drive streaming fraud, as we know from Deezer,” he says.<\/p>\n “But in reality, it’s largely a non-issue<\/strong> \u2013 in stream share, it’s less than<\/strong> 0.5%<\/strong>. At the same time, the industry clearly needs to tackle it, because it’s creating a distraction from real issues, and from real opportunities.”<\/p>\n Despite the current noise around illegal AI content, Ladegaillerie<\/strong> believes Gen-AI will ultimately prove a meaningful commercial accelerant for the wider music business.<\/p>\n “Ten years from now, is most of the music being produced<\/strong> in some way going to be leveraging Gen-AI technologies? Yes, no doubt,” Ladegaillerie tells MBW<\/em>.<\/p>\n He continues: “What matters for the music industry is how important music is in people’s cultural lives<\/strong> \u2013 how much of people’s attention music attracts, versus games, versus sports, versus other verticals. Music is in competition for attention.”<\/p>\n “Gen-AI is being used to drive streaming fraud, as we know from Deezer. But in reality, it’s largely a non-issue<\/strong> \u2013 in stream share, it’s less than<\/strong> 0.5%<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n Denis Ladegaillerie, Believe<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n