As AI-generated music advances rapidly, with innovative tools like Meta’s MusicGen leading the charge, copyright issues are causing tensions in the industry. Generative AI music tools require training on large databases of existing songs, which can infringe on artists' rights. This grey area has caused friction between musicians and labels, with Universal Music Group labeling AI-generated music using artist's voices as 'fraud.' In contrast, artists like Grimes have welcomed the use of their voices in AI-generated music.
Several lawsuits are currently navigating the courts, which may impact future rulings on music-generating AI and artists' rights. In the interim, some startups, including Itoka, are proposing their own generative music IP standards. Itoka has recently been accepted into the Allen Institute for AI's startup incubation program. Co-founded by Malcolm Yang and Yihao Chen, Itoka aims to tokenize AI-generated music content on the blockchain, enabling creators to license it and receive compensation independently.
Itoka intends to temporarily hold ownership of songs, giving creators full commercial use licenses while preventing plagiarism and unlawful monetization on its platform. According to Itoka's founders, their decentralized music platform focuses on data self-sovereignty, permanent music storage, digital rights management, global music accessibility, and creator governance. By leaning on code-operated smart contracts, Itoka introduces a new paradigm for copyright protection that does not rely on a physical copyright office.
Itoka joins previous Web3 projects like Dequency and Royal in striving to simplify licensing and payments for content creators in the music industry. Still, in addition to its blockchain-based licensing scheme, Itoka also offers music creation tools powered by AI models. The startup plans to partner with musicians who contribute their work for AI training purposes on a compensation plan.
Itoka aims to serve various sectors, including game developers who would typically license from larger content libraries. To this end, Itoka has partnered with Canva and multiple undisclosed game studios for content licensing. With Itoka's ambitious plans to tokenize and license AI-generated music on the blockchain, the potential disruptions to the traditional music industry and copyright management could be groundbreaking.
The ease-of-use, availability, and speed of innovative app builders and no-code platforms like AppMaster in various industries like mobile app development have already demonstrated the possibility of significant disruptions to established industries. Embracing AI-generated music technology, startups like Itoka could similarly drive positive change by streamlining copyrights, licensing, and compensation, ultimately enabling new opportunities for artists and other creators in the music industry.
