I recently had a bit of a “Whooha” with a streaming platform. In theory, it all makes sense. In reality, what happens is a completely different situation.
I uploaded an advert for an upcoming track. Forty seconds of a cinematic section, you know, the kind of busy passage that keeps people watching. Two days later, I checked the views and saw “AI content” splashed across my track. I acted immediately, sent proof of my notation work, and the label was removed. A day later, I looked again and the “AI content” has returned.
After several rounds of back‑and‑forth, I explained my process. All music begins handwritten. Not every single note, but the flow pattern is always sketched before I move into Dorico. There, I write every note. From Dorico it’s exported to WAV, then into Reaper for stage settings and clarity. Dynamics and articulations are done in Dorico. I save the first master, then move to Audacity for fades. I prefer the audacity system and then export the MP3 for marketing. That MP3 goes into a video editor, images are added, and only a slice of the track is used.
The images in this specific advert were Rebelle creations, adapted from visuals I have made for older tracks, plus my artist photo. Yet the system flagged something (Audio or Visual) as “AI content”. The platform admitted that even with proof, their algorithm will re‑run and re‑flag me. Innocent, yet guilty every time the ALGO cycles.
And here’s the bigger concern: if notation works (By actual artists) are flagged as AI, did we learn music from AI or did AI learn from us? A tremolo cello riding on electric bass, a violin shimmer. All cinematic textures older than Morricone himself. Yet now they’re “AI” and we get labeled as such.
Images are another battlefield. I grew up with illustrated books, cartoons, paintings, 3D sand art, dolphins leaping moons in blue tones, wolves running forests. Those were human creations. Today, similar imagery is branded “AI” because according to the ALGO no HUMAN can create things like that………….really now?
I’m starting to believe it’s not AI itself that’s the problem, but the abuse of it. Because of that abuse, legitimate artists are mislabeled, and nothing can be done. The AI gatekeeper is the algorithm, and it doesn’t care about proof.
Meanwhile, AI creator sites are forced on us everywhere. I can’t watch a video without first seeing an AI platform advert. Even sharing my music links often begins with a Suno advert.
Platforms claim to protect users with distinction labels, but when proof is ignored, distinction means nothing. Are they now protecting AI, Users, artists or just themselves. So effectively we as artists are “Guilty by Automation” and not whether it is true or not…….YOU ARE GUILTY!
Enough ranting. Time for another bowl of pretzels….these ones are soggy already.