Qobuz rolls out a tool to protect us all from AI-generated music

Qobuz on green background
(Image credit: Future)

As if life wasn’t hard enough for musicians trying to make a living in the age of streaming, now they have AI-generated tracks to contend with too. But not on Qobuz.

The French streaming and download platform is rolling out a tool that can spot AI-generated music so it can be purged from the platform. It’s part of the firm's AI Charter which was published last month.

It’s a noble intention, looking to safeguard artists’ earnings while also giving users a more authentic listening experience. But it’s worth pointing out what Qobuz says in its AI Charter about the technological limitations of these kinds of tools.

“No reliable solution exists today to identify all AI content with certainty, especially when partial human intervention occurred,” it says. “We invest in the best available tools but remain humble about this technical reality.”

It’s not the first streaming service to take a stance against AI. In January, Bandcamp made clear that it would not permit music that is “generated wholly or in substantial part by AI” on its platform, with a reporting tool for use by anyone suspecting that what they are listening to wasn’t made by humans.

AI is a fast evolving technology, and as it becomes more sophisticated, it could become harder to spot tracks made using it. It’s a challenge for the entire music industry – expect to hear a lot more about it in the coming years.

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Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 20 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine (now defunct), Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more. His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.

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