Is AI in Marketing a Threat …or Opportunity?
2 min read: Changing Your POV on AI in Marketing
Last week, the music industry lost it’s collective mind when an AI voice generated song featuring a fake Drake and The Weeknd racked up millions of listens and views between YouTube, Spotify, and TikTok before it was taken down.
Artists and labels recoiled in terror with the possibilities of AI stealing their IP, their music, voice, style, tone and creating new music that they never created, approved, nor can profit from. While there’s incredible implications in every point here, this episode doesn’t feel unfamiliar for those of us that watched the transition from records, CDs and tapes to Napster, the associated meltdown from the artists, labels and industries.
And in that pivot, while Napster was destroyed and legal battles raged on, nothing could stop the massive transition from albums to digital streaming.
The defining moment came when Apple normalized a new model through a digital music store, when platforms like Spotify and Apple Music offered subscriptions, but the landscape was changed forever.
Universal Music Group (Drake’s label) warned that industry players need to choose “which side of history” they want to be on. The mistake here is believing there is a side to choose. The genie is out of the bottle. AI isn’t going away. So instead of trying to stem the tide, what if we think differently and ask “How can we take advantage of this next pivotal moment?”
…
This week, in an innovative move, Grimes stepped into the limelight with support of the use of artificial intelligence in making music.
“I’ll split 50% royalties on any successful AI-generated song that uses my voice,” Grimes announced on Twitter on Sunday, April 23. “Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings,” and added that she is for “open sourcing all art and killing copyright.”
Not only is this in stark contrast to the zero tolerance policy of the music industry leaders grappling with the legal and financial ramifications of the role of AI in song creation, but it’s a scalable model where Grimes is offering her trademark vocals, music, style, and tone to AI-generating artists willing to share royalties on any successful AI-generated song.
Basically, she’s offering a free license and creating an affiliate program which will encourage creators to develop and distribute more Grimes-infused music than she can create on her own, extending her personal brand’s reach and impact…and her financial benefit.
As marketers, we can look at the business model in a traditional structure and recoil when faced with the unprecedented forcing factor of change with AI. Conversely, we could embrace AI in as a way to introduce new opportunities that create new products, new services, and accordingly, new revenue opportunities.
Which side of history will you be on?
