Big changes are coming at the Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy not only announced three new categories earlier this week, but also released new guidelines surrounding the eligibility of AI-generated music for Grammy consideration.
Per VariationThe new protocols basically say that only music made by artificial intelligence cannot be nominated for a Grammy. Man-made work using artificial intelligence technology, but is is It is appropriate as long as there is a “meaningful” human contribution.
In part, the new protocol states, “A work that incorporates elements of Artificial Intelligence material… is eligible in applicable Categories,” before further stipulating that “Only human creators may be submitted to be considered, nominated, or win a Grammy Award. … Human authorship.” A work that does not contain any is not eligible in any Category.”
The Recording Academy’s new rules come at a contentious time for the music industry, which is grappling with the growing volume of AI music. Earlier this week, Paul McCartney announced plans to release a new Beatles song that he says is made possible by AI technology.
“[Peter Jackson] McCartney managed to get John’s voice out of a small piece of cassette tape to BBC radio. “We had John’s voice and a piano, and he could separate them with artificial intelligence. When we came to make the last Beatles record, John had a demo in hand. [and] We were able to take John’s voice and refine it through this AI.”
As we evaluate the new Grammy protocol, this upcoming AI-powered Beatles song is likely to fall under the awards eligibility guidelines. For example, if the next song is “Now and Then,” a song that Lennon wrote two years before his death and that McCartney often expressed a desire to finish, the Recording Academy might certainly consider the song’s “human-authoring component.” It’s meaningful enough to even be characterized by AI-extracted vocals. After all, Lennon and McCartney are widely regarded as two of the greatest songwriters of all time, and the lure of a “new” collaboration between them could override concerns about raising his voice without the late Lennon’s knowledge or consent.
Still, artificial intelligence remains a controversial topic in the music industry. Spotify removed tens of thousands of AI-generated tracks from its platform earlier this year, citing concerns about artificially inflated stream numbers, and in April a song made by TikToker, which uses artificial intelligence to reproduce the sounds of Drake and The Weeknd, was pulled. shortly after streaming services went viral. Universal Music Group, which represents The Weeknd and Drake, told the BBC: “Prolific AI training using the music of our artists… begs the question of what side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: alongside artists, fans and human creative expression. or deep dishonesty, dishonesty, and artists not getting the compensation they deserve.”
In addition to the new AI guidelines, the Recording Academy has added three new award categories for the 2024 Grammy Awards: Best Alternative Jazz Album, Best Pop Dance Recording, and Best African Music Performance.
And finally, in a change to further tighten Grammy competition, the four main categories—Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist—will be reduced from 10 nominations to just 10 each. eight.