AI-generated music has surged to the top of South Korea's music charts, prompting a need for clearer management systems on music platforms. While major international platforms have begun to identify and exclude AI-generated tracks from recommendations and revenue calculations, domestic platforms are waiting for industry-wide guidelines before taking action.
According to the music platform industry on November 2, songs created using generative AI are increasingly entering the upper ranks of popular music charts in South Korea. A notable example is the track '꿈꾸던 어른이 되었나요' from the music project '머무르,' which has recently climbed to second place on Melon's Top 100 after its release in June. The song is also gaining attention on international platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music.
This track was produced using the generative music AI service Suno. While a human wrote the lyrics and directed the overall production, the vocals were generated by AI. This case illustrates how AI can partially replace the role of human creators in the music production process. However, there are concerns about how to classify music based solely on AI involvement, as the nature of the music can vary significantly depending on the extent of AI's contribution.
The popularity of AI-generated songs is not limited to just one track. Music utilizing AI, such as 'GG.EZ,' has gained traction as background music in short-form content, indicating that AI music has entered the mainstream music market beyond experimental projects.
One major issue is that users find it difficult to determine whether a song was created using AI on music platforms. Major domestic platforms like Melon, FLO, and Bugs currently do not have a separate labeling system for AI-generated music, meaning that AI-utilized tracks are distributed and recommended in the same manner as traditional music.
The inability of platforms to establish their own labeling criteria stems from a lack of clarity on how to define generative AI music. It is challenging to categorize music where AI has generated vocals and melodies versus music where AI has been used as a supplementary tool by human composers and performers. Without a common standard to assess AI's contribution to the creative process, discrepancies in labeling could arise across platforms, potentially leading to disputes between creators and rights holders.
Copyright and revenue-sharing issues also remain unresolved. There is no clear guideline on how to recognize the copyright of music generated by AI or how to distribute royalties when human creators are involved in planning, writing, and arranging. For platforms to label AI music separately or exclude it from recommendations, they first need to establish criteria for identifying which tracks qualify as AI-generated.
The Korea Music Copyright Association has attempted to establish trust registration and management standards for AI-utilized music, but discussions have not reached a consensus. Consequently, there have been no clear follow-up measures regarding labeling standards or management systems for AI music on domestic platforms.
Discussions on regulatory reforms at the government and National Assembly levels are ongoing. Legislative discussions surrounding the obligation to label AI-generated works have taken place, with two forums held to establish copyright and distribution management standards for AI music. However, specific classification and labeling criteria tailored to the music industry have yet to be developed.
Domestic music platforms are currently observing the situation rather than implementing independent standards. They are prepared to quickly adopt common guidelines once established, as differing criteria among operators could lead to user confusion and conflicts between creators and rights holders.
An industry representative stated, "There needs to be a discussion at the industry level regarding how to classify music that utilizes AI and how to label it. We are internally preparing to implement guidelines as soon as they are established."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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