Key Highlights:
- Blake calls out Suno’s CEO for dismissing music creation as unenjoyable work that AI should replace
- Tech platforms push artists to create 60-second content instead of full compositions for real audiences
- Streaming economics reward quantity over quality, leading to simplified song structures without bridges or complex arrangements
UK musician James Blake is speaking out against AI music companies and how tech platforms are hurting musicians. In a long Twitter thread, Blake went after companies like Suno, whose CEO thinks making music isn’t enjoyable and takes too much work. Blake called Mikey Shulman “a danger to everything I love.”
Blake says streaming services and social media have messed up how musicians make music. Instead of creating full songs for real audiences, artists now write short clips for TikTok videos. Streaming platforms pay artists more money when they upload lots of songs, so musicians focus on quantity instead of making their best work.
The problem gets worse because playlists are how most people listen to music now. This means songs don’t need interesting parts like bridges or complex chord changes – people will just skip to the next track anyway. Blake admits even he’s had trouble avoiding these shortcuts.
Blake thinks this whole system is getting musicians ready for AI-generated music that won’t pay human artists anything. He warns that live performances might soon be the only way musicians can make money, since recorded music keeps losing value.
The songwriter, who recently left his major label deal, has been working with alternative platforms like Vault to find better ways for artists to release music and keep control of their work.
While Blake’s original Twitter thread warning about AI and big tech’s impact on music has since been deleted it seems, the UK music publication Clash Music documented the complete thread in their coverage. The full text of Blake’s statements appears below as preserved by Clash Music:
James Blake’s Full Twitter Thread (as preserved by Clash Music):
“Firstly – tech guys imagine problems that don’t exist and then raise millions in funding from other disconnected entrepreneurs to build a profitable solution to it.
Suno is a perfect example. The CEO is quoted as saying music isn’t enjoyable to make and takes years of work, so Suno’s AI should make it for us. Obviously this man is a danger to everything I love and I highly doubt he will enjoy the world he’s trying to create.
By lowering our attention spans, making it free to use music in social media and making it artist’s biggest promotional tool, tech has, intentionally or not, created a situation where we are incentivised to write for it. Not for ourselves, not for a venue type, not for a scene, not for a specific audience, not for a cause – just for use in <1min videos aimed at any audience.
By making content creation more instantly profitable than art, tech incentivised many artists to market themselves before they were ready – before they’d really put the work in to hone their craft. I don’t blame the artists – I blame the platforms.
Festivals too have suffered from filling lineups who blew up on TikTok but when it came to it, just couldn’t really perform well – and it’s not really their fault.. they were put out on stage before they were ready. I hate that many artists are being set up for failure when they could have real longevity if they were given more time to incubate.
By making quantity on an album more profitable for artists than careful curation, and offering listeners endless choice and playlists being the dominant way of listening, streaming services have incentivised short (or no) intros, monotony, and lack of creativity. We don’t need a song to offer variation within it if we can just skip.
Chord progressions, bridges, learning theory before you even hit the DAW, learning an instrument at all, honing a craft before turning the camera on.. These things affect not just the quality of music as a whole but are crucial to longevity for a musician and if you don’t learn them. Yes, it’s possible to have a career without them, but I believe a much shorter and less versatile one.
Not every genre or song needs bridges or lots of chords, but by incentivising shortcuts, tech is limiting artists from learning the vocabulary with which to express their emotions. Paradoxically and some glimmer of hope – the barrier to entry financially for people to learn music theory is lower than ever (YouTube has been helpful here), which might be one of the few things I like about tech.
So, when you hear new music, and it has no dynamics, no interesting chords, no bridge moment to refresh your interest, and the artist even sounds bored, that’s some of the reasons why. And yes, I haven’t been immune from this either, as hard as I’ve tried.
So artists – I really wish there was a better alternative for releasing right now, but just know that the more you learn your instrument, the building blocks and vocabulary to express yourself, and tune into yourself, the more you will be prepared for the inevitable devaluation of recorded music, and should be able to make a living playing live. Soon that will probably be the only thing worth paying to experience.”
How does Blake view the role of music learning and craftsmanship in the age of AI and digital platforms?
Blake believes that learning music theory, mastering instruments, and honing craft are vital for musicians to create meaningful and versatile art. He argues that digital platforms lowering the financial barriers to learning can help preserve these fundamentals, despite technological shortcuts that incentivize superficial content.
What are the potential future consequences for musicians as a result of technological trends in music?
Blake warns that the devaluation of recorded music and the emphasis on quick, viral content may lead to a future where live performances become the only viable source of income for musicians, as revenues from recorded music diminish due to AI and platform-driven incentives.
What are James Blake’s main concerns about AI-generated music and its impact on artists?
James Blake criticizes AI music companies and leadership, specifically Suno’s CEO, for promoting AI as a replacement for human creativity and for dismissing the enjoyment of music creation. He believes this mindset is dangerous to genuine artistic expression and warns that it devalues recorded music, pushing artists towards live performances as their primary income source.
