Grimes says she'll split royalties with anyone who uses her voice in AI song

Grimes says she'll split royalties with anyone who successfully uses her voice in an AI song

Christian Bertrand/Shutterstock | @grimes/Instagram

The future is here, and it brings AI-generated songs using your fave musicians’ voices.

Unless you’ve somehow managed to live life off-grid, you’ve probably heard of the rise of artificial intelligence these past couple of years.

From ChatGPT writing an AI-generated story about moving to Vancouver to eerie text-to-video AI, it feels like artificial intelligence is set to take over every facet of media.

And now, it’s coming for rappers’ and singers’ jobs.

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Recently Drake and The Weeknd’s voices were used in an AI song that went viral.

While Drake is not a fan of the technology making deepfakes of his music, one Canadian artist is welcoming it.

Vancouver-born singer-songwriter Grimes tweeted a New York Times story about Drake’s AI song and the creative and legal questions that come with it on Sunday.

She invited people to use her voice for AI songs and promised to split 50% of the royalties with anyone who creates a successful tune.

“Same deal as I would with any artist i collab with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings,” tweeted Grimes.

I’ll split 50% royalties on any successful AI generated song that uses my voice. Same deal as I would with any artist i collab with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings. pic.twitter.com/KIY60B5uqt

— 𝔊𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 (@Grimezsz) April 24, 2023

The artist has already gotten the ball rolling, telling fans that she and her team are making a program that should simulate her voice well.

She has even started accepting registrations for music so she can collect and pay out royalties to anyone who uses her vocals in AI.

Talking with my team: if u register music with us we can collect & pay out royalties direct to anyone who uses A.I. Grimes vocals using smart contracts!? The future rly is now! this is so cool.

Working on a way to register and easily access vocals thru https://t.co/7OEKD2WDZF

— 𝔊𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 (@Grimezsz) April 24, 2023

Grimes clarified that she may do copyright takedowns when her voice is used with “toxic lyrics.”

“Imo you’d rly have to push it for me to wanna take smthn down but I guess plz don’t be *the worst*. as in, try not to exit the current Overton window of lyrical content w regards to sex/violence. Like no baby murder songs plz,” she said in subsequent tweets.

The singer’s proposal hasn’t evaded critics.

Some people are calling the singer a hypocrite for saying she wants to “kill copyright” with the use of AI while expecting to keep 50% of the profits from those songs.

Grimes wants to eradicate copyright but keep 50% of profits made from her voice in AI? lol NO that’s not how this works.
If you don’t have ownership of your voice no one owes you anything https://t.co/A5Lgduypeu

— 🏮 Zakuga Mignon Art🏮 (@ZakugaMignon) April 24, 2023

grimes being like “i love the ai voices everyone is allowed to clone me ✨” but then looping back to say that she should get a 50/50 split of the profits (how?) and also you’re only allowed to do stuff that she would approve of. dog brain. im pretty sure she has a dogs brain

— caleb gamman (@calebgamman) April 24, 2023

Grimes wants AI music to “kill copyright” but also wants a “50% split of royalties”??? Those are copyright royalties!

Some people are dumb as rocks.

Please don’t let billionaires and their baby mommas force AI trash down our throats. https://t.co/VWriVM5zKp

— The Alternative (@GetAlternative) April 24, 2023

Others are applauding her for embracing technology.

Grimes has the biggest brain in the room. Embrace AI and Web3.

– Artist retains control, ownership, and earnings.
– Remixers can legally create new music with the artists likeness.
– Consumers get more and better options. https://t.co/DzZoFqNg4L

— armand type beat (@2irl4u) April 24, 2023

What do you think of this AI wave?