AI Artists: The $3 Million Record Deal and Copyright Issues

The source provides a transcript from a YouTube video by a top music attorney discussing the recent signing of the AI artist Monae to Hallwood Media in a deal reportedly worth up to $3 million. This is noted as the second AI artist signed by this label, following "I'm Oliver," and the video explores the implications of record labels monetizing AI music while major labels are simultaneously suing the AI generator Suno. The attorney also addresses the controversy and pushback from human artists, such as Khani, who feel that AI music devalues their work, and further explains the complex legal issues surrounding copyright and the collection of publishing royalties for AI-generated works, noting that performance rights organizations like BMI and ASCAP currently do not accept fully AI-generated music. Finally, the source touches on the commercial success of Monae's music, which has millions of streams, and raises questions about whether audiences are connecting with the human-created lyrics behind the AI avatar.