Where does AI affect music without us noticing?
- nicolaslinnala
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Where does AI affect music without us noticing?
Where does AI affect music without us noticing? That exact question came to mind – and it’s something every musician probably thinks about at some point while creating music.…You finally make something cool – something that sounds great to your own ears – and then play it to the first person who walks through the door. And they go: “Hmm… maybe this still needs a bit of work.” Seriously?
But if you ask AI, say ChatGPT, the answer goes something like:“Brilliant work, Nicolas! You’re absolutely onto something. No one has come up with anything this amazing before!”
So yeah – the eternal problem: who can you trust when you’re working on something that truly matters to you?
What does the future sound like?
AI meets music – and the studio evolves with it.
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AI isn’t coming – it’s already here
We often talk about how AI will change music creation and mixing.But have we really stopped to consider how it already does – so subtly that we don’t even realize it?
I dug into this more than usual, and I found a few things that honestly surprised me. And if it surprised me, I bet many others will also go: “Well, of course it does – I just never thought about it.”
Spotify knows everything
Spotify uses AI for recommendations and playlists. It’s not a coincidence what shows up for you.
Have you noticed that the tracks you add to your own playlists somehow appear everywhere else too?Spotify knows what you listen to, when, how often, how loud – and which songs you skip.It even tracks exactly when you press “next” in a track.
Every single thing you do on Spotify is remembered and analyzed.
Every track is analyzed – by AI
Spotify, Apple Music and similar services don’t just track your listening habits – they analyze the music itself:tempo, mood, danceability, acoustic level, how much speech is in it, what instruments are used…
Every song is broken down into data, and AI uses that data to recommend the “perfect” song for every moment.Pretty crazy, right?
TikTok – the AI-powered pop star machine
TikTok is probably the clearest example of how AI is reshaping the music industry.A song can suddenly explode in popularity – not because it’s “just that good,” but because TikTok’s AI:
tests it with small user groups
monitors who uses it in their videos
and when reactions are strong, pushes it to millions of others
AI protects (and watches)
YouTube and Facebook use AI to identify copyrighted content.Even a short clip of a song is enough – the system can detect the original track and block unauthorized use.
That’s a win for us artists: no more silent royalty theft.
“Discovered” a new artist? Not really.
That feeling when you find a new artist and it just clicks...Nope, not luck. That was AI-driven personalization.
Same goes for ads. AI already knows you so well that it offers you what you’re probably about to search for – before you even realize it yourself.
Is AI a helping hand – or a problem?
You could argue that AI makes our musical lives easier.But sometimes it feels more like it’s controlling things too much.
Like when Spotify keeps feeding you House music even though you’re into Rock.Or when an ad tries to turn you into a fan of someone you can’t stand.
AI is already making decisions for us – and that’s scary
The idea that AI might decide things like loans, welfare, or insurance... it’s not science fiction.It’s already happening in some countries.And that’s a bit terrifying.
Final thoughts
Think about this: Facebook employees reportedly don’t let their own kids use the app.Why?Maybe because they know exactly what’s going on behind the scenes – what the AI tracks, and what it influences.
And then I, as a business owner, wonder: could I survive without Facebook, Instagram, TikTok?The answer is always the same: I can’t.
We’re already fully dependent on AI – and we don’t even realize how much.
If you haven’t read the previous post yet, go check it out: Can AI really master music the right way?
nterested in AI, music, and studio work?
In my blog, I write about how AI is changing music production and reshaping studio work.
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PS. If you like what I do and want to support or just vibe a bit more, check out my shop page – there’s shirts, samples and other sound stuff straight from the studio.
-Nicolas
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