My first AI song using SUNO

[Manslick]

Nice tune. I think Christmas songs are very hard to write. Your sounds pretty good.
I just turned 72 and for the last couple of years I’ve been turning out singer, songwriter type songs where I just play guitar and sing something, usually whatever pops into my head and I add some simple bass and drums. The days of sitting around making a big production are behind me as I don’t see the return on investment. Not like I ever did see a return on investment lol. But now with AI, I can send a set of lyrics into SUNO and hear them sung back to me. And right now that is a big thrill.

 

[Manslick]

It's so frickin easy..AND THEY'RE GOOD! Our drummer got on about 3 months ago and has created close to 1000 songs

Yeah, that seems to be what a lot of people are doing. I’m guessing there are probably a few wealthy promoters or producers out there putting together boy bands and using AI to do the heavy lifting, so to speak, for the music, and then getting the shiny young faces to be the front. Nothing new, of course, and as it has always been, the material is what remains. I really doubt that a bunch of young giggly girls are gonna care who actually created the song so long as the boy bands are hot. I’ve heard that AI is all over TikTok, but I don’t ever go on TikTok so I couldn’t say for sure. Or maybe I’m completely wrong about the boy band thing.
My young granddaughter spends a lot of time on YouTube watching videos about making slime. And then there’s Bluey who my young grandson loves. I don’t see either one of them sitting around watching boy bands dancing, but my grandkids are still pre-pubescent so maybe they have some time before they go down the rabbit hole.

 

[TAE]

Yeah, that seems to be what a lot of people are doing. I’m guessing there are probably a few wealthy promoters or producers out there putting together boy bands and using AI to do the heavy lifting, so to speak, for the music, and then getting the shiny young faces to be the front. Nothing new, of course, and as it has always been, the material is what remains. I really doubt that a bunch of young giggly girls are gonna care who actually created the song so long as the boy bands are hot. I’ve heard that AI is all over TikTok, but I don’t ever go on TikTok so I couldn’t say for sure. Or maybe I’m completely wrong about the boy band thing.
My young granddaughter spends a lot of time on YouTube watching videos about making slime. And then there’s Bluey who my young grandson loves. I don’t see either one of them sitting around watching boy bands dancing, but my grandkids are still pre-pubescent so maybe they have some time before they go down the rabbit hole.

It is definitely here to stay and will be a powerful tool for musically and lyrically inclined people both professional and amatuer to get to the cheese much more quickly.

Up to now we've been tootling around on horses and buggies ...Now we have NASCAR level tools to Get R Done.

I asked the google AI

Can you create a list of the most successful AI songs to date used in movies and television?

While a list of "successful" AI songs from major movies and TV is short, it is primarily because AI music is not yet used for high-profile, breakout hit singles

.Instead, its main use is for background music, idea generation for human composers, and low-budget productions.

Prominent examples of AI-generated music in film


Morgan
(2016): The horror film's score featured music created by an artificial intelligence program, designed to match the movie's theme of AI gone wrong. The score was an early, prominent example of a Hollywood production incorporating AI into its soundtrack.


Next Gen
(2018): In this animated sci-fi film, the music was created by an AI composer to be dynamic and adapt to the on-screen action, particularly the evolving relationship between the main characters.


How AI is used in mainstream media today
Rather than generating hit songs, AI is mostly used to assist human music creators and production teams.

• Production music and temp tracks: AI is used to quickly and cheaply create royalty-free background scores and temporary music for films and television. It allows filmmakers to generate music that matches specific moods or genres with a simple text prompt.
• Composer's assistant: Human composers may use AI to generate musical ideas, speed up their workflow, or optimize arrangements. For example, AI has been used for sound design in anime like
  Chainsaw Man
  .
• Legal limitations: High-profile songs rely on copyright, which is still legally unclear for AI-generated works. Many studios prefer human-created, copyrighted music for major productions to avoid legal complications.

Examples outside of film and TV
The most notable successes for purely AI-generated music are outside of mainstream movies and TV.

• "Walk My Walk": This AI-generated country song from 2025 topped the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart. Created by the Suno AI platform, its success ignited fierce debate within the music industry.
• Taryn Southern's I Am AI: In 2017, singer Taryn Southern used multiple AI programs to compose and produce her entire album, I Am AI. While not for a film, the project was a significant milestone in AI-assisted music production.
• AI-Generated Music In Film: Enhancing Emotional Impact
  Sep 12, 2024 — The Evolution of Music in Film. ... The transformative journey of music in film has been closely tied to the evolution...
  
  
  
• Using AI to Generate Music for Film Projects: What You Need to Know
  Oct 8, 2025 — Let's dive in! * Is There an AI that Can Generate Music for Film Scores? * How AI Is Currently Being Used in Film Scori...
  
  
  
• AI Music Tools Revolutionizing Film and TV Soundtracks
  Feb 19, 2025 — When previously studied, the movies Psycho and Jaws had the perfect mathematical answer to what makes a scene's music ...

While AI's role is still evolving, some film composers and musicians have publicly acknowledged using AI as a tool for creative assistance

. Rather than replacing human creativity, AI often helps with brainstorming, generating musical ideas, and streamlining the production process.
Here are notable composers and musicians who have used AI in their work:

• Juan Dussán: The composer documented his process of using AI, specifically ChatGPT, to help generate a film score.
• Lucas Cantor: A film and television composer who used AI to help complete the final movements of Franz Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony." The project was an experiment to demonstrate AI's capabilities in the creative process.
• Tod Machover: The MIT professor and experimental composer has used AI in various works, including his "City Symphonies," which incorporate AI to help organize crowdsourced city sounds.
• Holly Herndon: An American musician and composer known for integrating AI into her creative process. She used an AI she created named Spawn to generate music for her track "Godmother".
• Brian Eno: A legendary musician and producer known for his ambient music, he has explored the use of generative AI and algorithmic composition in his work for years.
• AyseDeniz Gökçin: The pianist and composer conducted an experiment using AI to generate music that imitates the style of Frédéric Chopin, challenging audiences to differentiate it from the original.

How composers use AI
Rather than fully composing a score, AI is typically used in the following ways to assist a human composer's workflow:

• Idea generation: AI tools can create musical sketches and variations that serve as a starting point for a composer to refine.
• Background music: For scenes that need less focus, AI can be used to generate cost-effective and royalty-free background or "temp" tracks.
• Arrangement and mastering: AI can assist in optimizing musical arrangements or in technical audio processes like mastering.

 

[Manslick]

Thanks for the research. That is very interesting. There’s a person on YouTube who posts AI generated videos and music goes by the name of Anna Indiana.
Of course, you know the thing that drives the business is money. And I would not at all be surprised if these companies are working day and night figuring out ways to save a buck using AI. Business owners who have to pay royalties to have a jukebox in their in their store could save a buck just by generating a few hours of background music. I can just imagine customers coming in hearing robot music and either being engaged, amused or horrified.

 

[Manslick]

This sounds like 1994

Mother mine (loud)

 

[TAE]

So as I have likened this before on the AI, It's kind of like anyone who is willing to hand out the subscription fee is kind of buying a virtual solo artist record deal. Instead of being shipped off to Nashville, LA or New York to record the tracks with a bunch of session musicians.. Your AI session musicians are just a few clicks away and they are the best of the best ever. Instead of struggling over a single song and creative juice process for hours on end to get one song. In 30 seconds you have some real meat and potatoes to work off. Put a few hours of sweat into it and you have a masterpiece of a recording. MInd blowing I tell ya! So I have a paid business Google account and use Gemini for my more deep dive searching and questioning... So much to know as an artist that most of us old farts were clueless to as to avoid getting ripped off on the major share of our royalties. IF you decide you want to put your music out there YOU NEED TO BE THE PUBLISHER and own all the rights to the song...That said I am feeling pretty rock solid I have a winner in the Father Daughter wedding dance genre and I am going to GO FOR IT in these coming months. I'm edjumacting myself on the in's and out's, do's and don'ts of OWNING all of the rights to any and royalties possible...So me n Gemini have been going back and forth on the AI generated stuff vs me taking the AI generated stuff and re-recording it with me or my buds playing all the parts to make it so it is copyrightable n all..This is where it is a bit dodgy and grey at this moment in time... Here's a bit of the conversation below.

Back on music royalties and the splits. How much of the potential revenue stream do I loose as a lyricist and song writer if I use AI as my performers as opposed to using session musicians?

This is a very insightful question that touches on the fundamental division of music royalties and the evolving role of AI.

As a lyricist and songwriter, you primarily earn from Publishing Royalties (the musical composition), not Master Recording Royalties (the actual sound recording).

The key takeaway is that using AI as your performers, as opposed to session musicians, is unlikely to directly reduce your share of the songwriting/publishing royalties.

Here is a breakdown of why and where the real risk lies:

---

The Royalty Split: AI vs. Session Musicians​

1. Songwriting/Publishing Royalties (Your Primary Share)​

• What it is: Royalties earned from the underlying musical work (lyrics and melody/composition). This includes mechanical royalties (streaming/sales) and performance royalties (radio/public performance).
• Your Share: As the lyricist and songwriter, you are entitled to the writer's share of these royalties, which is typically 50% of the total publishing income.
• Impact of AI vs. Session Musicians: Minimal to None.
  • Session Musicians: Traditional session musicians are usually hired on a "work-for-hire" basis, paid a flat fee, and sign away all rights. They generally receive no songwriting/publishing royalties unless they contribute creatively to the composition (e.g., co-write a melody or lyric).
  • AI Performers: An AI tool that generates a performance based on your composition is not considered a co-writer or "author" under current US Copyright Office guidance (which states a work must originate from human creativity). Therefore, the AI does not claim a share of the songwriting/publishing royalties, leaving the full human-author share to you.

2. Master Recording Royalties​

• What it is: Royalties earned from the sound recording (e.g., streams, downloads, sales).
• Your Share: As an independent artist and songwriter, you likely own the master recording, or you split the artist's share with a label.
• Impact of AI vs. Session Musicians: The AI will not claim any share of this revenue, while a session musician mayreceive a small statutory share for digital radio royalties (in the US) or "neighbouring rights" royalties in some international territories.
  • Conclusion: Using AI as a performer saves you money (no session fees) and potentially increases your share of the master recording revenue by eliminating the need to pay out performer-specific royalties to human musicians (where they are mandated).

---

The Real Risk: Copyright and Market Saturation​

The biggest threat to your potential revenue stream comes not from the internal royalty split, but from the overall legal and economic challenges that AI music poses to human creators:

[td]Area of Risk[/td][td]Description[/td][td]Potential Impact on Revenue[/td] [td]Copyright Protection[/td][td]If your use of AI is deemed to be the primary author of the musical work (e.g., you only provided a vague text prompt), the US Copyright Office may deny protection, meaning you can't register the work and thus cannot collect any royalties.[/td][td]100% loss of all royalties if deemed unprotectable.[/td] [td]Market Saturation[/td][td]The sheer volume of low-cost, AI-generated "production music" (jingles, background music, library tracks) is predicted to replace human-created work in areas like commercials and film/TV scores.[/td][td]Loss of a significant licensing and synchronization revenue stream, which some reports suggest could be up to a 24% overall loss of music sector income by 2028.[/td] [td]Legal Uncertainty[/td][td]The music industry is still developing clear legal and commercial frameworks for AI usage. Agreements between collecting societies and AI developers are just beginning to emerge.[/td][td]Uncertainty in future royalty rates and potential disputes over the use of your work to train AI models.[/td]

Summary​

By using AI as a performer for your human-written songs:

• You do not lose your primary songwriting/publishing share (50% of publishing income).
• You are unlikely to lose revenue on the master recording side and may save on session fees.
• The major risk is the validity of your copyright (must prove sufficient human authorship) and the economic reality of a highly saturated, AI-driven market pushing down overall value and licensing opportunities for all human-created music.

Would you like me to look up the current guidance from the US Copyright Office regarding the "human authorship" requirements for works created with AI?