Through a new partnership with Musical AI, Symphonic Distribution opens its music catalog to AI training, allowing artists to opt-in and earn revenue from their contributions.
- Opt-In and Earn Income: Symphonic Distribution offers artists the chance to voluntarily contribute their music to AI training datasets, with the opportunity to earn additional revenue from their work.
- Partnership for Fair Compensation: By teaming up with Musical AI, Symphonic aims to bring order to the chaotic landscape of AI training, ensuring artists are compensated every time their music is used by an AI model.
- Balancing Innovation with Artist Rights: Symphonic’s initiative offers a sustainable approach to generative AI, making sure technology benefits artists rather than undermining their rights and livelihoods.
As the music industry grapples with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, Symphonic Distribution has launched a forward-thinking initiative that offers artists a chance to benefit from AI training rather than being sidelined by it. In partnership with Musical AI, Symphonic is now inviting its users to opt-in to a licensed dataset specifically designed for AI model training. By doing so, artists not only contribute to the next wave of AI development but also stand to earn additional income for their participation.
Opt-In, Get Paid: Artists Control Their Contribution
Symphonic’s new program is unique in that it allows artists to make the choice to contribute their work to AI training. Participants who opt in will have their songs included in a licensed dataset, and each time their music is used by an AI model, they will earn compensation. The opportunity is open only to those who fully control their own publishing and records, ensuring there are no legal complications with rights ownership.
Musical AI, the technology company Symphonic has partnered with, aims to clean up the AI training space—often described as the “Wild West”—by implementing a system that tracks and compensates rights holders every time their work is used by an AI model. This not only provides transparency but also a fair return for creators whose work fuels the growth of AI.
A New Layer of Accountability in AI
The use of copyrighted material for AI training has sparked heated debate, with many AI companies claiming their use falls under “fair use” exceptions. However, major music labels disagree, arguing that artists should be properly compensated for their work, and lawsuits have already been filed against AI firms like Suno and Udio for using copyrighted material without permission.
Symphonic’s partnership with Musical AI offers a sustainable solution to this contentious issue. Through detailed attribution reports, Musical AI tracks how each song in the dataset is used, and compensation agreements ensure that artists are paid either directly by AI companies or through Musical AI, depending on their specific licensing deals.
Balancing Technology and Artist Rights
For Symphonic, the partnership with Musical AI isn’t just about embracing the future of AI—it’s about making sure that technology works for artists rather than against them. As Symphonic’s CEO Jorge Brea puts it, “Any new technology needs to work for our artists and clients — not against them.” By giving artists the ability to opt-in and benefit financially from AI training, Symphonic is making sure that AI developments honor their community rather than exploit it.
As the first major rights holder to partner with Musical AI, Symphonic is leading the way in creating a balanced relationship between AI advancements and artist compensation. This move may also inspire other companies to follow suit, ensuring that as AI continues to evolve, creators remain at the heart of the music ecosystem.
With one AI company already signed up to use the Symphonic-affiliated dataset and more likely to join, this initiative marks a significant step toward ethical AI training—one where artists are rewarded for their contributions, and AI development is driven by clear attribution and accountability.