Will AI Steal Everyone's Jobs in the Music Industry?
AI isn't going to steal jobs in the music industry.
It's going to change them.
The narrative of technological unemployment is seductive. It's also mostly wrong.
New tools don't eliminate industries. They transform them.
The synthesizer didn't kill music. It created entire genres.
The internet didn't destroy the record industry. It democratized distribution.
AI won't replace musicians. It will amplify them.
Here's what AI can do:
- Generate basic melodies
- Master tracks
- Suggest chord progressions
Here's what it can't do:
- Create cultural movements
- Evoke deep emotions
- Connect with audiences on a human level
The value in music comes from its ability to move us. To say something about the human condition. To create shared experiences.
That's not a technical challenge. It's a human one.
The musicians who will thrive in an AI world are those who embrace it as a tool, not fear it as a threat.
They'll use AI to handle the routine tasks, freeing up time and mental space for true creativity.
They'll leverage AI's analytical capabilities to understand their audiences better and reach them more effectively.
They'll see AI not as a replacement, but as a collaborator. A way to push the boundaries of what's possible in music.
The future of the music industry isn't about man vs. machine.
It's about how we use machines to amplify what makes us human.
Are you ready for that future?
Rich Steve Beck is a UK-based Mastering Engineer and owner of Not Just a Plugin studio. He's a member of the Music Producers Guild and Produce Like a Pro. Beck holds qualifications as an Insurance Broker and Mortgage Adviser, bringing financial acumen to his music industry work.
Rich conducts university lectures on music industry networking and maintains a music business blog. He founded "Produce, Mix, Fix and Conquer," a Facebook group with 4,000 professional audio engineers and producers.
His interview experience includes over 15,000 public interactions from his finance career and conversations with more than 40 Grammy-winning and multi-platinum selling audio engineers.
Beck is married (to his wife, who he lovingly refers to as "The Boss"), with two children and has a cat named Luna who loves climbing onto his studio gear!