Licensing Agreements for AI-Created Music in Streaming Platforms

 

English Alt-text: A four-panel comic titled “Licensing Agreements for AI-Created Music in Streaming Platforms.” Panel 1: A man says, “AI-generated songs raise copyright issues,” with icons of a brain and music notes. Panel 2: He continues, “These tracks require licensing agreements,” with a license document illustration. Panel 3: He asks, “Who holds the rights?” under a scale of justice. Panel 4: He concludes, “Payment of royalties must be addressed,” with a royalty contract visual.

Licensing Agreements for AI-Created Music in Streaming Platforms

AI-generated music is no longer a novelty—it’s a growing sector of the digital music industry.

Streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music now host AI-composed tracks, raising significant legal questions around copyright, licensing, and royalties.

This post explores how licensing agreements are evolving to accommodate synthetic music, who holds the rights, and how revenue is shared.

πŸ“Œ Table of Contents

🎼 What Is AI-Generated Music?

AI-generated music is created using machine learning algorithms trained on large datasets of existing compositions.

These models, such as Google’s MusicLM, OpenAI’s Jukebox, or AIVA, can compose melodies, harmonies, and lyrics autonomously or with human input.

The resulting works can be indistinguishable from human-created tracks, making it difficult to apply existing copyright frameworks.

🧩 Why Licensing Is Complex for AI Music

Traditional licensing assumes a human creator who assigns rights to publishers or distributors.

But when a machine creates the work, key questions emerge:

  • Is the output copyrightable?

  • Does the person who trained the AI own the result?

  • How are royalties calculated if no “artist” exists?

Many jurisdictions still do not recognize non-human creations as copyrightable, leaving AI music in a legal gray zone.

πŸ“œ Who Owns the Copyright?

In the U.S., the Copyright Office has stated that works “created by a machine” are not eligible for protection.

However, if a human meaningfully contributes—such as selecting inputs or curating the output—they may claim partial authorship.

Some companies are now including specific licensing clauses in their AI music tools to define ownership at the point of creation.

🎧 How Streaming Platforms Handle Licensing

Spotify and YouTube require proof of licensing rights for all uploaded content, including AI music.

Some platforms have taken down tracks flagged as synthetic without proper rights documentation.

Royalty collection agencies like ASCAP or BMI also require a registered human composer to process performance royalties.

This has led to disputes and takedowns, especially when AI-generated tracks mimic the style of known artists.

πŸ›  Emerging Legal Frameworks and Tools

As of 2025, several legal frameworks and licensing models are under development:

πŸ”— Further Reading on AI Music & Licensing Law

ASCAP Licensing FAQ
Music Business Worldwide: AI Licensing Panic
Rolling Stone: Who Owns AI Music?
Reuters: White House AI Rights and Copyright
Washington Post: Legal Battles Over AI Songs

Important Keywords: AI music licensing, copyright AI songs, streaming AI music law, synthetic music rights, music industry AI policy