Sony Unveils AI Tool to Track Music used for AI model training

Sony Group has developed a technology capable of identifying what music is being used in AI-generated songs. In a Nikkei Asia report, the company confirmed that the system could enable songwriters to seek compensation from AI developers if their work was used to train AI models. The technology was developed by Sony AI, part of the company’s research and development division.

The system analyzes the contribution of specific songs to AI-generated music. For example, it can estimate that a track contains “30% influence from the Beatles and 10% from Queen.” The level of accuracy, however, depends on whether AI developers cooperate with Sony in the analysis process.

What happens if the developers co-operate?

1. Sony Group will obtain data directly from the base model system
2. This data can be used for appropriate licensing and compensation to the artists

What happens if the developers don’t co-operate?

1. The data won’t be taken from the model
2. Instead, the AI-generated songs will be compared to existing music to obtain the original work

Sony believes that ‘the technology will help create a system that distributes revenue generated by AI music to original songwriters based on their contribution’. Furthermore, it ‘envisions AI development companies incorporating the technology into their own models, and content companies using it in negotiating licenses.’ The development comes amid growing concerns over copyright infringement in AI training, as artists and labels argue that their music is being used without permission. Recently, we saw Suno, a major player in the AI-generated music space calling a truce with the Warner Music Group.

Although Sony has not announced a timeline for commercial release, the technology could significantly reshape how AI-generated music is licensed and monetized. For songwriters and rights holders, it is a step towards transparency and fair compensation in the age of generative AI.

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