AI generated music barred from Bandcamp • Hacker News Board

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#41

Post by moritzwarhier » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:10 PM UTC

gs17 wrote: post #6

adriand wrote: post #2

This seems like a good decision, although, is there a good way to tell if music is AI-generated? I assume that some of the music that's showing up in my Spotify feed is AI-generated but I've never noticed.

> I assume that some of the music that's showing up in my Spotify feed is AI-generated but I've never noticed. A lot of it is now, and it's frustrating to me. The worst part is that I'm not actually anti-AI-music. There's one or two "groups" ("producers"?) I've found where it's clearly AI but they've put a lot of work into making something worth listening to, but Spotify seems to have a "this sucker will listen to th…

I'm not sure about the flag :D but I've had pretty good results with always making sure to flag every artist in AI suggestions with "don't play". You have to visit the artist profile pages to do it though, so it remains a cat and mouse game, but I think that as long as they don't prevent it by force, doing this tends to improve the AI suggestions (of non-AI music).

Similar to YouTube slop.

If that would stop working, I'd cancel Spotify again.

Speaking of YouTube slop, I think Spotify has had its own system of preferring cheap muzak from labels they support since before GenAI music even took off, I think. Example label: Firefly entertainment (IIRC)

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#42

Post by cardanome » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:11 PM UTC

throwaway2046 wrote: post #25

I've encountered a few artists who partially used AI in their music making process and the results have been incredible, I would hate to see them banned when grouped with people making completely AI-generated slop... Perhaps a middle ground could be reached? Allow AI generated audio as long as it undergoes significant processing by humans, for example.

They are free to use AI and they are free to post their music on other sides that allow AI.

I think you need hard rules to make it not completely subjective.

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#43

Post by xlbuttplug2 » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:12 PM UTC

echelon wrote: post #21

hmokiguess wrote: post #13

I have a maybe unpopular opinion to share. We now sort of accepted the idea of “vibe coding”, and, even shared appreciation from people who are using it to resuscitate side projects and things they wanted to do but required a lot of work. (Heck, even Linus Torvalds is doing it). Is “Vibe Music / Art” any different? For example, I am not a drummer, say I use Suno to program some drums for me so I can record my guitar…

No, but some people really hate it for some reason. I've been attacked for saying I don't hate it, and I witness this everywhere. It's a tool. Artists and professionals can use tools. They're professionals and know how much is too much.

Would you have a problem if AI was no longer a tool but the artist itself (i.e. no human intervention)?

People seem to have an irrational fear of being entertained by AI, equating that to admitting that it is a higher form of intelligence than their own.

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#44

Post by sheeh » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:12 PM UTC

throwaway2046 wrote: post #25

I've encountered a few artists who partially used AI in their music making process and the results have been incredible, I would hate to see them banned when grouped with people making completely AI-generated slop... Perhaps a middle ground could be reached? Allow AI generated audio as long as it undergoes significant processing by humans, for example.

Nah

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#45

Post by oofbey » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:13 PM UTC

ceroxylon wrote: post #35

It will be interesting to see how/where the line is drawn on "in substantial part", considering that Logic Pro lets you click a button and adjust some sliders to add an (awful, imo) drum/instrument played by AI to your track.

This is IMHO an impossible line to draw. If an established artist uses a GenAI music tool it would be accepted. If somebody unpublished does the same it wouldn’t. Assuming they can even tell the difference, which they can’t.

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#46

Post by sheeh » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:14 PM UTC

mapontosevenths wrote: post #3

Every major platform needs to also do this. They've all become overrun with literal trash.

I wonder why the head honchos of the music industry haven’t come together and put together an alternative to Spotify’s increasingly AI-slop platform

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#47

Post by 112233 » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:14 PM UTC

adriand wrote: post #2

This seems like a good decision, although, is there a good way to tell if music is AI-generated? I assume that some of the music that's showing up in my Spotify feed is AI-generated but I've never noticed.

Currently it sounds like it's been through an allpass/comb filter. Complex parts, while spectrally there, do not make much sense as a real sound. Probably audio analog of the "finger salad" of early image models. I do not count of being able to tell one from another in a few months.

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#48

Post by thorum » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC

Can’t imagine this policy lasts more than a year or two given the rate that AI tools for music are improving. Once the tech can reliably create high quality dry stems of instruments, backing tracks etc. and automate professional-sounding production work (which most musicians do not currently have access to) everyone is going to be using it even if they won’t admit it publicly.

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#49

Post by hmokiguess » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:16 PM UTC

xlbuttplug2 wrote: post #43

echelon wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, but some people really hate it for some reason. I've been attacked for saying I don't hate it, and I witness this everywhere. It's a tool. Artists and professionals can use tools. They're professionals and know how much is too much.

Would you have a problem if AI was no longer a tool but the artist itself (i.e. no human intervention)? People seem to have an irrational fear of being entertained by AI, equating that to admitting that it is a higher form of intelligence than their own.

I would have no problem with that. I wouldn't maybe call the AI an artist though, it wouldn't have sentient knowledge to be an artist. It would be art made by a machine. In fact, we have several of those examples already, and there's lots there are really fun and appreciated out there. This new one just happens to be quite more complex and eerie to digest at first.

Re: AI generated music barred from Bandcamp

#50

Post by newman8r » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:17 PM UTC

If I have an exact idea of what I want something to sound like, and I'm able to use an automated system to create that, is that creative expression? Obviously AI isn't entirely capable of that, but eventually with BCI devices it might be.

I've spent many hours learning to play guitar and ukulele but I'm really not very good, and probably never will be - but I can hear the music in my head I want to create. I'm not interested in monetary gain at all, just being able to hear it for real and maybe share it with some people.