It’s been awhile now since Bandcamp announced they would be removing all AI-generated music from the platform in their post Keeping Bandcamp Human. Since then, has Bandcamp imploded into obscurity for the lack of AI music available? I would say a resounding “no” in response.
It seems a huge number of music fans are in agreement with me on this one. According to Futurism, fans have “exploded,” though the term it hyperbolic - the article only quotes a couple of people and makes a vague statement about widespread frustration. The fact that some people have the same feelings as myself entirely validates my own strong opinions on this matter, as far as I am concerned. Bandcamp appears to have made the right move, which the Herald Scotland calls a “much-needed decision” in fighting against “the rot of AI-generated music.” Opinions, at least in the cases of those that matter, have come out in support of the ban.
From a personal viewpoint, my own purchasing from Bandcamp has gone up since deceptive, unlabelled, AI music has been taken out of the equation. Just from an emotional viewpoint, the loss of AI music has been an absolute God-send. While I am a fanboy of a few musicians on Ampwall, getting my hands on ambient music from Bandcamp has now seen my collection grow somewhat. I am going to need much bigger mobile storage.
Of course, there have been some voices raised in protest. In an spam-pop-up-ridden article (yeah, there is no point to that adjective other than to paint the source in a negative light, - I am biased, so kill me), Undetectr lauded Bandcamp’s lack of AI detection purely because unscrupulous users could flood the platform with AI urine and not get picked up on it. The authors at Undetectr encourage AI users to distribute their tracks through streaming services like Distrokid and direct sales platforms. The main praise is the lack of AI policy or lack of detection on these platforms.
The response of Undetectr is understandably negative to Bandcamp’s decision, as their own business depends on people getting sucked into the narrative that using SUNO is no different than Mark Knopfler picking his guitar and kicking out “Brothers in Arms.” The question is rather simple: when are streaming platforms like Spotify, Tidal, and others going to make a stand for human musicians and get rid of AI-generated excrement?
Bandcamp’s decision is part of a much wider, though still nascent, resistance to AI-generated art. Some book publishers have written new policies which not only ban AI-generated books from being submitted, but also ban the users who are dumb enough to use AI to write from ever submitting to those publishing companies again. Like with a lot of new technology, the honeymoon period seemed a bit crazy, like mad sex on a beach at sunset with a new bride and her groom, but the honeymoon seems to be coming to an end. The bride has realised that her man has kind of let himself go, and he has realised he has commitment issues after all. Like a lot of people, AI promised a lot, but has under-delivered in just about everything except negative impact on the arts.
Bandcamp has not imploded in a collapsing black hole, nor has the ban been a cause for rioting and boycotts in our boycott-something-to-signal-our-virtues world. From all indications, Bandcamp can actually look forward to a time of relative prosperity with customers feeling much safer in the knowledge they are buying real music from real humans.
As a last note, Bandcamp does encourage snitching on bands who are using AI on the platform. It is an important thing to do, as by reporting suspected AI-generated sewage, you are doing every fan a massive favour.
Now, leave me alone. I have some music shopping to do.
You can grab another of my book, NeoTokyo Dead, from all fantastic platforms!
