IDOL founder Pascal Bittard has commented on what the independent sector can do to safeguard its future in the face of generative AI music.
Bittard, who was interviewed in the August edition of Music Week as IDOL marks its 20th anniversary, said that he believes that working with and not against AI music tech companies is the smart course of action.
The founder and president of the Paris-headquartered distribution and label & artist services company said that GenAI music platforms “will continue to exist”. Independents should therefore negotiate with them and innovate – although do so with caution.
Bittard was asked to comment on Merlin – the global network of independent labels, distributors and rights-holders for digital licensing – and its recent move licensing its members’ music for AI music company, Udio. The deal in question permits Udio to mine music by Merlin members who have provided permission.
“I’ll answer as a board member of Merlin, which IDOL is a member of,” Bittard told Music Week. “It means new opportunity, new money and it also means that at least we have a legal AI use. That’s not been the starting case elsewhere.
"We know, thanks to Deezer, that 70,000 AI tracks are delivered to that platform every day, and 70%, 80% of them involve some form of fraud. And 100% are illegal because they’re made after being trained on models with no authorisation. At least now, at Merlin, a legal business is being built.”
When asked to expand on the topic, including sharing wider industry reaction to cases of illegal AI music flooding the DSPs, Bittard said that he could understand people's fears, but those can be counteracted with legal solutions.
It’s always better to be negotiating with these companies than to be outside and be a victim
Pascal Bittard
“The majority of the artists and labels are very frightened, even with legal [frameworks in place],” he said. “And I understand that. I’m not in favour of fair use. The first step to think about is: we will have some money, not a huge amount, to compensate for what was done before with no authorisation. Generative AI will continue to exist, so let’s build a legal market.”
He continued: “So far, nobody in the music industry in the major companies has managed to stop the illegality. That’s completely crazy. I’m very frightened by AI, I don’t know what market share it’s going to have. But we also have to accept innovation. So it’s about fighting the illegal [element] to try to build a proper business.
"It’s always better to be negotiating with these companies than to be outside and be a victim. We have to be very cautious with AI, but we have to work with these people to find solutions and to accept innovation. If not, they will innovate without us.”
Quizzed on other pressing industry matters, Bittard also touched upon the impact that market consolidation has had, and continues to do so. on the independent sector.
“I’m concerned about the market and the sector: the challenges we have with AI, with fraud, with consolidation,” he said in reponse to what keeps him awake at night. “I’m very concerned about the independent sector’s future. As well as Merlin, I sit on the board at UPFI [the Union of Independent French Phonographic Producers].
“For me, it’s very important to be aware about wider problems and music’s value. Concentration and consolidation of the market is a big issue for the independents, and independence is important for diversity. Major companies don’t realise how important we are for them. They’d like to have 100% of market share, but they need healthy competition and a healthy independent sector.”
Subscribers can read the full interview with Bittard in the latest issue of Music Week or online here.
