Ahead of COP31 (9-20 Nov) in Turkey, IMPALA has called on the music sector and governments to collaborate on AI and other sustainability-related aspects in IMPALA’s digital music plan.
Published earlier this year, IMPALA’s digital music plan sets out five priorities and outlines recommendations for digital services, labels and distributors to help grow the market culturally, financially and sustainably.
With the climate impact of artificial intelligence on the agenda at COP31, IMPALA is now highlighting priority No.5 of its plan: reduce climate impact and strengthen collective innovation.
This priority seeks to reduce the impact of digital music through recommendations, including to label AI generated content, stop mass uploading, take tough action on AI-related fraud and improve accountability by proposing reporting metrics that would illustrate the carbon impact and other impacts of hosting generative AI content.
“Reducing this impact requires greater data efficiencies, fewer formats, reduced catalogue duplication and tackling the proliferation of uploads, to lower energy consumption and water use,” said a statement. “It also requires controlling AI-generated content and fraud, and here AI is useful to help monitor. Collaboration between digital services, labels and distributors is key to identifying hotspots, agreeing reduction strategies and reporting transparently on metrics such as emissions per track stored, per play and the impact of fraud and AI-generated content.”
“We urge digital services providers (DSPs) to review ways to reduce their impact collaboratively and transparently, while reporting on different metrics,” added the statement.
Independent labels and distributors are encouraged to set targets and to use IMPALA's tools, including training, guidance and its bespoke carbon calculator.
The Music Climate Pact has digital-specific guidelines on emissions, up to the point of delivery to services, with DSPs responsible once the music is in their operational control. MCP has also provided tips for music fans on reducing their impact while streaming.
“Engagement with artists, fans, DSPs and suppliers to support sustainable choices, and using climate investment facilities, such as Murmur, are also important steps labels and distributors can take to use their influence and drive change,” added IMPALA’s statement. “Continuing the independent sector's long tradition of leading innovation, with support and partnership from platforms, will improve the music ecosystem for creators, businesses and audiences alike.”
The independent music sector has a vital role to play in driving sustainability across the digital music ecosystem
Peter Quicke
Peter Quicke, chair, Ninja Tune & chair of IMPALA’s Sustainability Task Force, said: “The independent music sector has a vital role to play in driving sustainability across the digital music ecosystem. By working together we can improve transparency, work towards shared emissions metrics with DSPs, and address issues such as fraud and AI generated content to reduce our collective environmental impact, while continuing to support innovation including AI efficiencies that will benefit the entire industry.”
Ian Stanton, head of sustainability, Beggars Group, said: “In addition to our ongoing work to reduce the carbon output of physical music production, at Beggars Group we understand that it is equally important that we address the growing impact of digital emissions and the impact of AI. Collaboration on climate action across the digital music ecosystem will be essential to driving meaningful change and reducing the wider environmental impact of the music industry as a whole.”
Richard Phillips, music lead at Julie’s Bicycle, said: “In a year that has shown us over and over again that we are at a vital juncture for global climate action, it is essential that we remain critical about the growing environmental costs of AI. Our latest research on AI and the environment and our Creative Climate Action AI resource highlight the importance of making intentional, ethical, and informed choices about how we work with AI in the creative sector, and ensuring that the creative community has the knowledge and agency to do so.”
Helen Smith, IMPALA executive chair, said: “As our digital music plan concludes, if we succeed with our shared ambition, the music economy will offer greater and more sustainable opportunities. This will set a new standard, help keep regulation to a minimum and underline the leadership role of the music sector in terms of trust and transparency. The whole ecosystem can achieve significant reductions. This depends not just on how the digital market operates and controlling excessive uploading of AI generated content and fraud, but in how we operate as a sector and also as individual companies.
“As we have said previously, investment by governments in clean energy at scale is also essential. Beyond that, we welcome that this year's COP focuses on AI. We all need to measure the impact of applying AI in all of our industries, in the same way as we measure and reduce energy consumption for our offices and other functions.”
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