AI companies must pay for the music they use

The government has submitted the Norwegian implementation of the EU's AI regulation for consultation. TONO has pointed out in its consultation paper that the proposal does not provide authors with sufficient protection.

– AI models are trained on large music catalogs without an agreement. Now TONO demands licensing agreements and real protection in the face of technology that can dramatically change the music market, says Karl Vestli.

Suno and similar are excluded

Music-generating AI services such as Suno and Udio currently fall outside the strictest European requirements. This means that the law places few and weak requirements on companies developing music AI. This includes transparency about which works are used in training.

– Although we are now seeing some individual agreements between technology companies and copyright holders, TONO fears that Norwegian and European copyright holders will be left without legally regulated protection, without insight and without the opportunity to enforce their rights, says Vestli.

Asks the government to take national measures

TONO therefore asks the government to utilize the scope for national measures. The first and most fundamental point is that clear licensing requirements are set for the use of music in AI training.

TONO also points out that music creators' own collective management organizations can ensure fair terms and ensure that authors are paid when their works are used to develop AI models.

Furthermore, TONO believes that rules should not depend on where the technology was developed. All services available in the EU/EEA should be required to follow the same regulations. This provides a level playing field and protects European creators from having their rights weakened in practice.

Strong transparency requirements are key to gaining insight into the kind of training data behind an AI model. Reservation schemes must be simple, and work without individuals having to build their own technical solutions. Responsibility should lie with the AI ​​actors themselves.

– With the right regulation, AI can provide new opportunities for both music creators and technology developers. But with the wrong framework, both copyright and technology can be weakened, says Vestli.