Musicians are deeply concerned about AI. So why are the major labels embracing it? Companies such as Udio, Suno and Klay will let you use AI to make new music based on existing artists' work. T his was the year that AI-generated music went from jokey curiosity to mainstream force. Velvet Sundown, a wholly AI act, generated millions of streams; AI-created tracks topped Spotify's viral chart and one of the US Billboard country charts; AI "artist" Xania Monet "signed" a record deal. BBC Introducing is usually a platform for flesh-and-blood artists trying to make it big, but an AI-generated song by Papi Lamour was recently played on the West Midlands show.

"We offer our deepest apologies to the Black community for our insensitivity in signing this project without asking enough questions about equity and the creative process behind it." On August 14, Capitol Records announced that it had signed FN Meka, a digital rapper and TikTok influencer described by the label as "the world's first A.R. artist to sign with a major label." A press release from FN Meka's 2021 publicist described Meka as an "A.I. powered robot rapper." Meka's first single on the label was "Florida Water," which featured Gunna and gaming streamer Clix. As of today, FN Meka is no longer on a major label; Capitol has announced that it has "severed ties" with the rapper, The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli reports.

Music has always been a big business for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). In creating iTunes and the iPod in the early 2000s, Apple was doing more than making a gadget -- it became the guardian of consumers' prized music collections. The iPod wasn't the first portable MP3 player, but it provided a superior user experience with its trademark white color and circular navigation wheel. Apple integrated the iPod tightly with iTunes and its macOS software, creating a music ecosystem. Music remained important at Apple with the 2014 acquisition of Beats Electronics, a headphone company, which brought with it music talent Dr. Dre and hit-making record producer Jimmy Iovine.