In a groundbreaking move, LANDR has launched the Fair Trade AI programme, enabling artists to earn recurring revenue from the AI training process using their music.

LANDR, renowned for its innovative use of AI in music production, has been serving over 6 million users since its inception in 2014. The platform helps distribute music to 150 major services worldwide, including Spotify and Apple Music.

This new initiative aims to uphold ethical AI practices while offering new monetization opportunities for musicians.

Empowering Artists Through Ethical AI

With the Fair Trade AI programme, musicians can contribute their tracks for AI training and receive 20% of the proceeds from the resulting tools.

This approach allows artists to continuously profit from AI development, retain all rights to their music, and actively participate in the evolution of music production technologies.

Pascal Pilon, Founder of LANDR, stated, “Our mission at LANDR is to empower musicians to create, get heard, and monetize their work. As we’ve watched the emergence of new generative AI tools over the last year, and the legal challenges ahead for the industry, we now see an opportunity to use our reach to bring that market to a place that is sound and exciting for DIY musicians worldwide, while developing assistive tools to enhance — not replace — their creativity and workflow.”

How the Programme Works

Artists distributing their music with LANDR and owning full publishing rights can opt into the programme. The AI training process involves analyzing key musical features such as melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and tempo.

This data helps AI models understand musical structure and make suggestions, such as generating bass lines that match a recorded guitar or vocal part, or suggesting virtual instrument settings.

Importantly, the data will not be sold to third parties, and artists will receive regular updates on the training process via their LANDR accounts.

Participants retain full rights to their music and can opt out of the programme at any time.

Monthly payments will be made to participants from the revenue generated by upcoming AI-based plugins.

Benefits for Musicians

The Fair Trade AI programme offers significant benefits for musicians:

• Monetization: Artists can earn recurring revenue from their contributions to AI training.
• Control: Artists retain full rights to their music and can opt out at any time.
• Transparency: Regular updates ensure artists are informed about the AI training process.
• Innovation: By participating, artists contribute to the development of cutting-edge music production tools.

Industry Impact and Examples

The initiative is set to transform the music industry by promoting ethical AI practices and creating new revenue streams for musicians.

For instance, a producer who contributes a track with complex rhythms and harmonies can help develop an AI tool that assists other musicians in creating similar intricate patterns. This fosters a collaborative and innovative environment, benefiting the entire music community.

Why This Matters

This initiative is significant for music producers as it offers a new way to monetize their work while contributing to the advancement of AI in music production.

By participating in the Fair Trade AI program, musicians can ensure that their creative efforts are respected and fairly compensated.

This program also provides a platform for artists to stay at the forefront of technological advancements in the music industry, enhancing their creativity and workflow with innovative AI tools.

For more details on the Fair Trade AI programme, visit the LANDR website.