Sony is taking a more practical approach to the growing problem that AI-generated music borrows too much from real artists.
According to Nikkei Asia, the company has developed new technology that can identify original, copyrighted songs in AI-generated music and measure the impact these works had on the final result.
The system is designed to answer a question many musicians and labels are now asking: Was my music used to train this AI, and if so, how much of it appears in what the AI produced?
How Sony Tracks Real Songs in AI-Generated Music
Sony’s tool works in two different ways. If AI developers are willing to collaborate, the technology can directly analyze an AI model’s training data to determine which copyrighted songs were used.
If developers do not cooperate, the system compares the AI-generated output with existing music catalogs to estimate likely sources and the degree of influence of the original works on the new track.
This allows Sony to report potential copyright issues even if AI companies keep their training methods opaque.
Turn creative influence into compensation
Sony wants to ensure that artists get paid when their music helps shape an AI-generated song. The company sees this technology as a possible basis for future revenue-sharing agreements where creators are compensated based on the impact of their work on the final title.
It could also be used in licensing negotiations or even integrated directly into AI music tools later. However, Sony says it has not yet decided when and how such a system will be introduced.
This comes at a time when the relationship between AI companies and the music industry is already strained. Training AI models on copyrighted songs has led to lawsuits and heated negotiations.
Instead of objecting to AI music, Sony is developing tools to track influence and understand how music is created, especially as AI-generated tracks are already making their way onto the Billboard charts.
