Berklee Study: 33% of Musicians Use AI for Ideas, 26% in Final Tracks

A new study from Berklee College of Music reveals that one-third of musicians use AI to generate initial ideas, melodies, or reference tracks, while 26% incorporate AI into finished work. The research, conducted by the Berklee Emerging Artistic Technology Lab (BEATL) and presented at the AIMS: AI Music Summit (Wednesday-Friday on campus), surveyed over 1,000 music industry professionals. Mark Ethier, BEATL executive director, noted the numbers would have been much lower 18 months ago. Contrary to expectations, full-time creators use AI at a 92% rate, compared to 56% for newcomers. 31% of respondents use AI for lyric generation. The study coincides with the American Federation of Musicians suing Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group over settlements with AI firms Suno and Udio, alleging lack of compensation for musicians. A THR/Frost School of Music poll found 52% of listeners are not interested in AI-assisted music from favorite artists. Berklee President Jim Lucchese highlighted the high level of individual creative agency in AI use. The music industry is grappling with AI's impact, especially as synthetic acts like Breaking Rust and Saxboy Billy gain hits. Over 75% of respondents believe video directly shapes career outcomes.