More than eight out of ten Londoners fear the impact of AI on the capital’s music scene, a new survey reveals today.
The research comes amid a rapid loss of grassroots venues in the capital with an average of two closing every month.
London has an estimated 179 grassroots music venues, which welcomed more than 4.2m audience members and hosted performances by more than 328,000 artists last year.
The survey found that 45% of Londoners would tend to avoid AI created music.
But a far higher proportion, 85% saw risks to the health of London’s music scene, including venues and independent music shops, from the rise of AI.
The findings also showed that 34% of Londoners were concerned about artists having their music copied or used without royalties being paid to them, while 31% said they feared more grassroots music venues would close because AI might result in fewer people going to see live bands;
Three in ten Londoners expressed concern over the risk of people deciding not to study music at school and college because they felt career opportunities were limited; and 27% were worried about bands breaking up because they found it hard to gain attention and success, competing against AI created music.
A similar proportion said they were worried more music shops would disappear from the high street as people moved away from physical music;
A third of respondents worried about artistic consequences – with more artists focusing on giving people formulaic music that was easily popular, rather than pushing new artistic boundaries.
The research was commissioned by Italian “alternative metal” band, Violet Blend, ahead of their London dates in June and then again this autumn.
Florence based Violet Blend will be in London at the end of May - on the hunt for a young London band who can join them for shows across Italian cities later in the year.
