The Real Threat Isn’t AI — It’s Forgetting Why You Create

An artist's mindset shift in the fast-changing music industry

If you’re a self-managed artist, you probably know that spiral — that deep, uneasy feeling that you’re being swallowed by a music industry evolving faster than you can keep up.

Every day, there’s a new headline about AI music platforms or AI “artists” gaining traction. It’s hard enough to break through when more than 100,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify every day. The market’s oversaturated.

Now we’re watching AI artists sign million-dollar record deals while independent artists barely scrape together $5K for their next single. Major labels sue platforms like Suno and Udio for using copyrighted material, yet partner with them so they win either way.

Meanwhile, independent artists are left on their own to “figure it all out” — trying to release music, grow their careers, and somehow make a living.

I get it. I come from the creative side (musician, studio engineer, producer)— and now I run a creative studio built to help artists navigate this exact chaos. I hear the same anxieties every week from my artists. My job is to take some of that pressure off, to make strategy and execution feel like support, not survival, so they can stay focused on their art.

Losing the “Why”

It’s completely normal to feel like you’re losing your “why.” Especially when you spend most of your time creating content, so you don’t get punished by algorithms, all while chasing industry shifts. You start to forget why you make music in the first place.

There’s something about today’s AI headlines that goes beyond an artistic and business threat — it feels existential. For music creators, it can make the weeks you spent learning how to use a DAW or crafting a bridge feel… replaceable.

But the real problem isn’t the tool. It’s the mindset it’s being sold with.

The Speed Trap: When Innovation Forgets the Artist

The music industry today is being driven by music-tech startups — fast, venture-backed, and optimized for profit. They build under the assumption that this is what artists want: instant results, automation, and efficiency.

But in the creative world, any platform built on speed and convenience will eventually fall short on what really matters: authenticity, sonic quality, and uniqueness, or what we often call in the studio, the “danger” — that slightly unhinged edge that makes people lean in and really listen.

And sure, the speed-first model might work for creators who value quantity over quality — for those who want to release endless lo-fi tracks in an automated way (no shade, I love lo-fi music).

But if you consider yourself an artist — someone who lives inside their work — that’s why you’re here reading this. Because the truth is: the current generation of AI music platforms isn’t built for real artists. At least, not yet.

The Disconnect

Suno’s CEO, Mikey Shulman, infamously said on a podcast:

“It’s not really enjoyable to make music now… it takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of practice. The majority of people don’t enjoy the majority of the time they spend making music.”

But that statement shouldn’t mean much to working artists. It comes from a technical mindset — a background in physics rather than the daily grind of songwriting, recording, and creating.

Making music isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to move you, challenge you, and sometimes frustrate you. That tension — the highs, the lows, the rewrites — is the process. It’s a vulnerable journey.

Anyone who’s ever made a record knows what I mean.

You have days where creativity flows effortlessly and others where nothing works, and you spend hours chasing one sound you might mute later. But that’s the craft. That’s record-making.

In my experience working in the studio with both major and indie artists, no one ever complains about the grind. In fact, many of them love being in the studio more than touring, because that’s where their real storytelling comes to life.

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The Artist’s Way to Staying in Control

Here are a few ways to protect your creative core while embracing AI as an ally, not a threat.

1. Reframe AI as an “Idea Accelerator”

Writer’s block — we’ve all been there.

AI can actually help you move through it. Stop thinking of it as a rival. Think of it as a starter spark. Use it to generate your raw, unrefined ideas — a chord progression, a rhythm, a texture, when you’re stuck.

Then take those sketches into your DAW and turn them into something you. Re-record, reshape, rewrite. Bring in players. Add your voice and storytelling.

AI shouldn’t finish the song for you — it should just get you unstuck so you can focus on what only you can do.

2. Double Down on the “Me-Only” Skills

The moments when you feel most connected to your “why” are usually when you create something that could only come from you. That’s your superpower — the “danger” that gives your work soul.

In the studio, 100% of the best decisions come from gut instinct, emotion, and the “goosebump” test. Someone says, “Can we try taking out everything except vocals, piano, and sub bass?” — and suddenly the song clicks. You get chills.

Obviously, AI doesn’t have gut instincts. It can only output what it’s learned from others, which isn’t necessarily what’s right for your music. Only you know what feels good. It can’t feel the tension of a key change or the emotional release of a bridge. It doesn’t have taste, intuition, or the life experiences that give your music meaning.

3. Protect Your Rights and Your Process

One of the biggest issues today is that AI models are trained on existing works, including yours — often without permission.

As an independent artist, ownership is survival.

As more music platforms like Spotify are changing how metadata is submitted, especially for AI-related content, get a head start by documenting your creative process.

Keep your session files, early versions, and raw stems that show how your song evolved. If you use AI at any stage, save your prompts and edits. This not only protects your copyright but also proves your human contribution.

If AI is learning from you to generate output, then there’s no reason you can’t do the same with it. The key is not to get too comfortable with the convenience of AI, to the point where your music starts sounding like it, instead of you.

Never forget the power of your imperfections, your timing, your choices — that’s your sacred territory. Protect it.

Make AI work for you. You call the shots.

Don’t lose your “danger”.

So, here’s a question for you:

What’s one creative task you currently spend too much time on — or struggle with — that you’d be willing to offload to an AI partner this week?