Towards Music Industry 5.0: Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a disruptive technology that is transforming many industries including the music industry. Recently, the concept of Industry 5.0. has been proposed emphasising principles of sustainability, resilience, and human-centricity to address current shortcomings in Industry 4.0. and its associated technologies, including AI. In line with these principles, this paper puts forward a position for ethical AI practices in the music industry. We outline the current state of AI in the music industry and its wider ethical and legal issues through an analysis and discussion of contemporary case studies. We list current commercial applications of AI in music, collect a range of perspectives on AI in the industry from diverse stakeholders, and comment on existing and forthcoming regulatory frameworks and industry initiatives. Resultingly, we provide several timely research directions, practical recommendations, and commercial opportunities to aid the transition to a human-centric, resilient, and sustainable music industry 5.0. This work particularly focuses on western music industry case studies in the European Union (EU), United States of America (US), and United Kingdom (UK), but many of the issues raised are universal. While this work is not exhaustive, we nevertheless hope it guides researchers, businesses, and policy makers to develop responsible frameworks for deploying and regulating AI in the music industry.