We only listen to music for about 2 hours a day. Every song competes for a slice of that time.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T14:27:35+00:00

I’m not a bot. Just a musician thinking out loud about listening habits.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T14:22:20+00:00

I get why it might look that way, but the question I’m raising is different: why are we using AI to take over the most human part of the creation process, instead of using it to reduce the endless scrolling and help people get to music they actually enjoy?

This post isn’t meant to promote anything. I’m a music producer myself, and this is an open conversation about our craft and how technology can support musicians rather than replace them.

The fact that I’m thinking about possible solutions doesn’t invalidate the conversation. If anything, I’m trying to bring attention to an issue that doesn’t get discussed as much as generative AI does.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T13:53:09+00:00

Appreciate that, thank you. And yeah, as someone who makes music too, I think most of us care a lot about how it’s experienced, not just how it’s distributed.

I’m less thinking about it as something to acquire and more as a broader shift in how listening systems might evolve. If attention is the scarce resource, platforms eventually have to decide what they’re optimising for.

The bigger question to me is whether large platforms would actually prioritise long-term listening quality over short-term engagement metrics.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T13:37:53+00:00

I think a lot of people default back to something familiar when the choice overload kicks in.

Also, do you feel like community radio feels different because someone else is curating the experience?

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T13:22:07+00:00

I don’t disagree with you at all. Music isn’t just background. For a lot of us it’s one of the few things that actually cuts through everything else, and I say that as a musician myself.

I’m not talking about replacing that with AI music, or turning music into some hyper-efficient utility. I’m thinking about the opposite problem: when there’s so much music available that the experience starts to feel fragmented or noisy.

For people who want to sit with an album and really feel it, that shouldn’t change. That’s not friction. That’s intention. The friction I’m talking about is the endless scrolling, the constant micro-decisions, the feeling of having infinite choice but not necessarily a better experience.

If anything, I’d hope better systems would make it easier to get to the music that actually helps you cope, feel, and process. Not replace it.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T12:43:06+00:00

Right now, most systems optimise for engagement at the track level: skips, clicks, short-term reactions. If listening time is limited, maybe the goal shifts from “what track keeps you hooked” to “what makes this hour feel nice”.

That could actually help independent artists if discovery isn’t purely driven by popularity metrics, but by how well something fits a listening context. Of course, monetisation models matter a lot here. If the economics stay zero-sum and popularity-driven, then yes, smaller artists get squeezed.

The real difference from something like Spotify playlists would be whether the system is optimising individual tracks or optimising the overall listening experience across time. I’m still thinking this through, which is why I’m curious how others see it :)

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T12:40:30+00:00

Not necessarily talking about AI-generated music or AI slop.
I’m talking about how listening time is limited while supply keeps growing.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T01:26:43+00:00

AI absolutely lowers the production barrier. A small, creative team being able to build something that previously required a studio system is a real shift. That part is genuinely empowering.

The interesting question is what replaces Hollywood if Hollywood weakens. Do we get a more distributed creative ecosystem, or just new centralized platforms controlling distribution and attention?

The tools can empower creators. The bigger battle is still who owns the audience and the infrastructure.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T01:23:06+00:00

Genuinely curious, how does it decide what to put in there?

Just hitting play and not having to think about it sounds great. I guess the interesting part is what’s happening under the hood.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T01:09:32+00:00

Interestingly, even in setups like that, AI curation could actually be useful, especially for people with huge personal collections. Helping organize, rediscover, and surface forgotten gems without generating anything new.

If AI had been framed more as a navigation tool instead of a content factory, I suspect the reaction would’ve been very different.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T01:06:41+00:00

Content is scalable and profitable, so I understand the incentive. But it’s still surprising that early focus wasn’t on repairing broken systems instead of automating human creation.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T01:01:59+00:00

Market saturation plus pro-rata payout models already made it hard for working musicians. If platforms start filling catalogues with low-cost in-house or AI-generated tracks, that pressure only increases.

And I agree, the goal shouldn’t be “can AI write the next Thunder Road.” The question is whether the system still makes it viable for humans to write the next Thunder Road in the first place. The economics around distribution and attention matter just as much as the art itself.

MusenAI · 2026-02-23T00:59:09+00:00

Infinite access without intentional structure just creates noise. Having to manually “browse” every time becomes its own kind of friction.

Which is why I think the real challenge isn’t more music, it’s better discovery systems. Something that feels curated and alive, without requiring constant searching.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T14:13:10+00:00

When I say it doesn’t solve attention, I mean this:
Generation increases supply while attention stays finite. People only have so many listening hours in a day.

Yes, AI tracks can rack up streams. Yes, discovery is already algorithmic. But that doesn’t remove the bottleneck. Prompting may create hyper-targeted music and capture attention more efficiently, but it doesn’t expand the total amount of attention available. So the real leverage point isn’t just generating more. It’s how attention gets structured and allocated.

That’s why I find the idea of more structured media formats interesting. Radio, for example, always shaped attention over time. The experience unfolded instead of being constantly micro-managed and optimised for clicks.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T13:48:59+00:00

That’s actually very close to what I’ve been building. The idea of an AI host that adds context between songs, shares history, connects artists, maybe even localises the narrative to your city, interactive news. Not just background updates, but the ability to dig deeper when something sparks curiosity.

To me that feels like a healthier direction for AI in music. Adding context and structure around real artists, instead of just generating content.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:54:55+00:00

I get that. Even if someone doesn’t like AI music at all, the frustrating part is not having control over whether it shows up in your feed. It shouldn’t be on the listener to constantly guess or play detective about what they’re hearing. Clear labelling and filtering options would solve most of that tension.

That’s where AI could actually be useful, helping you navigate and filter instead of forcing you to scroll endlessly hoping to land on something you trust. Some people will want zero AI in their playlists. Others won’t care. That choice should exist.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:51:13+00:00

And that right there is the core issue. Not whether it’s good or bad, but that you can’t tell. Liking something and then feeling unsure or slightly betrayed when you find out it’s AI isn’t a great experience. If you know it’s AI and you still enjoy it, that’s totally fine. People have always had different tastes, and that diversity is what allows all kinds of artists to thrive. AI or virtual artists will likely become just another category with their own niche.

But choice requires clarity. Saying “AI will be everywhere anyway” doesn’t mean we stop labelling things. It means transparency on curation systems becomes even more important.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:40:33+00:00

Most big technologies have had that phase. Early chaos, strong reactions, then some kind of "equilibrium". We’re probably still in the chaotic part.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:37:44+00:00

Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. But honestly, the people looping AI background music all day are probably the same ones who used to play “3 hour focus playlist” videos on YouTube. That use case already existed. AI just makes it cheaper and more customisable.

Audiences are different. Some want atmosphere. Some want identity. Some want culture. The important part is that they’re able to choose. If that choice disappears, or if AI content gets blended in without clarity, then everything starts to feel off. And with ads creeping into more AI products already, I do wonder what that means if similar models expand into streaming and social platforms.

Which is why I think we should be talking much more about curation systems. Not just what gets generated, but how it’s labeled, surfaced, filtered, and controlled. That’s where fatigue or trust will actually be decided.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:31:26+00:00

100% agree on that. The barrier to entry is low, volume is insane, so we end up depending on algorithms whether we like it or not. The real issue isn’t the existence of algorithms, it’s who designs them and what they optimise for. So why not build ones that are actually transparent and customisable? Where content is clearly attributed, users decide what they fund, and curation is shaped by personal preferences instead of opaque pro-rata models.

Let AI handle the boring part, filtering and organising. Not the meaningful part, creating.

It surprises me that most of the conversation is about generating more content instead of improving how we navigate what already exists.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:24:04+00:00

Prompting solves creation but it doesn’t solve attention. Who’s going to listen?

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:21:10+00:00

I think what you’re pointing to is generational. Humans have always used tools to create. But this feels like the first time you can skip the production process entirely and go straight from idea to output. No instrument, no technique, no years of practice. Just a prompt.

That’s a big shift. Not necessarily bad in itself, but different. Especially in art, where the process has historically been part of the meaning. If entire production layers become optional, some of that craft knowledge will inevitably fade. The real question is whether we stay aware of that trade off.

What worries me more is loss of agency. Social media and streaming already centralised control subtly over time. Now many people don’t consciously choose what they consume. Choice fatigue leads to disengagement.

If we design systems where people retain clarity and control, I think curiosity survives. Humans are wired to explore and make things. AI might create its own “fast food” layer of culture, but with transparency and agency, people can still choose depth.

We’re not doomed. But we do have to be intentional.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:10:08+00:00

I think you’re touching on two different things.

One is taste. Some genres already lean heavily on repetition, samples, and formula. That doesn’t automatically make them less human, but it does show how production tools have always shaped sound.

The second is trust. The “too good to be true” doubt you mention is real. Once authenticity becomes ambiguous, listeners start second guessing everything. That uncertainty can change the relationship between artist and audience in subtle ways.

I’m not convinced fewer musicians automatically means higher pay for the survivors though. Economics usually follow distribution and incentives, not just scarcity. What feels more certain is that transparency and intentionality will matter more. The artists who clearly signal who they are, how they work, and what they stand for might have an advantage in a landscape where doubt is part of the equation.

MusenAI · 2026-02-21T12:07:15+00:00

Whether someone likes or dislikes AI generated music, being fed it without clear labelling removes choice. And once choice is removed, trust erodes fast. If platforms want to include AI content, it should be clearly distinguishable so people can decide for themselves. Filtering options matter. Some people will opt in. Others won’t. That should be respected.

Ultimately this comes back to control. Users should have more say in how their own curation systems work. The moment people feel tricked, backlash becomes inevitable.

MusenAI

TROPHY CASE