Sumerian Records founder Ash Avildsen – like the rest of us – has really had it with AI music overtaking streaming services and even some labels like Warner Music Group (who recently merged with known shithawks, Suno). In a lengthy social media post, Avildsen called for a “velvet revolution of artists and labels” against the rise of AI in music and welcomed any higher-up that wanted to debate him about it.
And if you’re wondering what a velvet revolution is, the phrase comes from the 1989 non-violent transition of power in Czechoslovakia which would eventually become the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in 1992.
“We will not go quietly into the night as the corporate overlords once again marginalize and minimize the reward of human music,” wrote Avildsen. “The big three and big tech have all teamed up to usher in Al bands with open arms. Why? Same reason they allowed Spotify and YouTube to rape the artist royalty and devalue what playing a song on demand is worth. Because they get to sit in a closed door conference room, cut a deal for equity and an MG (minimum guaranteed up front advance) that solely goes to the corporation.
“They are not in the individual artist business. They are in the shareholder business. Allowing these Al bands to be uploaded to Spotify is like booking a door deal for a band and your % of the ticket money has to be split with a computer who went on stage before you with no beating hearts. That’s how the royalties work with streaming. It’s not a per play rate, it’s a numeric meritocracy designed to benefit those at the top of the food chain. Period.
“There must be a velvet revolution of artists and labels that refuse to accept and comply with what the old guard is doing against our will.
“We will not start 2026 off accepting defeat as humans who create and cultivate art. A solution will be presented in January that begins a new era in how the first window of music and video releases can launch that draws a clear line in the sand on which side of history musicians and those that work with them can decide to be on.
“Without humans creating music and the teams around them who make daily sacrifices for the greater good so the musicians’ art can sustain their lives, none of these tech companies or distributors are worth anything. It’s time to remind these opportunists. I welcome any CEO or exec from a major label or tech company to debate me live on the Al crisis. Thanks for reading.
And yeah, I agree with everything Avildsen said. If we’re going to treat music purely like a commodity that can be streamlined and created in mass amounts, we’ve lost the fucking plot.
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