deviantART says artists made $23 million on its platform last year, was ‘100% right to embrace AI

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Welcoming AI and introducing DreamUp resulted in significant backlash from its community, and a number of artists left the platform entirely. But Levy says any claim that dA has lost artists and/or that it’s dying is “a convenient web troll narrative” that’s also dead wrong. “Let’s address this ridiculous nonsense once and for all. There has been no ‘downfall of DeviantArt,’ nor any mass exodus,” he wrote.

Source: deviantART says artists made $23 million on its platform last year, was 100 right to embrace AI

Can A.I. Determine Which Artist Made a Painting?

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Until recently, to determine the origins of different elements of a painting, art experts relied on their own analyses of the minute details of brushstrokes, Jackie Flynn Mogensen reports for Scientific American. But this method is rife with error and has led to numerous misattributions over the centuries. The new study, led by anthropologist Andrew Van Horn of Purdue University, employed artificial intelligence to try to paint a more accurate picture of a painting’s history.

Source: Can A.I. Determine Which Artist Made a Painting? 

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Earned Over $1,600 in Rap Royalties Last Year

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani saw renewed interest in his short-lived rap career after his mayoral candidacy. The music he recorded as Young Cardamom and Mr. Cardamom earned him $1,643 in royalties last year, according to The New York Times. But he actually had recent success as a rapper even before his mayoral run, reporting another $1,267 in royalties in 2024, while he was a member of the New York State Assembly.

Source: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Earned Over $1,600 in Rap Royalties Last Year

Deezer says 44% of songs uploaded to its platform daily are AI-generated

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Deezer announced on Monday that AI-generated tracks now represent 44% of all new music uploaded to its platform. The company said it’s receiving almost 75,000 AI-generated tracks per day and more than two million per month. The consumption of AI-generated music on the platform is still very low, at 1-3% of total streams, and 85% of these streams are detected as fraudulent and demonetized by the company.

Source: Deezer says 44% of songs uploaded to its platform daily are AI-generated

Why Authentic Visual Content Isn’t Paid More — And What Would Change That

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A verified editorial photograph with full chain-of-custody provenance sits in the same licensing catalog, at the same price point, as an AI-composite that looks vaguely similar. Behind a paywall, whether it’s a stock subscription or a news outlet, all content is treated equally. You pay for access, and everything inside costs the same. The photograph’s relationship to reality, its evidentiary weight, its verifiable origin, none of this is priced.

Source: Why Authentic Visual Content Isn’t Paid More — And What Would Change That

Disney Fires The Entire Team Managing Its DVD & Blu-ray Sales

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Disney has eliminated its entire home entertainment division in a sweeping round of layoffs that intensified concerns over the long-term viability of physical media formats such as DVDs and Blu-ray discs according to a report from The Wrap.  Its complete dissolution marks a stark departure from an era when physical discs generated substantial supplemental revenue for studios, often through elaborate collector’s editions featuring bonus features, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and exclusive artwork that streaming services cannot replicate.

Source: Disney Fires The Entire Team Managing Its DVD & Blu-ray Sales 

Voice actors fight to save their livelihoods and local cultures from Hollywood’s AI push

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 As studios, production companies, and streaming platforms increasingly turn to AI for voice-overs and to dub English-language content into local languages, more than 2 million full-time and part-time voice actors worldwide stand to lose their livelihood and the rights to their voice. “With new AI-generated voices, I will be out of a job even though I am the one providing the input,” said Azevedo, who is president of the Brazilian Association of Dubbing Professionals.

Source: Voice actors fight to save their livelihoods and local cultures from Hollywood’s AI push

Wall Street still loves streaming, but are its affections well placed?

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The romance started about a decade ago when consumers began cutting the cord with cable TV bundles en masse in favor of direct-to-consumer streaming apps. However, where investors were once enamored with subscriber growth, rewarding companies that were able to expand their consumer reach, their attentions have now shifted toward profitability.

Source: Wall Street still loves streaming, but are its affections well placed?

Musicians Respond to Calls For PRS to Reduce License Fees

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The U.K.’s main musician and songwriter trade associations have responded to calls for PRS to reduce its blanket license fees for grassroots music venues. On Tuesday (April 14), the Music Venue Trust launched a campaign titled Set The Record Straight: Fair Licensing Fees, aimed at examining how PRS For Music’s licensing charges are calculated, applied and enforced across the U.K.’s grassroots live music circuit.

Source: Musicians Respond to Calls For PRS to Reduce License Fees

New Study Explores the ‘Streaming Paradox’

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A new report is providing a closer look at the “streaming paradox,” or the idea that on-demand listening plays an important role in artists’ careers but leaves much to be desired in the royalties department.  Unsurprisingly, the analysis covers a variety of angles across its nearly 90 pages. But at the top level, the resource breaks down artist survey responses (more here in a moment) en route to providing a relatively balanced look at the streaming landscape.

Source: New Study Explores the ‘Streaming Paradox’

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