Are AI Music Tools A New Instrument?

Published On: October 2nd, 2026Categories: Thoughts on Tech and Things

Host Jason Michael Perry sits down with Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange, to discuss what happens to a very human business when a machine can make the whole song, and who gets paid when it does.

AI-generated tracks are now charting on Billboard and topping streaming charts, and 97% of listeners couldn’t tell them from human music. Jason and Michael unpack where “AI-assisted” ends and “AI-generated” begins, why Sweden pulled a number one song off its official chart, and how an AI artist landed a $3 million record deal. They also get into what you own when you make a song with a tool like Suno, why US copyright law requires a human author, and how SoundExchange decides who gets a royalty check. From there, they look at the licensing deals and lawsuits between AI music companies, labels, and artists, and what the industry might look like in the years ahead.

Podcast Notes & Links:

Sponsors

This episode is brought to you by:

PerryLabs: Invested in AI but not seeing results? You’re not alone. PerryLabs helps organizations find what’s working and build what’s next. Start with our AI Assessment at PerryLabs.io

HoopDee: Are you a new parent, or do you have one on the way? Get HoopDee so you never waste a drop of breast milk or baby formula. HoopDee’s smart system does all the milk math for you, and the whole family knows which bottle to use next. Enjoy 20% off with code: thoughts. Visit gethoopdee.com.

Subscribe & Contact

Subscribe to the Thoughts on Tech & Things newsletter: jasonmperry.com/newsletter

Send feedback, questions, or guest suggestions: jasonmperry.com/contact or leave a message in the WYPR app or call 410-735-1616.

Credits

Thanks to the team at WYPR, our producer Sam Bermas-Dawes, and Myrna Martinez, Head of Operations and Marketing at PerryLabs.