Nigerian singer, Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, also known as Mr. Eazi has shared insights on the revolution of artificial intelligence (AI) in music production and its benefits to artistes and creatives in the industry.
During a panel discussion on Fintech and the Creative Economy, at the just-ended 3i Africa Summit, held in Accra from May 13 to May 15, 2024, Mr. Eazi explained how AI can change the traditional music-making process used by creatives.
“In terms of your question of what AI does, right now, true AI is assisting creatives,” he said.
He referenced the making of the “Lion King: The Gift” album, where he used the strenuous traditional methods of making music, such as melodic construction and writing to emphasize how AI can make the making of music easier.
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“We got into this room, and there were so many creatives making music. Before, when I was making music, I had to write, use tests and errors, and come up with melodies manually. But now, with AI, I can feed in my voice, and it helps create songs that sound authentic, enhancing our creativity. Good technology always makes things easier,” he added.
Mr. Eazi spoke about the integration of technology into modern copyright protection laws and music platforms.
“You know, music today is one of the most advanced copyright protection systems in the world. With Shazam, you can identify a song instantly, whether it was made in Kumasi or Tamale. Each uploaded song has a digital DNA and an international ASRC number,” he said.
According to the “Skin Tight” hitmaker, he uses some of these advanced copyright protection measures to sanction artists, who use the works of producers on his label, without his permission.
“At Empawa, my music label, we’ve successfully frozen monetization on major artists’ albums when they’ve used our producers’ work without credit, ensuring proper attribution,” he added.
He also explained how his cash payment platform, Power Pay, is transforming payments for creatives worldwide.
“Through my investment in Power Pay, we’ve been able to pay dancers across the continent. When we release a song, we might need to pay 50 to 100 TikTokers, aged 18 and up, between $100 to $1,000 per post. We can now send this money to 20 African countries simultaneously,” he claimed.
Mr. Eazi said with the help of Fintech, payments are sent directly to creatives before they upload videos of their performances.
“If they don’t get paid, they won’t upload their videos. Payments are made before performance, and thanks to FinTech and mobile money, we can distribute funds directly to their mobile wallets,” he added.
