The study, which was implemented and published as a book with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, discusses the authors' perspective on artificial intelligence and the transformation in the sector with the participation of 1170 music professionals.
Speaking at the meeting held at Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), MESAM Chairman of the Board of Directors Recep Ergül said that Türkiye has taken important actions in the field of artificial intelligence and that they, as an institution, have carried out important work in this field.
Stating that MESAM plays a leading role in artificial intelligence, Ergül said:
"We immediately took action regarding artificial intelligence, organized a general assembly and received authorization. We established a scientific board with important names. The people on this board voluntarily followed the developments in the world. There were two institutions in the world that took action regarding artificial intelligence. One of them was MESAM and MÜ-YAP in Türkiye. During this process, we carried out important work in the field of artificial intelligence. We organized a comprehensive artificial intelligence symposium. The International Confederation of Songwriters and Composers (CISAC) attended the symposium. He showed interest and gave an important place to this event on his website."
"We should not resist innovations"
Pointing out that every innovation that emerges has positive and negative effects, Ergül said, "Innovations should not be resisted. It is important to talk about the principles of artificial intelligence instead of being afraid of it. Turkey has signed important contracts so far, and at this point, musicians should not turn this situation into a fear. Artificial intelligence does not create anything out of nothing. It offers a synthesis without permission. There is a royalty fee and it must be paid. The problems that arise arise from not paying this price." he said.
Ergül also stated that, as MESAM, they proposed a model for the problems caused by artificial intelligence and continued as follows:
"We prepared the 'Expanded Compulsory Licensing Model' for artificial intelligence and presented this model to our government. With this model, in the field, 'I use artificial intelligence music.' We think it will prevent your excuses. Currently, as professional groups, we have made important decisions for the next actions to be taken and we are implementing them. Türkiye currently ranks 32nd among the countries that collect the most royalties. But at this point we think it can break into the top 20. We, as the music industry and music unions, have experienced developments and overcome important difficulties. But we have always seen a glimmer of hope and moved towards it. Today, we see the sun, not just a ray of hope."
"Every transformation brought with it first a chaos and then a process of integration."
Pro Creative Founder, lawyer Sertaç Oğul stated that the study was not only written to promote a research report, but also aims to contribute from Türkiye to an important debate on the future of the music industry.
Regarding the effects of artificial intelligence on music production, Oğul said, "Artificial intelligence has entered our lives as a disruptive technology that changes our production processes, transforms the way we do business, and increasingly shapes our economic relations. One of the areas where this transformation is felt most intensely is undoubtedly the music industry. Each transformation first brought chaos and then an integration process. However, the development we are facing today has an important difference." made his assessment.
Son stated that artificial intelligence not only changes how music is produced, but also raises fundamental questions such as who produces music, how productivity is defined, and who owns the resulting economic value.
Stating that they carried out a comprehensive survey with the participation of 1170 MESAM members in the March-July period of this year, Oğul said:
"We asked the participants how much they know artificial intelligence, in which areas they use it, how they evaluate the opportunities offered by technology, and what concerns they have about the future. The resulting picture shows us that musicians in Türkiye are not indifferent to artificial intelligence. Our musicians are aware of both the opportunity and the risk. On the one hand, there are technologies that facilitate production processes, offer new productive opportunities, and provide time and cost advantages. On the other hand, there are technologies such as unauthorized use of works, sound cloning, loss of economic rights, lack of transparency and loss of human labor." "There are serious concerns about its devaluation. One of the most important results of our research is that these two approaches are not mutually exclusive. While a musician wants to benefit from the productive opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, he can also oppose the unauthorized use of his own work."
Prof. at the event. Dr. Moderated by Burcu Yıldız, Prof. Dr. Erkan Saka, Assoc. Dr. A panel titled "Artificial Intelligence and Music" was also held with the participation of Muhammed Furkan Akıncı, Aykut Gürel and lawyer Sertaç Oğul.
In the panel where data on the future of the Turkish music industry was shared, the findings of the study, which is described as one of the most comprehensive studies conducted in Türkiye, were conveyed. The panel also called on all stakeholders of the music industry to act within the framework of common sense and create an emergency action plan.
About the study
Pointing out that the music industry is one of the changes brought about by artificial intelligence in the world, the study asks: "Who writes a song anymore? The composer or artificial intelligence?", "What will happen if the works created by an artist, which he spent years on, are used in artificial intelligence systems without his permission?", "What is the place of human labor in the future of music?" questions stand out as the priority agenda of the sector.
The study, which includes quantitative and qualitative findings and evaluations of international experts, was published as a book under the name "Artificial Intelligence and the Turkish Music Industry". The work is a comprehensive guide that will guide the music world on issues such as copyrights, processing of educational data and new licensing models.
The research results also revealed differences of opinion among music professionals in Türkiye regarding artificial intelligence technologies. While 55.8 percent of the participants stated that they use artificial intelligence tools with certain frequency, 44.2 percent stated that they have not yet benefited from these technologies.
In addition, in the research, 46.2 percent of music professionals argue that artificial intelligence can support "productivity", while 42.2 percent think that this technology can reduce or harm production.
