How to tell whether a track was generated by AI

It is becoming harder to tell if a track was generated by AI. Some AI music platforms embed inaudible watermarks, while other tracks might have subtle audio artifacts. However, many AI-generated songs are indistinguishable from human-created music.

Watermarks: An Inaudible Fingerprint

Some AI music generation tools, including Suno, embed an inaudible digital watermark into every track they produce. This technology, called SynthID, was developed by Google DeepMind. It helps identify AI-generated audio without affecting the listening experience.

SynthID is designed to be imperceptible to the human ear. It survives common audio manipulations like compression, filtering, and even conversion between analog and digital formats. If you want to check a track for a SynthID watermark, you need a specialized detection tool. This tool can analyze the audio file and confirm the presence of the watermark. This is the most reliable way to determine if a specific track came from a platform that uses SynthID.

Remember that not all AI music generators use SynthID or similar watermarking technologies. The absence of a watermark does not mean a track was not generated by AI.

Common Characteristics of AI-Generated Music

Before advanced models like Lyria 3, AI-generated music sometimes had recognizable characteristics. These are becoming less common as the technology improves.

Repetitive Structures

Older AI models sometimes struggled with song structure. They might create tracks with overly repetitive melodies, chord progressions, or drum patterns. Human composers often introduce variations to keep a listener engaged. Early AI could miss this nuance.

Unnatural Transitions

Seamless transitions between sections or instruments are a hallmark of skilled human production. Older AI-generated tracks sometimes had abrupt or awkward shifts. These might include sudden changes in tempo, genre, or instrumentation that sound out of place.

Lyrical Oddities

AI-generated lyrics have improved dramatically. However, some earlier versions could produce lyrics that were:

• Nonsensical or abstract: Phrases might not connect logically.
• Repetitive: The same lines or themes might recur too often.
• Lacking emotional depth: Lyrics might describe emotions without conveying them effectively.
• Grammatically incorrect: Though less common now, grammatical errors or awkward phrasing could appear.

Modern AI models are much better at generating coherent and emotionally resonant lyrics. This makes it harder to spot AI lyrics based on these older tells.

Voice Quality

AI-generated vocals have also advanced significantly. Older models sometimes produced voices that sounded:

• Monotonous: Lacking natural variations in pitch, rhythm, and intonation.
• Robotic: An artificial, synthesized quality.
• Unexpressive: Failing to convey emotion through vocal performance.

Today, AI can generate highly realistic and expressive vocals that are difficult to distinguish from human singers. Slight imperfections, like an unusual breath or a subtly flat note, can still sometimes be a tell, but these are becoming rare.

The Challenge of Detection

As AI music generation technology evolves, the output becomes more sophisticated. The goal of many AI models is to produce music that is indistinguishable from human-created tracks. This means that relying on auditory cues alone is increasingly unreliable.

Even trained ears can struggle to identify AI-generated music when the model is advanced. The quality of AI output varies greatly depending on the model, the data it was trained on, and the prompt used for generation.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The question of AI music detection has significant implications for copyright and commercial use.

Copyright

Copyright in AI-generated output is unsettled. Different countries and copyright offices have different stances. Some, like the US Copyright Office, have stated that works created without human authorship are not eligible for copyright registration. You should check the specific rules and regulations where you live or where you plan to use the music. Laws are still evolving in this area.

Commercial Use

If you plan to use any music commercially, whether human-made or AI-generated, always check the terms of service for the platform you are using. For Suno, commercial usage rights are not included in the free plan. A paid plan is required for commercial use. You can find more details in the Suno terms of service.

Platforms like YouTube and Spotify have their own policies regarding AI-generated content. These policies can change. It is always best to check their current guidelines directly if you intend to upload AI-generated music.

Conclusion

Detecting AI-generated music is becoming more complex. While some platforms use inaudible watermarks like SynthID, general auditory tells are fading as the technology improves. The most reliable method for detection, when available, is a specialized tool that checks for embedded watermarks. Without such a tool, it is often impossible to definitively tell if a track was generated by AI.