Light Box

AI music is supposed to be what ends musicians’ careers. For James Hinton, aka The Range, it might be what saves his. For a decade, he made his music out of strangers’ voices on YouTube, until he couldn’t anymore.
On paper, this is an episode about the past, present and future of sampling. But really, it’s about loss (and friendship).
Write us: Mark@LightBoxPodcast.com
In this episode:

The Range, Potential (Domino, 2016), including “Copper Wire” and Mercury (Domino, 2022), including “Ricercar”

Zak's original YouTube Video -- sampled in "Copper Wire"

"Left on Red" - James' first AI-sampled track 

Informal Proofs - James' NYC-based discussion group for artists, engineers, and researchers

Producer Om'Mas Keith 

Light Box is reported, written, edited, and produced by Mark Henry Phillips at Windhill Studios. Our producer is Drew Thurlow and our assistant editor is Ryan Seaton. Light Box is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

For a lot of people, Udio was the AI music app where they finally got to make the songs they’d been hearing in their heads for years. Then one night last fall, Udio settled its lawsuit with Universal Music Group. Downloads were switched off, and the new fine print said the songs users had made weren’t theirs anymore.
After talking to Udio users all over the world, Mark realized this story wasn’t just about Udio. What happened to them could happen to any of us.
Write us: Mark@LightBoxPodcast.com
In this episode:

Many Udio users from around the world.

Cherie Hu of Water & Music. Read her scoop on Starstruck -- what Udio is turning into. And subscribe to her newsletter.

Light Box is reported, written, edited, and produced by Mark Henry Phillips at Windhill Studios. Our producer is Drew Thurlow and our assistant editor is Ryan Seaton. Editorial assistance on this episode from Zack Phillips. Light Box is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

A year ago, I was driving my daughter home from preschool when Spotify autoplayed a song that cut out mid-note. It was AI, and whoever made it hadn't bothered to fix the ending. So I tracked down the 19-year-old behind it. That was just the start of a trip down the rabbit hole. It turns out there's a lot of slop out there. Is it going to ruin everything? Or am I looking at it all wrong?

Write us: Mark@LightBoxPodcast.com

In this episode

Cherie Hu, founder of Water & Music

Kristin Robinson, Billboard reporter and host of Billboard On the Record 

Romain Hennequin, head of research at Deezer

Kate Knibbs, senior writer at WIRED

Caitlin Canty, musician, and one half of Down Like Silver 

Tracy Chan, CEO of Splash

Light Box is reported, written, and produced by Mark Henry Phillips at Windhill Studios. Our Producer is Drew Thurlow & our Assistant editor is Ryan Seaton. Light Box is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Marc Ribot has played guitar for Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Robert Plant, and about a thousand other people. He's also one of the most outspoken critics of AI music. He calls Suno and Udio plagiarism machines. And for him, the whole thing comes down to consent: nobody asked the musicians.
I caught him on the phone somewhere between Milwaukee and Minneapolis, driving to a gig. Of all the conversations I've had about AI music, his might be the one I keep coming back to the most.
Sign Marc's "We Need a Union" petition. 
Music in this episode:
Marc Ribot, Map of a Blue City
Marc Ribot, Saints
Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos 
Also mentioned: Liz Pelly, Mood Machine
For more info go to www.LightBoxPodcast.com
Email us! Mark@LightboxPodcast.com

Light Box is reported, written, edited and produced by Mark Henry Phillips at Windhill Studios. Our producer is Drew Thurlow and assistant editor is Ryan Seaton.

We make this show completely independently, so PLEASE support us by sharing the show with a few friends. Light Box is a proud member of the Radiotopia network from PRX.

A producer with 13 billion streams posts on Reddit about how much he loves making music with AI and... gets banned. We have the conversation that wasn't allowed there.

In Part II of our hitmaking story, Mickey Shiloh and David Phelan say the quiet parts out loud: everyone's using it, nobody's admitting it, and if it's happening anyway, you might as well get on the trolley.

Also, Mark plays his own AI experiments for his old mentor Jad Abumrad (Radiolab, Dolly Parton's America), who does not react the way either of them expected. Along the way: a $3 million record deal for an "AI music designer," a hip-hop hit built on a soul singer who never existed, and the argument that if you steal from everyone, you've stolen from no one.

For more info go to www.LightBoxPodcast.com.
Email us! Mark@LightboxPodcast.com
Light Box is reported, written, edited and produced by Mark Henry Phillips at Windhill Studios. Our producer is Drew Thurlow and assistant editor is Ryan Seaton.
We make this show completely independently so PLEASE support us by leaving a rating and review.
Light Box is a proud member of the Radiotopia network from PRX.