As you may already know, AI can be used in many fields like programming or writing text, it is part of every-day life of every person in modern society. This new technology is also affecting other fields, like music. In music, AI can now help underground artists to create songs, mix tracks, and even write lyrics. So AI tools can be a big help. However, AI can also create challenges for these musicians. In this blog, I will look at how AI impacts underground music artists, both the positive effects and the negative ones, based on recent research and information. I will also share my personal opinion at the end.
AI’s positive Impact On Underground Music
AI offers numerous advantages for underground artists. It can make music production easier and cheaper, which is one of the important aspects for underground artists. For example, AI tools can handle tasks like creating a backing track or remastering a song. Which saved a lot of time and money. According to many reports, AI already helps musicians create high-quality music more easily, experiment with new sounds, and reach wider audiences (Gera, 2025), and AI has “made music production more accessible to aspiring artists..allowing anyone with a creative vision to bring their musical ideas to life” (Soundraw, 2025). These advantages make music creation more affordable and accessible.
It is not only about cheap, easy production, but also about creativity. It can generate new melodies or beats that artists might not think of on their own. It also automates some of the routine work, so AI gives artists more time to focus on creative parts of the music. AI systems can help musicians experiment with different genres and sounds, expanding their creative possibilities. It is not only about the production of music but also about the algorithms, big platforms make use of AI to recommend underground artists to more viewers. In short, AI can be a useful tool for underground artists by lowering costs, giving new ideas, and possibly reaching new fans.
AI Negative Impact On Underground Music
On the other hand, AI brings several challenges, problems and risks for underground artists. One big issue is the loss of human touch in music. Music created by humans often carries personal experience and stories. There is fear that AI-produced music might lack the nuanced expression and emotional resonance that human musicians bring to their craft (Soundraw, 2025). As one writer notes, AI is diminishing the traditional bond because AI can quickly create music without the emotional depth of human experience, replacing the personal connection between artists and their audience. (Reilley, 2025). This might make music feel less personal or meaningful to listeners over time.
Another problem is that AI makes a lot of music that sounds literally the same, because all AI are fed with already made songs on the internet. A company blog about AI in music warns that there is a risk of “a saturation of similar-sounding music, potentially stifling diversity” (Soundraw, 2025). What makes underground music unique is the creativity and uniqueness in their song, but if AI favors things that are already popular it won’t bring anything new to the music world.
AI could also lead to legal issues that hurt some artists. A striking example happened in 2023, when an AI-generated track mimicking the voices of famous artists Drake and The Weeknd went viral without their permission (Gera, 2025). If AI clones and copies other people's voices, it could do the same to an underground artist's unique style too. Overall, these issues show that uncontrolled use of AI might exploit artists rather than support them.
My personal opinion
While AI can be a powerful tool, we still need to be careful when using it. For independent underground artists, AI can offer a great help for free. It can give them cheap ways to make professional sounding music. However, I also feel worried about AI taking creativity too far away from the human taste. If every song starts to be made by an AI following a specific algorithm, music could become boring and repetitive. I believe AI and artists can work together. The AI can do the heavy things, and humans can focus on art and uniqueness. We just have to make sure that we don’t let technology completely take over the music we love.
References:
Gera, S. (2025-March). https://nhsjs.com/2025/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-music-production-creative-potential-ethical-dilemmas-and-the-future-of-the-industry/
SOUNDRAW blog. (2025, Jan). https://soundraw.io/blog/post/pros-and-cons-of-using-ai-in-music-production
Reilley, M. (2025, March). Opinion: Generative AI’s Profound Impact on the Music Industry. Opinion: Generative AI’s Profound Impact On The Music Industry. https://redlineproject.news/2025/03/20/opinion-generative-ais-profound-impact-on-the-music-industry-2/