Comment by Rochus

Neely's core thesis seems to be that AI music companies (like Suno) are not "democratizing" music, but are engaging in a form of "wealth extraction" designed to turn music into a disposable consumer product. The business model Neely criticizes (wealth extraction, consolidating control, and paying pennies to artists) is not unique to AI; it is the standard operating procedure of the music streaming industry (e.g. Spotify) for the last twenty years. The AI tech is just the new delivery mechanism for the same old record monopolists.

"Democratization of music" simply means lowering the barrier to entry, which services like Suno undeniably do.