Building AI for Music Without Breaking Trust

Where does AI stand in the music industry as we move through 2026? In this conversation, Dmitri talks with Mike Pelczynski, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer at Voice-Swap, about the evolution from fear to curiosity around AI in music, and why building ethical AI systems from the ground up creates long-term value.

Mike shares about how his work architecting fan-powered royalties at SoundCloud connects to his current mission of building fair, creator-centric AI voice models. We explore VoiceSwap's approach to licensing, attribution, and ongoing royalties for artists whose voices power AI models, and discuss what happens if the broader marketing doesn't prioritize fairness. Mike also introduces the concept of voice models as a "source of truth" for identity and ownership in an AI-powered future

The news

• the musical self-expression spectrum

• Spotify eyes AI 'derivatives' as new revenue stream for artists – says its tech to let fans make remixes and covers is ready - Music Business Worldwide

• The music industry's boiling frog moment

• New York Senator Wants to Ban Ticket Scalping Forever

The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!

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