| In a sense, privacy is dead for Troye Sivan. He admits to sharing everything about his professional and social life with his 3,757,567 Twitter followers, his 4,081,531 YouTube subscribers, his 2,125,534 Facebook followers, and his 4,068,003 Instagram followers. In almost 9 years, Sivan has gained a massive following of fans that track his every move, his every word and it was all due to one video posted on YouTube. He has said that he still can't wrap his head around the YouTube phenomenon, but is still thankful for it helping him gather more followers and give him a sense of personal connection to his fans.. Troye's first experience with Youtube was his performing at a Perth mall. A cousin of his later sent Troye a link to said performance, which bewildered the young aspiring singer as Youtube was in its mere infancy, nowhere near the worldwide levels it has reached today. However, at that time in 2007, according to a case study conducted in Simon Fraser University based in Vancouver, British Columbia, YouTube made up 10% of all the traffic on the internet. It was clear that the Youtube platform was on the way to becoming a leader in video sharing. Because Troye's first foray into YouTube was through the recording of his music covers, it gave him a headstart in advancing his YouTube career. In 2007, 22.9% of all videos uploaded to the site pertained to music, 5% percent more than the next popular category, entertainment. Due to the majority of focus being put on clips involving music, it was very easy for a young 12 year old Troye to gain an audience and grow from there. Even though he had a break in movies like X-Men and Spud, in which he starred alongside John Cleese, music was his calling and it still is. His first YouTube video was a cover of "Tell Me Why" by Declan Galbraith and from there, he posted more and more covers and soon, he became a prominent YouTuber to follow because of his skill and how personal he treats his channel. His channel began with music and soon, it evolved into his own medium for personal video diaries. Nowadays, Troye has shifted his YouTube channel towards a more personal viewpoint, allowing fans to take a look into his thoughts and social life. | |
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| Currently, Troye's personal video logs make up almost 70% of the content of his channel and its dedicated video log playlist, created by Troye himself, drew 5.7 million views as of April 28, 2016. Even though Troye's focus has currently turned towards music production, touring and the promotion of the Blue Neighborhood album, its dedicated playlist only drew 2.7 million views, a substantial decline compared to the video logs. What it's telling of is two things: how much of Troye the person is portrayed to his 4 million subscribers and how much more people are interested in finding out about Troye the person. With this focus on personal items, there's still a sense of community and intimacy created through the release of these types of videos. Loyalty is built up amongst subscribers and Troye admits to that. Early in his YouTube career, when scrolling through comments, he would start to recognize the usernames of commenters and through there, a bond is created between artist and fan. It is this creation of a friendship through online means that fosters not only the popularity of said artist, but it also fosters the creation of new fans that see the intimacy as a huge positive in their experience as part of the fandom for Troye Sivan. To someone like Troye Sivan, he does not think he is famous. He's just doing what he wants to do and that's sharing with the world his experiences and his music. That's all. Even though the numbers suggest that he is a popular icon, even though his origins marked him as a future star in the making, that does not take away from how humble Troye is for his success. He owes it to his fans for his surge to stardom and fans owe it to him for being a role model that can appeal to anybody. That humbleness is what makes Troye so popular. That humbleness is what make me warm up to him. At the beginning of this research, I have no idea who the man was, but after seeing his videos, after seeing his interviews, I see that he's human. He's not a character at all. He's just like us the viewer. He's being himself. He's human. He's relatable. Because of all these qualities is why he has such a good reputation amongst everybody, from fans to movie stars, from artists to countries. All he is doing is simply expressing himself. |
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StableDiffusion
The Illusion of Creativity
AI-generated music is often marketed as “artistic” or “educational.” But what does it really teach?
- That style can be replicated without understanding.
- That emotion can be simulated without feeling.
- That effort can be bypassed with a prompt.
For young creators, this sets a dangerous precedent. Why learn to play guitar when an algorithm can do it faster? Why study harmony when AI can generate chord progressions in seconds? The risk isn’t just laziness — it’s the loss of depth, discipline, and the tactile joy of creation.
I have listened to several AI-generated music covers. My initial reaction was one of considerable impressiveness, particularly regarding the reimagining of classic pop hits in diverse genres with novel arrangements. Here is one good example a-ha — Take On Me
However, after engaging with several such Ai generated song covers, a sense of emotional detachment emerged, attributable to the perceived absence of human artistry and genuine sentiment, resulting in a technically flawless yet ultimately soulless auditory experience.
Copyright in Crisis
What does the copyright law say about AI generated music, especially in field of music covers. Who is liable for copyright in this case, AI developers, people who used AI to generate music or people who published it on music platforms?
Recent lawsuits show that the music industry is pushing back hard:
- Universal, Sony, and Warner sued AI music platforms Suno and Udio in 2024 for allegedly training their models on copyrighted songs without permission Ars Technica The Lyon Firm.
- They’re seeking up to $150,000 per infringed song, arguing that the AI outputs resemble famous tracks and voices (e.g., Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson).
- These lawsuits target the developers of the AI tools — but they raise broader questions:The legal gray area is training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use Sites at USC.
But who’s liable?
Role | Legal Risk | Why |
AI Developers | ✅ High | For training on copyrighted material without licenses. |
Users | ⚠️ Moderate | If they intentionally recreate protected works. |
Publishers/Platforms | ✅ High | For distributing infringing content. |
The grey area lies in training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use. Meanwhile, AI-generated works themselves aren’t eligible for copyright unless a human provides substantial creative input — leaving them in legal limbo.
The Educational Mirage
Some argue that AI music helps people learn genres, production styles, or vocal techniques. But this “education” often lacks context. It’s like learning to paint by watching a printer — technically impressive, but creatively hollow.
True musical education involves:
- Struggle and iteration: Learning through mistakes.
- Emotional connection: Expressing what words can’t.
- Cultural lineage: Understanding the roots of sound.
AI shortcuts bypass all of this. And in doing so, they risk flattening the rich terrain of human creativity into a sterile landscape of algorithmic mimicry.
Why This Fight Matters
This isn’t just about music. It’s about the future of art, storytelling, and human expression. If we allow machines to dominate creative spaces, we risk turning culture into content — optimized, monetized, and devoid of soul.
We must ask: Do we want a world where art is made by machines, or one where machines help humans make better art?
5 Key Takeaways
- AI-generated music blurs the line between innovation and erosion in the creative arts
- AI-generated music raises questions about copyright, culture, education, and artistic expression
- AI-generated music can replicate style without understanding, simulate emotion without feeling, and bypass effort with a prompt
- AI-generated music sets a dangerous precedent for young creators by potentially leading to a loss of depth, discipline, and joy of creation
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