Don't Use AI In Your Music or Album Artwork
AI is hard to avoid these days. You can be openly opposed to it, but AI will still show up in your Google search results or product recommendations. It's everywhere, whether we're happy about it or not.
We at Hellbender are opposed to using AI when it comes to vinyl pressing. If you're in the position to press vinyl, go that extra step to get artwork done, or even just snap an iPhone picture for the cover. We have Jason on the Hellbender crew that can help you with your layout. Quite frankly, even if you can't tell it's AI artwork, someone else will be able to. In a way, using AI to create your artwork feels like it goes against what vinyl stands for in the first place. Vinyl is analog. Vinyl is a community. Vinyl celebrates people and what they create. AI has become a billionaire's playground, putting vulnerable people in unhealthy environments. If you've come so far to get your music pressed to vinyl, that's such an accomplishment and you should be proud of it - don't skimp out on the final step and use AI to make your artwork. Is anyone really excited to listen to music where the cover art is some guy with a cigarette in his mouth riding a tiger in space? Probably not. To be honest, I’d be turned off.
By now most of us have probably seen AI music going around, specifically on Spotify. This shouldn't need explaining, but don't use AI to make your music - any part of your music. There are so many people out there dying to connect and make art. Some people charge, some people don't. It's all about finding your community and where you fit in in that network. In my humble opinion, if you have to rely on AI to make your music, that music is hardly worth pressing.
Go to shows, meet people, find art you like, make stuff even if it's not "good." The ability to put yourself out there and make something despite the world telling you not to is impressive, and that's what deserves to be pressed to vinyl - because that's your art and that’s worth celebrating. We stand with Bandcamp as they announce today that they reserve the right to remove any music on suspicion of being AI-generated. We support human creativity first.
