AI music monetization on the rise in digital economy

Earlier this month, Yang Ping, a 28-year-old programmer from Chengdu, Sichuan province, sold the rights to an artificial intelligence-generated song he had created in just about two hours for 50,000 yuan ($7,238) to a company, underscoring the staggering speed at which AI-generated content is produced, commercialized and monetized in China.

Yang created the track — Seven-Day Lover — using AI tools. By emulating famous singer Jay Chou's musical style, the track tapped into a widely loved aesthetic template, racking up millions of views very quickly.

Industry experts said the popularity of such creations reflects the rapid growth of AI, which has moved beyond chat windows into various aspects of everyday life in China, with applications ranging from composing music to hailing a car and ordering drinks. This is redefining how digital services are created, delivered and monetized, they noted.

According to Yang, he has earned more than 200,000 yuan over the past nine months by just monetizing his technical skills and content. "Such a low barrier to creating and monetizing AI music has further boosted its popularity," he said.

At the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese company Kunlun Tech showcased its latest Mureka music model. Last week, the previous version of Mureka topped global rankings in both vocal and instrumental categories, outperforming international AI music tools such as Suno.

Fang Han, CEO of Kunlun, said: "Iteration speed has far exceeded expectations. Our AI music model updates every three months. It reflects China's engineering talent and strong application scenarios."

Commercialization of AI music is accelerating in China. AI singer Yuri drew millions of views for a debut music video and was later appointed digital exploration creative officer by outdoor brand The North Face, securing partnerships across tech, gaming and automotive sectors.

Market consultancy Grand View Research estimated that the global generative AI music market will reach $2.8 billion by 2030, with the Asia-Pacific — led by China — becoming the fastest-growing region.

Data from research institute QYResearch showed that China's AI music software market is set to approach $600 million by 2032.

Huang Zongquan, a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, said: "AI is being applied across music creation, production, distribution and consumption, enriching both form and content while opening new business models. It is not the end of music, but a driver of the industry's next phase."

However, copyright disputes remain a core challenge. Liu Zhijun, a lawyer at Beijing Bairui Law Firm, said that challenges lie in the legality of training data, the copyright of AI-generated content and the risk of infringement arising from AI outputs.

"Key legal questions, including whether using copyrighted works to train models constitutes fair use and who owns the copyright for an AI track, remain unresolved," Liu said. (source: China daily)