Lorna Clarke, the BBC’s director of music, writes about the use of AI in music at the BBC.
Radio 1’s Big Weekend drew 100,000 fans to Sunderland during the late May bank holidays to kick off the UK festival season. Olivia Deen, the BBC Introducing and now multi-Brit Award and Grammy Award winning artist, headlined Sunday night. Further highlights continue this summer, from the BBC Proms – the world’s largest classical music festival – to Radio 2 coming to Stirling’s Park in September.
These events remind us that music is more than sound. It’s a shared connection between artist and audience. The songs we love often reflect real-life experiences and emotions, connecting us through universal themes of love, loss, and joy. Our relationship with music is a deeply human one, built on creativity, performance, and connection.
This is important not only culturally but also economically. The UK music sector contributes billions of dollars, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and shapes how the UK is seen globally. A thriving music scene benefits us all.
What would happen if artificial intelligence could create songs with the click of a button?
AI in music is not new. Tools have long been available for mixing, mastering, and auto-tuning audio. But generative AI is a game-changer, allowing us to create complete songs with lyrics in seconds. And some of this music has already garnered millions of streams.
This change has caused both excitement and concern. For some, new creative possibilities open up. For others, it risks undermining the creativity of artists and humans. Questions surrounding consent, copyright and fair remuneration also remain unresolved.
Of course, the history of music is a story of deep relationships between artists, creativity, and technology. Think about techniques like electric guitars, synthesizers, and even sampling, or the artists who turned the possibilities of technology into art. Composers like Delia Darbyshire and Steve Reich explored electronics and tape machines, and Jimi Hendrix and Anna Calvi played guitar. Kraftwerk or Depeche Mode using synthesizers. Cold cuts or J Dilla with sampling. Generations of artists have utilized these tools to push their creative boundaries. Still, new technology often causes anxiety. In the 1980s, concerns about synths and drum machines led to calls for their use to be banned, and some artists proudly refused to use them.
Today’s debate over generative AI reflects these concerns, but on a much larger scale. Can AI really create great music? What does it mean for artists? And how do we ensure fairness for the people whose work underlies these AI models and tools?
There are no easy answers, but the point remains that creativity, artistry, and the rights of musicians are important.
These are very important to the BBC. Music and musicians have been central to our identity for 100 years. We support artists, champion new talent, and bring hand-picked music to millions of people every week. In an age of algorithms and automation, the BBC continues to value human creativity.
As the role of AI in music evolves, it is important to consider how the BBC approaches AI-generated music content across its radio stations and platforms. Our starting point is clear. The BBC’s AI principles prioritize talent and creativity, be open and transparent, and act in the public interest.
human creativity
Our priority is meaningful human creativity – music that is the result of artists’ tremendous creative efforts and unique creative choices.
Artists using AI tools will be considered in our programming as we expect to see more experimentation and adoption of this technology over time, but these tools should be used to support human creativity and not replace the human work of developing, shaping, or expressing creative ideas themselves. For example, simply prompting, generating, selecting, or lightly modifying AI output does not represent meaningful human creativity.
transparency
Our research shows that audiences care about musician and human creativity and may want to know when AI has been used to support the creation of the music they listen to. We are committed to informing our audience of the use of such AI, in line with our AI transparency approach, which is informed and shaped by audience expectations.
To do this, we are currently asking artists and partners who submit work to us to be transparent about whether and how they have used AI in their work. This transparency from artists and the industry, along with the expertise of producers, helps them assess how AI is being used and make editorial decisions. We’re not asking musicians not to use AI tools to support their creative process. I just want you to tell me when and how you used it.
This highlights the importance of collaboration and trust with both industry partners and the music production community.
respect for rights
Copyright law is at the heart of how we license music in our programs and is the foundation of how the BBC substantively supports the UK’s creative economy. We always respect the rights of composers, artists, and other creators and contributors when making editorial decisions, and we will never knowingly broadcast AI-generated music that infringes on existing copyrighted works.
Collectively, this means that producers, brands, and broadcasters continue to consider each track based on its creative merit and its suitability for listeners. We believe that this approach allows us to reflect natural innovation and experimentation in the world of music, while firmly prioritizing and supporting the human creative work that is most important to cultural and economic life.
I know this is not the end of the conversation. As the role of AI in music evolves at an incredible pace, our position will continue to evolve, respecting the valuable relationships between artists and fans, presenters and listeners, and the BBC’s unique position within the UK music scene.
This was first published on BBC Media Center on 6 July 2026.
