Sending shockwaves through the creative and streaming communities alike, 2025 saw the unprecedented explosion of AI generated music and art hit the forefront of modern media.
Our experience of both receiving and creating art and music changed forever, not only with AI generating music faster and perhaps more precisely than we ever could, but also with the millions and near billions of people who turned towards its appeal, and enjoyed it as a preference over organic, man-made expressions.
This year Deezer reported that over 50,000 AI-generated tracks were being uploaded every single day. That’s a shocking statistic, frankly, and its impact on the music world and media at large is yet to be truly understood.
We’re fast approaching half of all new music releases being made by prompts. And meanwhile, Spotify is collaborating with AI music tools, supposedly to help ‘put artists and songwriters first’. That sounds a bit like something that would funnel money towards AI and away from grassroots musicians, to us at least, but only time will tell on that front.
It’s a scary time for the artist – instead of working for us, making our money and leaving us the time to create, AI has taken over the creative space, and left us with nothing but despair. But that’s a dramatized conclusion, of course, and it’s largely inaccurate.
Some artists are writing the songs themselves, recording their own vocals, and using Suno to fill in the gaps. So how do we respond to that? Should the gaps remain where skill is lacking? Or has hiring a producer always been a sneaky way to subsidise your abilities? If you’re a professional musician, is AI just helping you work smarter rather than harder? Or is it draining your work of its heartfelt authenticity? Is ‘time spent’ reflected in the perceived value of the audio escapism?
There are many benefits to AI, and we’ve all appreciated those in some way, let’s keep things honest. It’s a bittersweet new world, and whichever side you stand on – this industry divided, two forces colliding – the truth of the matter remains: AI is here, it’s not going away, and we must continue our work.
So, what lies ahead?
Where does Stereo Stickman reside in terms of the future of music?
As a lifelong songwriter and acoustic musician, preferences and support choices will always lean towards favouring the organic artist.
We’ve seen the vast closure of music venues in the UK over recent years, and that’s been a huge blow to the organic music scene – something I personally spent a decade of my life immersed in, playing live shows in small venues and traversing the local performance circles of Bristol, Manchester, Oxford.
However, it’s not been all doom and gloom, and those working hard to counteract this negative shift have seen significant improvements this year. Music Venue Trust confirmed the government’s decision to ban ticket resales above face value, and their campaigns and events have raised an astonishing amount of funds in favour of supporting grassroots music venues in the UK.
As the digital world continues to tighten its grip, the grassroots venues and creatives will prove more valuable and needed than ever. So in short, we are here for the real songwriters and musicians, the humans, who can make music on the spot, write lyrics on paper, unplugged, and make something personal and unique – something which, in essence, no one else ever could.
Music is of course subjective, and also, music is simply music, by definition. The industry evolving is a huge part of what we focus on and document here. The acoustic musician may feel that the electronic producer is making something sub-par, but these are all opinions, in a changing world – perhaps the medieval a-Capella singer thought the same when someone rocked up with a piano.
No genre or style, no creative approach, is ever unwelcome. However, we would like to state, that any AI-assisted music will always be labelled as such – just as we’d list the instruments featured in a band; the tools being used are an important aspect of the completed sound.
We’d rather you built your ideas from the ground up, even if they sound a little shaky, but we also understand that things are changing at a pace and in a direction that’s unprecedented, and we’ll always be curious and supportive of artistic evolution.
Watch this space, essentially.
What will 2026 mean for the music industry?
Rather than an inescapable new force at bay, consider this a fork in the road, as there has always been. TV replaced radio, but radio still exists. The internet took over our social interactions, but real-time sports, pubs, events and gatherings, all still very much exist.
There is always a counter force, and in extreme cases, there is often an underbelly or alternative culture – the revolution rising; the rebels, the punks. Organic songwriting circles and venues will continue to pop up, and if they don’t – maybe consider starting one in your local area?
There’s also the matter of AI ‘live performance’. I recently interviewed an individual whose affinity for sci-fi culture and AI creation led to him making a fully automated female artist character, who has already released two full-length albums. His perspective on the matter was quite eye-opening, and he seemed very genuine, curious, and passionate. You can read that interview here.
One idea mentioned was the possibility of an AI live show, akin to the appearance of the Elvis hologram in Blade Runner, and I guess not hugely unlike the rise of Gorillaz.
I’ve no doubt the answers to these questions will be found throughout the next twelve months, and for the first time ever, I’m intrigued to see what our end of year round up for 2026 will look like – that genuinely feels like something it’s impossible to predict right now.
In reality, there are many of us who feel like we’re due a massive creative overhaul of organic music. Or, as Time recently put it, ‘It’s time to rage against the AI music machine.’
For now though, let’s be grateful for the fact that people are making music, however they may be doing it, and remember that the difficult times throughout history have almost always led to the most impactful, moving, and momentous projects from art and music.
We can’t wrap this up without a sincere thank you…
Tech developments aside, it’s been a pleasure and a joy to work with so many different artists, producers and bands this year.
Creatively this has been one of the most interesting and refreshing twelve months in the history of Stereo Stickman. There’s something about the sense of urgency, despair, and excitement, all intertwined, that lets the music from both the humans and their electronic counterparts access some fascinating new realm of contemplation and expression. And this is still just the beginning.
In 2025 we listened to 1651 different artists on Spotify alone, published over 850 reviews, and playlisted over 2000 new releases. You guys reached out in droves via Groover, Fiverr, our contact form, our social media inboxes, and we’ve made new connections and strengthened older ones on a massive scale.
It’s been a huge year, to say the least, and some of the most impressive creative tracks of our time hit the scene (as well as some of the most lacking in that essential human element). It’s all a learning curve, and in the end, we’re simply playing – making music, playing instruments, playing with the latest production tools. Hopefully 2026 sees us find our groove further still.
So to all of you – the unplugged beauties, the live show legends, the studio masters: THANK YOU.
Thank you for trusting us with your music, thank you for making music, and thank you for raising the bar this year. The creative world needs you, and we wish you the happiest of starts as 2026 swings into view.
Stay Awesome, Stay Focused, Stay Creative.
Header photo by Mikołaj Kołodziejczyk.
