AI-powered musical artist Xania Monet has rapidly accumulated over 17 million on-demand streams in the U.S. within two months. Her R&B tracks, created using artificial intelligence, are prompting important questions about how royalties are distributed for AI-generated music. This surge in popularity highlights a growing trend in the music industry, where AI-created content is achieving significant commercial success and challenging existing legal and financial frameworks.
Key Takeaways
- Xania Monet's AI-generated R&B songs have achieved over 17 million U.S. on-demand streams in two months.
- Billboard estimates Monet's catalog has generated over $52,000 in revenue.
- Monet secured a multi-million dollar record deal with Hallwood Media after a competitive bidding process.
- The U.S. Copyright Office differentiates between human-authored, AI-assisted music (copyrightable) and fully AI-generated music (not copyrightable).
- Legal battles are ongoing regarding AI music generators like Suno and Udio over alleged copyright infringement.
Xania Monet's Rapid Rise and Financial Impact
Xania Monet, a digital creation by 31-year-old Talisha Jones from Mississippi, uses AI for her image and Suno for her music. Her success has been swift and substantial. In just two months, her R&B tracks have garnered more than 17 million on-demand streams across the United States. This figure, provided by Luminate, nearly doubled from the previous week's data, indicating a sharp upward trajectory in her popularity.
Following a competitive bidding war involving several record labels, Hallwood Media, an independent music company, signed Monet to a multi-million dollar record deal. One label reportedly offered as much as $3 million for the AI artist. This deal underscores the music industry's increasing interest in and investment in AI-driven talent.
Quick Fact
Billboard estimates Xania Monet's songs have generated more than $50,000 in revenue in under two months. This calculation uses industry data from the RIAA, Luminate, and various financial sources within major and independent labels, considering audio and video streams, digital downloads, and airplay spins.
The Complexities of AI Music Royalties
Despite the significant revenue generated, the exact amount that Talisha Jones, Monet's human creator, or Hallwood Media will collect remains uncertain. The music industry is still navigating how to handle royalties for AI-generated content. Most digital streaming platforms, including Spotify, currently lack specific policies for AI music. This absence of clear rules means that AI-generated songs may accrue royalties similar to human-made tracks.
Copyright Law and AI
The United States Copyright Office has issued guidance on AI and copyright. It states that songs where a human author uses AI as an assistance tool are copyrightable. However, songs that are entirely generated by AI without human authorship are generally not eligible for copyright protection. This distinction is crucial for the future of AI music and its creators.
The legal landscape surrounding AI music is still developing. Several major music companies have filed lawsuits against AI music generators like Suno and Udio. These lawsuits allege copyright infringement, claiming that the AI systems illegally ingested copyrighted music to train their algorithms. The outcomes of these cases could significantly shape how AI music is created, distributed, and monetized.
Charting Success for AI-Generated Tracks
AI-involved songs are appearing on music charts with increasing frequency. In June, Vinih Pray's "A Million Colors" became the first known AI song to chart on the TikTok Viral 50. This track has accumulated approximately 950,000 official U.S. on-demand audio and video streams. Billboard estimates this generated roughly $6,300 in revenue.
Later the same month, another AI act, The Velvet Sundown, gained attention after Reddit users discovered that its band members were not real people. Their most popular song, "Dust on the Wind," achieved nearly 900,000 official U.S. on-demand audio and video streams, estimated by Billboard to have generated slightly less than $6,000.
Michael Lewan, CEO of the Music Fights Fraud Alliance, has called for increased scrutiny from streaming platforms regarding content like The Velvet Sundown's. He stated that "bots, manipulated playlists and other factors can be used to make songs look more popular than they are." Lewan noted that this artificial streaming can affect both AI-generated and human-made music.
Monet's Top Tracks and Future Royalties
As of September 18, Monet's five-song catalog had generated more than $52,000 and nearly 17 million total on-demand official U.S. streams. This figure represents a substantial increase, almost doubling from the previous week. Her catalog also recorded 12,500 album consumption units during the week ending September 18.
Monet's most popular track, "How Was I Supposed to Know?," has been a significant driver of her success. It has ranked in the top 10 on Billboard's R&B Digital Song Sales for two consecutive weeks and reached No. 22 on the overall Digital Song Sales chart. This single has accumulated 22,700 song equivalents in the U.S. and over 3 million on-demand audio and video streams. If all royalties were paid out for this track, Billboard estimates it would total nearly $21,800 for master recording and publishing rights.
- "I Ask For So Little": This track has 1.56 million total on-demand U.S. streams, generating approximately $10,000 in revenue from master and publishing rights.
- "This Ain't No Tryout": With 1.2 million on-demand streams, this song has generated $8,360.
- "The Strong Don't Get a Break": This track has generated an estimated $6,500.
- "Let God, Let Go": This song has generated around $5,500 as of September 18.
The Evolving Landscape of Music Royalties
More than a decade after streaming became the primary method of music consumption, industry stakeholders are actively discussing changes to royalty payout models. Some propose that "functional music," such as white noise or nature sounds, and potentially AI-generated songs, should receive lower royalty rates than human-generated music. Others suggest these types of content should be excluded from the revenue pool entirely.
These ongoing discussions make it challenging to determine the final earnings for creators like Talisha Jones or her label from AI-generated streams and sales. Despite the uncertainties, the theoretical revenue generated by AI music is substantial and continues to grow daily. The rise of artists like Xania Monet signals a new era for the music industry, one that will require new policies and legal interpretations.