Jimmy Iovine Says “Fame Has Replaced Great” in Today’s Music Industry

Carly Thomas
·3 min read
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Jimmy Iovine, the co-founder of Interscope Records and Beats by Dr. Dre, is sharing his thoughts on the music industry today and how he now feels “fame has replaced great.”

During an interview with Consequence of Sound, published online Monday, the storied music executive and business mogul was asked about his thoughts on the use of artificial intelligence in songwriting and music production. AI has recently been at the center of debate across several industries, including entertainment.

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“I’m not saying it’s good or bad, but I think AI is going to be massive in songwriting on many levels,” he said in response. “One, on a very basic level, if somebody is stuck and you want to experiment and get an idea. Two, is that not everyone, but too many people today are making records for TikTok.”

He continued, “They used to make records for radio, but now it’s TikTok. That’s why all these pop records sound exactly the same. So if you’re making records like that, making records with this formula, then you’re going to start seeing big hits written and recorded with AI.”

Iovine was then quick to clarify that he specifically didn’t say “great” hits, but rather “big” hits, because he feels with modern technology such as streaming, AI and social media, “fame has replaced great.”

“Artists are making so much money in so many different places, which is fantastic, but after they have a hit record, they can earn a lot of money on Instagram and all this stuff,” he said. “I feel that a lot of people, a lot of artists, not all, but a lot of artists are taking their foot off the gas in the record making category. And that’s affecting the quality of the work. And I think you’re seeing that in a lot of different genres right now.”

The conversation surrounding the creation of music and AI is nothing new, with artists and music executives on either side. Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl has previously emphasized that “the thing that is important is: artists have a choice” when it comes to the use of AI.

Kyncl explained, “There are some that may not like it, and that’s totally fine. And then there are some that will embrace it. And that’s also fine.”

Another big debate is whether AI-created songs should be allowed to be considered for awards.

Earlier this year, in a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed that the Recording Academy “will not be awarding a Grammy to AI.” However, he noted that the Grammys will honor music that was created with AI elements, but that the majority of the song must be made by humans.

Mason Jr. added, “We will continue to honor humans and their participation or their portion of a creation, knowing full well that there could be AI parts.”

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