AI music threatens livelihoods of Fiji’s artists, FIPRA warns

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence-generated music is beginning to disrupt Fiji’s music industry, cutting into producers’ incomes, infringing composers’ rights and threatening the livelihoods of live musicians, the Fiji Performing Rights Association says.

FIPRA chairperson Isireli Gumatua said complaints linked to the misuse of AI were increasing, with local artists already feeling the economic impact.

“Music producers are losing business because many artists are no longer going to recording studios — they are generating music through AI,” Mr Gumatua said.

He said young people were also using AI to reproduce songs without permission or crediting original composers.

Mr Gumatua said several traditional and older compositions had been digitally recreated with poor pronunciation and altered lyrics, leaving composers frustrated and feeling their cultural work had been disrespected.

“This is copyright infringement, and many of them are not happy about it,” he said.

He warned that while Fiji had not yet experienced the scale of disruption seen in major markets such as India and the United States, the local industry was heading in that direction if safeguards were not strengthened.

Mr Gumatua urged anyone using AI-generated music to first seek consent from original composers, noting that many songs were already registered under FIPRA and legally protected.

While copyright laws already exist in Fiji, he said FIPRA was exploring ways to adapt them to new technologies, including possible systems where AI-generated adaptations could still compensate original composers through royalties.

“If there’s a way AI can renew old songs legally and benefit composers financially, that can be positive — but it must not infringe their rights,” he said.

Beyond copyright concerns, Mr Gumatua said AI and digital music were increasingly replacing live performers at events and weddings, cutting off a major source of income for many local musicians.

“Music is the only livelihood for many of them, and this shift to digital and AI has significantly affected their income,” he said.

He encouraged the public to continue supporting live music, saying it remained culturally rich and irreplaceable.

“Live music is different. It carries creativity, skill and soul. AI can come from a phone anytime, but real musicians keep our culture alive,” he said.

Mr Gumatua also called on young people to learn musical instruments and value creativity rather than relying solely on technology.

FIPRA continues to invite composers and artists to register as members free of charge to receive legal advice and protection for their work, as the organisation works to address the growing global challenge posed by AI in the music industry.