Why AI Is Sampling Music — and What It Means for Rights and Production

An op-ed by Deborah Mannis-Gardner, Owner/President of DMG Clearances, explores how AI systems are effectively "sampling" music in their training and generation processes, drawing parallels to the longstanding legal and creative complexities of traditional music sampling. The piece examines the implications this has for music rights holders, producers, and the broader industry.

Mannis-Gardner argues that the mechanics of AI music generation raise familiar but unresolved questions around licensing, clearance, and attribution — suggesting that the music industry's hard-won frameworks around sampling may need to evolve significantly to address the AI era.