Can algorithms make music with soul? Prasar Bharati bets on an AI rock band

These are fundamental questions that have no easy answers, but as Trilok, an AI-powered rock band, partners with public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, the line between human artistry and machine-made melodies is starting to blur in ways that could reshape the future of music and the creative industry at large.

Industry experts and lawyers say that AI music could enter the mainstream legitimately. These are songs created by composers and engineers, and not just algorithms, who channel creativity through AI prompts—even though the technology continues to hurt music industry revenues.

“The Trilok collaboration marks a clear turning point. For the first time, India’s state broadcaster has treated AI-generated compositions as legitimate cultural content, not as a passing experiment. When a national institution begins to air synthetic music on Akashvani and Doordarshan, the conversation shifts from technology to legitimacy,” said Rishabh Gandhi, founder, Rishabh Gandhi and Advocates.

At Trilok, vocals, visuals, lyrics, and personas of the band members are all AI-generated.

The collaboration between Prasar Bharati and Trilok, a part of the Collective Media Network, is a significant moment in the evolution of music technology—it signals institutional acceptance of AI-generated content within formal broadcast frameworks, said Sudhir Raja Ravindran, Attorney-At-Law, Solicitor (England & Wales) at Altacit Global. Globally, digital platforms such as YouTube and Spotify are moving toward legitimacy through disclosure requirements, bans on unauthorized vocal cloning, and the use of provenance tools (used to trace the origin of digital content) like watermarking or “content credentials”, Ravindran pointed out.

Vijay Subramaniam, founder and group chief executive officer (CEO) of Collective Artists Network, pointed out that AI music shouldn’t be seen merely as codes written by an engineer to replace human creativity. The real utility of a technology like AI actually lies in creating content at scale, he said.

Dipankar Mukherjee, co-founder, StudioBlo, an AI-powered content house, agreed. He said that AI can’t pose a threat to real jobs, since musicians or creative directors using AI platforms to create music is not the same as a bot pushing out music at scale.

To be sure, AI music has opened up new opportunities for prompt composers, sound engineers, and developers who train or finetune AI models. Companies building these tools can licence their algorithms, provide compliance solutions, or offer dataset-clearance services, according to Rahul Hingmire, managing partner, Vis Legis Law Practice.

Further, new-age AI platforms, such as Suno and Udio, allow users to generate entire songs based on a few creative prompts and inputs, making the process easier and democratic, Alka Agarwal, assistant professor of general management at K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai, pointed out. With low entry barriers, anyone can create hundreds of songs using these AI tools in a single session. This democratization of the music production process empowers artistes who previously had limited access to sophisticated tools, which were accessible only to a few privileged individuals.

“For those creating AI music—engineers, companies, and AI experts—the rise of AI-generated content offers new opportunities, including roles in product design, algorithm development, licensing, and curated platform features. Emerging business models such as custom music generation, adaptive soundtracks, and artist collaborations open up new avenues for revenue and career growth,” said Moksh Kalyanram Abhiramula, managing partner, La Mintage Legal LLP.

However, many remain skeptical. Entertainment lawyer Priyanka Khimani said music discovery on streaming platforms is already chaotic, with services struggling to deal with payouts and the surge in content volume.

“AI can increase overall music consumption and broaden listener options, but it also poses challenges to creators’ earnings. A sizeable proportion of musicians’ income—this is especially true for independent artistes—may become threatened when AI-generated content relies on copyright protected works without necessary licensing. Estimates suggest that within the next couple of years, the revenue for creators may be impacted by 20–25%,” said Gaurav Dagaonkar, co-founder and CEO of Hoopr, a music licensing platform.

Although some artistes see increased visibility as a result of AI formats, there are many cases of unauthorized use of their compositions that result in real loss of royalty payments.

To be sure, the safest approach to using AI in music is to base every stage on consent, proper rights clearance, and fair compensation. For training, only material that has been lawfully licensed from publishers, record labels, or performers, or where sufficient rights are already owned, should be used.

Aarushi Jain, partner (head – media, education and gaming), Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, said that AI is already being integrated into music production. What we need is setting of industry standards, clear boundaries, and guardrails to ensure that the use of AI is fair, transparent and complements human creativity, rather than compete with it.

“When it comes to outputs, users must respect all Indian intellectual property rights, copyright in lyrics, compositions, and sound recordings, as well as performers and moral rights, including attribution and integrity. Voice cloning or imitation of artistic style should take place only with written consent that clearly defines the purpose, duration, territory, payment terms, and safeguards against misuse or misleading associations,” said Vishal Gehrana—partner designate, Karanjawala & Co.