As lawsuits mount against AI music generators, BeatStars is attempting to set a new standard for "ethical AI" through technology rather than litigation.
A technical shield for creators: Its new partnership automatically protects creator works from AI training, challenging other platforms and AI companies to respect intellectual property rights proactively. The online music production marketplace has teamed up with AI protection startup Sureel to implement a system preventing unauthorized artificial intelligence systems from training on its vast catalog of beats and songs, the company announced last week via its blog.
The collaboration leverages Sureel's technology to register BeatStars' entire marketplace catalog in a database. AI companies wishing to act ethically can check this registry via an invitation-only portal or API to see which tracks are prohibited from use in training data. "Every track uploaded to BeatStars is now automatically shielded from AI training models unless you say otherwise," the company stated.
Sureel will also communicate creator preferences via robots.txt files to deter web crawlers, and provide a dashboard showing creators which AI models have attempted to access protected content, according to reporting from Music Business Worldwide.
Proactive protection: This collab arrives as the music industry grapples with the implications of generative AI, highlighted by major music companies suing AI firms like Suno and Udio for alleged copyright infringement through unauthorized training data. Meanwhile, as Billboard notes, AI companies in the U.S. are not currently legally required to honor opt-out requests regarding training data. While AI firms argue "fair use," BeatStars is taking direct action. BeatStars says that this isn't about halting progress but fostering "responsible innovation." "We're building an AI future that respects creators—or we’re not building it at all," BeatStars said, positioning the move as explicitly "pro-creator."
Setting an industry precedent: By implementing a default opt-out across its platform and sending formal notices to AI developers, BeatStars hopes its approach sets a benchmark. The company is explicitly challenging others in the ecosystem to adopt similar measures. "We’re also calling on policymakers, platforms, and AI developers: follow our lead," BeatStars urged, framing the partnership as a necessary step to ensure creator work is valued and protected in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.