Here’s What Musicians Are Really Using AI For

For the last two years, every music conversation has circled the same spiral: Is AI killing creativity, or is it the best studio assistant we’ve ever had? According to LANDR’s latest global research, the answer is way less dramatic and way more practical. Artists aren’t handing over the keys to the creative kingdom. They’re using AI to move faster, fill gaps, and survive an industry that demands constant output with zero margin for burnout. 

The data comes from over 1,200 music makers across experience levels, genres, and regions, and it paints a clear picture. AI isn’t replacing musicians. It’s quietly becoming part of the workflow like almost any other tool. 

Most Artists Are Already Using AI 

Let’s start with the stat that makes all the hot takes look outdated: 87% of artists surveyed already use AI somewhere in their workflow. This number alone explains that. AI adoption is already here, and for most musicians it’s just another tool sitting next to their DAW, sampler, or plugin chain. 

Where it shows up most is exactly where you’d expect. Technical tasks lead the way, with nearly 80% using AI for things like mastering, stem separation, restoration, and timing correction. Promotion follows close behind. Creative generation is in the mix too, but it’s not the main event yet. 

This isn’t about replacing songwriting sessions with prompts, but removing friction. 

AI Is the Ultimate Skill-Gap Filler 

When artists were asked why they use AI, the top answer wasn’t “to sound better” or “to be more original.” It was to fill skill gaps. 38% said that’s the biggest benefit, followed closely by working faster and automating tasks they dislike. 

That tracks with reality when we put into perspective that not every songwriter wants to become a mastering engineer, and not every producer wants to learn graphic design. AI tools let artists stay focused on the parts of music-making that actually light them up. 

This is especially true for independent artists juggling everything at once. When you’re writing, recording, mixing, releasing, promoting, and posting content weekly just to stay visible, efficiency stops being a luxury. 

Creative AI Is Being Used, Just Not How You Think 

The fear narrative says artists are pressing a button and calling it a song. The data says otherwise. 

Yes, 2/3 of respondents use AI for creative tasks in some form. But dig deeper and the usage is specific and surgical. 18% use AI to generate lead vocals, 16% use it for drum patterns or instrumental parts, and 14% use it to extend ideas into full songs. 

What’s telling is what artists aren’t doing. Only a minority rely on AI to generate entire tracks from scratch. Most are using it like a sketchpad, not a ghostwriter. Something to unblock a session, test variations, or explore directions they might not land on naturally. 

Think less “AI artist” and more “creative assistant who never gets tired.” 

Promotion Is Where AI Feels Almost Mandatory 

If there’s one area where skepticism drops fast, it’s promotion. Over half of respondents already use AI for marketing tasks, and interest here is massive. 

30% use AI to create cover art, 19% use it to brainstorm social content, and 17% use it to write bios, captions, or descriptions. 

Even more revealing is future appetite. Over 80% of artists are open to using AI to research their audience, analyze stats, plan posting schedules, and refine release strategies. That’s artists responding to an ecosystem where data literacy matters almost as much as songwriting. 

The modern music grind doesn’t reward mystery. It rewards clarity, consistency, and speed. AI helps artists compete without hiring a full marketing team. 

Ethics Still Matter, and Artists Are Paying Attention 

This isn’t blind adoption. Artists are clear about their concerns. Nearly half worry about AI contributing to generic, low-quality music. 43% are concerned about ethics and consent, and a third worry about becoming dependent on tech or losing creative muscle memory. 

The takeaway isn’t rejection, it’s discernment. Artists want tools that respect creators, not shortcuts that hollow out creativeness. 

A Quiet Divide Is Forming 

One of the most interesting findings in the report is the growing split between adopters and holdouts. 69% percent of artists are using more AI than last year, and 90% of those plan to increase usage in the future. Meanwhile, among the artists who haven’t increased adoption, only about 1 in 4 plan to do so. 

That gap matters because workflows are evolving fast. As tools improve, the baseline expectation for speed, polish, and consistency rises. Artists who refuse all AI on principle may find themselves working harder for diminishing returns. 

AI Isn’t the Point. Making Music Is. 

The biggest takeaway from LANDR’s research is refreshing. Artists don’t want AI to replace them, they want it to get out of the way. 

Used well, AI handles the boring stuff, accelerates learning, and opens doors that used to require budgets or teams. Used poorly, it produces noise, sameness, and shortcuts that listeners can smell a mile away. 

The artists winning with AI aren’t chasing novelty, they’re protecting their creative energy. And in a music economy that never sleeps, that might be the most human move of all.