In the AI Era, Content Production Costs Are Disappearing
90,000 songs a day: the formula of value being rewritten by AI-generated music
As generative artificial intelligence (AI) drastically cuts the time and cost of producing content, the structure of 'production costs and scarcity' that has long underpinned the content industry is being shaken. Until now, a single song required composers, performers, recording studios, and engineers, while a video demanded filming equipment, production crews, and post-production expenses. These production conditions served as barriers to entry for newcomers and as the foundation of competitiveness for established producers.
Deezer, a French music streaming platform, announced that as of June 2026, an average of roughly 90,000 AI-generated songs were uploaded per day, with uploads peaking in July 2026. On the day with the highest number of uploads, AI-generated music accounted for more than half of all new uploads. According to the same platform's April 2026 announcement, however, AI-generated music made up only about 1 to 3 percent of total plays. In other words, even explosive growth in production does not translate into proportional growth in consumption.
That said, AI service fees as well as costs for revising outputs, quality control, copyright review, and distribution still remain. Since competitors can use the same technology, the benefits of cost savings may be eroded through price competition and expanded supply.
In 1971, economist Herbert Simon offered the insight that as information becomes abundant, human attention becomes scarce. This offers a key to understanding the content market in the AI era.
This column is the second installment of 'Ryu Im-sang's AI Insight,' a series exploring the changes and opportunities facing the music and video businesses amid the AI revolution. The author, Ryu Im-sang, is an adjunct professor in the Department of Video and Media at Dong-Eui University and runs the AI-based creative studio 'Imagine Bakery.' Through his YouTube channel 'I'm/sang,' which has 110,000 subscribers, he presents AI music videos weekly to audiences in some 40 countries.
