Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava on why push-button AI is “insulting” to musicians
Mar 24, 2025
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Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice, shares insights on the intersection of technology and music creation. She discusses how Splice empowers musicians with innovative tools while emphasizing the importance of human creativity amid AI advancements. Kakul explains the tension between copyright issues and innovation, highlighting the challenges artists face with automated solutions. The conversation also covers the emotional connections music fosters and the necessity of maintaining artistic integrity as AI reshapes the industry.
Splice democratizes music creation by providing access to high-quality, royalty-free samples that empower creators of all skill levels.
Kakul Srivastava emphasizes that AI should enhance, not replace, musicians' creative processes to preserve artistic integrity and personal expression.
Navigating copyright laws is essential for Splice to ensure that creators are justly compensated while integrating innovative technologies in music production.
Deep dives
Disruption in the Business Landscape
The rapidly evolving market is undergoing significant changes due to disruptive forces like artificial intelligence, cyber threats, and tariffs, which are reshaping various industries. Companies that will thrive in this environment are those that prioritize execution and demonstrate adaptability. The Alex Partners Disruption Index serves as a crucial tool for gaining insights into these transformative trends, highlighting the behavior of high-performing companies. Organizations that can effectively navigate these challenges will ultimately secure their position as leaders in their respective fields.
The Evolution of Music Creation
Music creation today heavily relies on sample packs and loops, which have become integral building blocks for artists across genres. Splice is positioned as one of the leading marketplaces for musicians looking to access high-quality, royalty-free sounds that facilitate modern song production. The use of samples has democratized music creation, allowing a wide range of creators, from beginners to professionals, to produce hits, as evidenced by chart-topping songs built on samples available through Splice. This shift reflects a broader trend in the music industry where technology is redefined by how artists utilize these resources.
Balancing AI with Creative Control
Splice's approach to incorporating AI tools into music creation is centered around enhancing, not replacing, the artistic process. While AI can improve efficiency in tasks like sampling and editing, Splice emphasizes the importance of maintaining creative control for musicians. Creators value tools that offer customization and personal touch instead of mere automation, as losing the element of personal creativity can detract from the artistic satisfaction. Kakul Shravastav, the CEO of Splice, argues that the essence of music-making involves a struggle to convey one’s own ideas, which technology should support rather than diminish.
Copyright and Ethical Considerations
Navigating the complexities of copyright law is crucial for platforms like Splice, especially given the rise of AI-generated content. There is a consensus within the industry that the rights of creators must be protected, and Splice follows a stringent process to ensure that all samples and sounds uploaded to its library come from verified sources. As generative technologies advance, the ethical use of training data for AI systems remains a pressing issue, prompting ongoing discussions about how to support artists while integrating innovative tech. Ensuring that artists are fairly compensated and receive recognition for their work is a primary focus for Splice.
Looking Ahead for Splice
Splice is committed to deepening its presence in the creative processes of music-making by developing new features and partnerships that enhance user experience. By integrating directly with digital audio workstations, Splice aims to provide more seamless and accessible tools for artists, facilitating a workflow that encourages creativity. The company continues to gather feedback from its user base to drive product development that aligns with their needs and preferences. As the music industry evolves, Splice seeks to uphold its creator-centric values, focusing on meaningful innovation that respects the artistry involved in music production.
Today, I’m talking with Kakul Srivastava, CEO of music creation platform Splice, which is one of the biggest marketplaces around for loops and samples. You can just go sign up, pay the money, and download these loops to try to make pop hits all day long. Take, for instance, Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso, which was composed almost entirely out of Splice loops.
Now, if you’re a Decoder listener, you know that some of my favorite conversations are with people building technology products for creatives, and that I am obsessed with how technology changes the music industry, because it feels like whatever happens to music happens to everything else five years later. So this one was really interesting, because Splice is all wrapped in all of that.
Links:
Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso highlights the way new music is made | Bloomberg
Major record labels sue AI company behind ‘BBL Drizzy’ | Verge
Splice CEO’s message for AI sceptics? “Trust the artists” | MusicTech
Splice launches voice recording on Splice Mobile at SXSW | Splice
OpenAI & Google ask government to let them train AI on content they don’t own | Verge
AI Drake just set an impossible legal trap for Google | Verge
Pharrell Williams: $7.3 million Blurred Lines verdict threatens all artists | Verge
Lady Gaga, nostalgia, and the ‘reheated nachos’ phenomenon in pop culture | Her World
AI music startups say copyright violation is just rock and roll | Verge
Suno CEO says musicians don’t actually like making music | Vice