Welcome back! In this Stems, we explain why Gen Z's supposed AI music addiction isn't a thing (yet). Plus: the 3D speaker that has changed our listening habits, and a detour into director William Friedkin's lost 1977 masterpiece. As always, hit me up at [email protected]
Misleading Reports on Gen Z’s AI Music Habits Are Feeding a Collective Hallucination
An unlikely scenario: Breaking Rust, Xania Monet, Velvet Sundown and Sienna Rose (insets, clockwise from bottom left)
A weirdly-worded survey can sow a lot of confusion, and we just got a weird one on AI music. According to a Morgan Stanley report which was widely picked up this week, 60% of 18-29 year olds surveyed said they listen to AI-generated music for three hours a week.
That’s a lot of ear slop. One booster-ish blogger crowed that “young Americans are listening to an amount of AI-generated music each week that’s roughly on par with the run time of “Avatar.” Another declared, “for the music industry, the takeaway is clear. AI music isn’t a distant future problem. It’s already here and people are listening.”
But when the Stems research team dug into the actual results, the AI-triumphalist narrative started falling apart. For one, there's little sign these respondents were actually seeking out AI music. Survey takers said their primary sources of AI music were YouTube and TikTok — which means unless tens of millions of young Americans are hunting for videos by AI artists (there's little evidence they are), they were talking about background music. That would be generic music behind explainer videos on YouTube, or jokey music behind TikTok videos that the algorithm has served up — a passive experience where the music is not the main dish.
On platforms where people are more actively choosing what to listen to, they are overwhelmingly not choosing AI music. Deezer released data showing that fully AI-generated tracks are ~0.5% of its streams, and that a large share of plays on such tracks are probably bot-driven.
Compounding this report’s problem: it’s a survey. People are self-reporting their AI music consumption, and people are bad at identifying AI music (Deezer reported a 97% fail rate). How many respondents were mislabeling something that sounded fake: sped-up edits, mashups, content-farm soundtrack music? I also wonder if younger people reflexively tag things as "AI" more than older folks do.
I'm not dismissing the rise of AI music. Are there actual humans seeking it out? Sure (see: Joe Rogan). Directionally, this survey shows that AI is encroaching on certain lanes: TikTok and YouTube, stock music. But it doesn't show that 18-29 year olds are choosing to consume hours of AI music every week. If anything, it shows that AI music is something being done to them.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Hit me at [email protected].
I Have Become Inappropriately Attached to These 3D-Printed Speakers
Phon 40 designer Dean DiPietro was inspired by nightclub soundsystems.
I've been testing out the Phon 40, the first speaker system from superFreq (pronounced "super freak"), a new Brooklyn-based company. By “testing out,” I mean “feeling very fortunate to have an amazing sounding and attractive audio system in my office.”
The Phon 40 was designed by mechanical engineer and product designer Dean DiPietro. In the 2000s, DiPietro was an NYC club kid running the message board at the legendary Twilo, which gave him access to the sound engineers behind the venue's epic custom system. The Phon 40 started as an attempt to miniaturize their approach. The 2.1 system features two compact cylindrical bookshelf speakers with a sculptural quality and a striking vertical tube unlike any subwoofer I've seen before. It was inspired by the tube subwoofers at Brooklyn's (now-closed) TBA, which DiPietro says sounded great without creating "neighbor problems" by shaking the building's internal structure.
Most speakers can't deliver their full frequency range at conversational volumes because manufacturers stuff their rectangular cabinets with sawdust and damping materials to prevent vibration. That means you need to crank them up to really hear what they can do. The Phon's subwoofer design produces super-clear bass with real punch without shaking your walls. Combined with the super-efficient 3D-printed
bookshelf speakers, they sound excellent at high volumes but really kill it at medium ones, which is excellent for New York City living. I've found myself playing more bass-heavy music during the workday because it actually sounds great at normal levels.
Since production is basically on-demand, DiPietro can sell the Phon 40 in three colors (black, blue, and green) —something other manufacturers struggle with because of inventory constraints. The complete system sells for $1,000 and ships with a Fosi BT30D amplifier and all necessary cables.
Roy Scheider in “Sorcerer”
William Friedkin x Tangerine Dream = 🔥 💀 ❤️
Over the holidays, my old buddy Tom Vanderbilt and I caught a Film Forum screening of William Friedkin's 1977 masterpiece Sorcerer, which I'd never seen before, and I was completely blown away. If you're not familiar with it: it's a loose remake of Wages of Fear about four fugitives working in a remote South American oil town who volunteer to drive volatile cases of nitroglycerin-soaked dynamite through miles of jungle. Imagine the evil offspring of The Dirty Dozen and Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo rolling in French Connection grit and you’re getting some of the idea. The film also features Tangerine Dream's first movie soundtrack, which is as suspenseful and off-kilter as everything else about Sorcerer. A 4K restoration is available to rent on all major streamers. Use a projector if you have one.
The World’s Finest Music-Themed Mini Crossword Puzzle: Theatrical Rock Edition
Lots of make-up and bombast in this edition. No pressure, but we need you to finish in less than three minutes.
To learn more about Stems, visit the About page. To learn more about my consulting practice, visit here.
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: /in/nbrackett
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