RockAgent AI CEO Feyyaz Ustaer recently shared his perspective on how the music industry will evolve with artificial intelligence. He drew parallels to legendary producer Rick Rubin’s approach in a blog post published on his official blog.
Ustaer’s commentary focuses on how taste and curation will become the key differentiators in an AI-driven music landscape, rather than technical production skills.
“Rick Rubin. He’s the producer behind some of the most important bands in history—Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Metallica. But here’s the interesting part: he doesn’t have formal musical knowledge, doesn’t play an instrument, and doesn’t use any editing or mixing tools. All he does is listen to what artists create and make intuitive decisions about which version is better,” Ustaer said.
He emphasized how Rubin’s success came from his ability to guide artists through pure listening and taste.
“Rubin worked with some of the greatest bands of all time. By simply listening, he guided their music in the right direction. He identified what needed to be cut, what needed to be emphasized, and what needed to be added. He had a distinctive sense of taste. You could call it ‘taste’ in the purest sense—like a curator. He approached music like a connoisseur, constantly trying to distinguish between what is good and what is not. And artists trusted that taste,” he continued.
Ustaer then connected this concept to the current AI music revolution and its implications for the industry.
“With AI, music production is now accessible to everyone. Tools like Suno, Udio, and Minimax allow anyone to generate music. At this point, what will create real differentiation is the ability to recognize what is actually good—and the judgment required to get there. In other words: taste,” he explained.
The RockAgent AI CEO pointed to emerging examples of this trend in practice.
“We’re already starting to see early examples of this. AI-native artists who can build around a consistent concept and turn it into a cohesive album are beginning to stand out. Anatolian Psych Rock Lab is, in my view, one of the most striking examples. At this point, it’s no longer about producing music. It’s about having the taste and the ear to recognize which music will actually be listened to—and then packaging it into a consistent, professional form and bringing it to the world,” Ustaer concluded.
Ustaer’s observations come at a time when the music industry faces unprecedented changes driven by artificial intelligence technology and the democratization of music creation tools.
The scale of AI’s impact on music creation has become remarkable. Artefact reported that AI music platforms like Suno can create full songs, lyrics, and backing tracks in seconds, with the capability to mimic existing artist styles. This technological advancement supports Ustaer’s argument that technical production skills are no longer gatekeepers to music creation.
The volume challenge facing the industry reinforces the need for curatorial expertise. Ohio University found that between 100,000 to 150,000 songs are already being released daily on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. AI is expected to accelerate this volume significantly. This creates an unprecedented need for curation and taste to help audiences navigate the marketplace.
The role of AI as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement aligns with Rubin’s model of guidance and enhancement. Musicians Institute noted that AI is being used as a collaborative partner in music creation, where artists input basic melodies or lyrical ideas and AI systems generate complementary elements, potentially sparking new creative directions. This reinforces that AI enhances rather than eliminates the artist’s role in decision-making and curation.
The transformation represents a fundamental shift in how music is created and consumed. Berklee Online explained that AI music can take many forms and types of assistance, from generating an entire song from start to finish, to writing specific aspects of a composition. This versatility makes Ustaer’s emphasis on taste and curatorial judgment increasingly relevant as the primary differentiator in an AI-saturated music landscape.
