O ex-Beatle will announce, in December, the release of a silent track as part of a special reissue of the album Is this what we want? (Is that what we want?). The track, titled Bonus Track, will be a recording of an “empty studio”, with a succession of noises, and will last 2 minutes and 45 seconds. The action is part of a protest against a bill that makes copyright more flexible in favor of .
The reissue of the album will be released on vinyl on December 8th, with just a thousand copies available, and will include McCartney’s previously unreleased track. The original album, which was released digitally in February 2025, brings together contributions from more than a thousand artists, including Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, Jamiroquai and Max Richter. The aim is to pressure the British government to reject a project that would allow technology companies to use musical works to train AI models without the need for authorization or payment to the authors.
The collective responsible for the project, also called Is this what we want?, states that the album – composed of recordings made in empty studios and concert halls – symbolizes the impact that the government’s proposals would have on the music industry. “We illustrate, through silence, the void that the proposals can cause in the lives of musicians and the creative economy,” the organizers said in a statement.
McCartney, at 83 years old, had already publicly spoken out against the relaxation of copyright. He was one of 400 artists, including Elton John, Coldplay and Dua Lipa, who signed an open letter calling on the British government to protect the music industry. The bill, which is expected to be introduced in 2026, aims to create an exception in copyright law, allowing AI companies to use creative content without needing to pay or obtain permission from artists.
The proposal generated great indignation among musicians and producers. According to a recent survey by the UK Music association, two in three artists and producers believe that AI poses a threat to their careers. The debate over the impact of AI on the music industry remains heated, with many arguing that the technology cannot be used to undermine the rights of content creators.
*With information from AFP
