Yeadon on AI in Music: "The Struggle Is the Point"

The Line Between Tool and Creator

Manchester-based producer Yeadon has drawn a firm boundary around the role of AI in music production. Having released on Anjunabeats, Stress Records, Global Underground, UV, and his own 10 Steps North imprint, the progressive and melodic house artist believes generative plugins and AI-driven arrangement tools risk erasing the essence of artistry when they make creative decisions on behalf of the producer.

In a recent interview with Magnetic Magazine, Yeadon explained his position: "From my point of view, no significant parts of an artist's work should be outsourced to a generative plugin or AI, at least when it comes to the creative side of things such as writing music. I don't really understand why we would want to outsource something so personal, rewarding, and enjoyable as writing music to AI."

Happy Accidents and Human Error

For Yeadon, the creative process—including the struggle, mistakes, and unexpected discoveries—is inseparable from the final product. "I believe that when you're in the flow, making music or creating art, you're putting a piece of yourself into it," he notes. "Handing this over to a generative plugin or AI is always going to mean the end result is less you."

He argues that bypassing the hands-on journey removes the opportunity for genuine connection. "When AI is used as a shortcut to get to the end result without going through the creative process, I think we risk bypassing the whole point of making art in the first place: the chance to connect with something and express it," Yeadon said.

Technically Perfect, Emotionally Hollow

Yeadon also addressed the paradox of technical perfection. AI tools can deliver polished, radio-ready mixdowns in seconds, but he believes that flawless execution doesn't guarantee emotional impact. "For me, the records that speak to me are often less about whether they're mixed well or technically perfect, and are more about the emotion and energy in the record," he says. "A track can be super polished, perfectly balanced, mixed in the best studio, and still not say anything, or make the listener feel anything. When I hear AI-generated music, this is often the feeling I get from it. The tracks sound too perfectly made, too perfectly mixed, and very often don't have the emotion or energy to make me feel something, other than that something feels off."

While he encourages producers to use technology for administrative tasks or inspiration, Yeadon insists that taste and sonic identity must remain in human hands. "There's a difference between letting technology influence or inspire you and letting it develop your taste for you," he concludes. "If you increasingly rely on generative tools to decide what sounds good or what should come next, you risk allowing the technology to shape your taste."

Yeadon's latest single Don't Forget is out now on his 10 Steps North label.