I Figured Out How to Find Real Music Channels on YouTube Amidst All This AI Chaos.
I spend most of my day at the computer writing, and in recent years, I’ve often accompanied this with long (or straight-to-the-point) YouTube videos, which provide background music without being too distracting. Options abound: scenic train journeys , TV show theme tunes , piano instrumental versions of favorite songs, forest rain sounds, movie soundtracks , walkthroughs of game worlds , and much more.
However, in recent months, AI-generated mixes with AI-generated thumbnails have become much more common. A quick search for “study and relaxation music” reveals numerous videos with cover art that looks suspiciously like something ChatGPT might create, and a soundtrack that sounds like something you’d expect from an app like Suno .
It’s harder than ever to recognize AI-generated content , especially when it comes to simpler, more minimalist creations—like illustrations or lo-fi chill-out music. I don’t want to listen to AI-generated music, so at the start of each day, I now cautiously browse YouTube for anything composed and edited by real people. It’s not as easy anymore, but it’s still possible.
Problems with AI-generated music.
I’m not entirely against the idea of AI, although I do think it has some serious problems we don’t fully understand. Gemini’s AI might give you a better search result for “best restaurants in San Francisco for small children” than a list of 10 blue links, but it still relies on human experience and writing style. The AI has never had children or visited San Francisco, so what will happen to these results when real humans stop writing and publishing online?
When it comes to music, I don’t want to listen to melodies created by machines, based on algorithms and a mix of real work by real artists. You could argue that this isn’t so important for background electronic music played while working or studying, but the principle is the same.
There’s a line in the TV series Westworld where a humanoid robot, virtually indistinguishable from a real person, asks the question , “If you can’t tell the difference, does it matter?” We often can’t tell artificial intelligence from human content these days, but I’d argue that the distinction still matters—and matters a lot.
Beyond all the energy consumption, environmental impact, and copyright infringement considerations that come with AI (which would require an entire article to cover), I think there are many ways this technology can be useful . However, when it comes to art and music, I want my clicks and listening time to support real artists.
YouTube is aware of this. Some videos now feature a “How This Content Was Made” section that reveals the use of AI. The problem is, this relies on either the content creator’s acknowledgement, the use of YouTube’s own AI tools, or the presence of AI watermarks in the files. Based on what I see on the platform, I don’t think most AI-generated content is flagged as problematic.
Find music created by real artists.
Ultimately, I found myself in a situation where I prefer not to listen to channels whose cover art or music are created by artificial intelligence, but it’s difficult to recognize anything AI-generated. So, I started looking for channels that are clearly curated and created by humans, rather than trying to spot subtle signs of AI.
You’ll often see this in channel names and video descriptions these days, so you can simply search for “no AI” or “no AI.” It’s also worth digging through the descriptions to find links to the music used and the artists they support. Also, check the channel’s history—what other videos does it offer? How are they created? If the videos feature real, live people, that’s ideal.
As mentioned, YouTube has its own AI-generated tags, but I wouldn’t rely on them too heavily. If you can’t find evidence of how the music is created or who’s behind it, and there are no links to actual recordings or artists (or videos of the music-making process), then at this point, I think it’s safer to assume it’s AI-generated than not.
My favorite non-AI music channels on YouTube.
One of the best and longest-running channels in this category is Lofi Girl , which has been around since 2017, long before the generative AI boom. It was founded by a real music producer (Dimitri Somogay), and the iconic character was drawn by a real person (Juan Pablo Machado)—you can read about it on Wikipedia .
There are also more and more channels popping up that position themselves as AI-free. One of my favorites is Yellow Cherry Jam : its videos feature a man, a woman, a dog, and lots of picturesque landscapes. It’s all very relaxing and looks very natural.
I also love Coulou’s Vinyl Cafe , where our hero, Coulou, wanders around his apartment, playing one great record after another. All the music is listed and shown in the video, and no matter how good artificial intelligence is at generating videos these days, it’s impossible to create an hour-long video without a chair leg disappearing or a sweater changing color.
Judging by the numerous comments under the videos I linked, AI-free music and YouTube channels are something many others are looking for, too: they’re out there if you look hard enough. I’ve already compiled a playlist long enough to ensure I won’t encounter AI anytime soon, and it sounds great.