Jazz music you might hear drifting through a quiet cafe plays in a YouTube video. In the comments, reactions pour in such as "I've never heard a song like this before" and "The calm, relaxing vibe is the best." At a glance it looks like an ordinary music video, but in fact all 11 tracks in the 1 hour, 3 minute video were made by artificial intelligence (AI). The YouTuber who posted the video produced 176 songs over the past week and uploaded them to YouTube. That's 25 songs a day, roughly one an hour. His estimated revenue for this month was put at 3.6 million won.
Like this YouTuber, a new side hustle of compiling AI-made music to post and earn ad revenue has been spreading recently. Because AI handles not only composing but also album cover creation, the production process is simple. It is also easier to meet YouTube revenue monetization thresholds, making it a more attention-getting side hustle than conventional Shorts videos.
◇ Music playlist videos are popular on YouTube, but the YouTuber's basic revenue is "0 won"
The "playlist videos" commonly found on YouTube typically compile existing songs that fit a particular theme. For example, a playlist titled "work songs" for listening while working includes fast-paced tracks such as aespa's "Whiplash" and G-Dragon's "Home Sweet Home." But in such videos, ad revenue goes to original rights holders like the singer or composer, and the YouTuber who uploaded the video cannot make money.
In response, some YouTubers began making music directly with AI to create playlists. The process is surprisingly simple. First, ask a generative AI like ChatGPT or Gemini to write lyrics. For instance, "Write a 3-minute set of lyrics and a title for a jazz-style love song." If you describe the desired mood or expressions a bit more specifically, more polished lyrics come out. Enter the completed title and lyrics into a music-generation AI such as Suno AI, and it will produce the melody and vocals.
When this reporter tried AI lyric-writing and composing using this method, it took less than an hour to make a 10-track playlist. Instrumentals without lyrics were even faster to produce. After entering in English into Suno AI, "Please make a 4-minute song with a calm piano jazz vibe," the music was completed in two minutes. After listening to the finished track, a person surnamed Kim (29) said, "Is it really made by AI? There's no difference from something made by a person."
Also, when I asked ChatGPT to "create an album cover that matches the lyrics," a convincing image was generated immediately. Every step used free versions of AI. The expense投入 was effectively "zero (0)." Given the nature of music playlist videos, captions or complex editing are unnecessary. Compared with Shorts videos, which are famous as a "side job for office workers," many say it is far easier to produce.
These videos are also advantageous for meeting YouTube revenue criteria. To earn revenue, you must surpass thresholds for subscriber count, number of posted videos, and watch time. The toughest requirement is "3,000 hours watched." But playlist videos are generally over an hour long, and once played, they are often left running to the end, making it easier to meet the requirement.
◇ AI playlist YouTuber who posts once every 2–3 weeks, estimated monthly revenue of 650,000 won
There are already YouTubers earning revenue. One YouTuber in Korea started a year ago and has been posting videos about once every two to three weeks. According to data analytics firm NoxInfluencer, the channel currently has 160,000 subscribers and is estimated to generate around 650,000 won in monthly revenue. The shorter the interval between uploads, the greater the revenue. An overseas YouTuber who posts almost daily is estimated to be making around 3.6 million won per month just eight months after launching the channel.
Revenue generation is also possible on overseas music platforms. If you register AI-made tracks on platforms like Spotify, you can earn revenue through streams or downloads. However, the same method cannot be used to monetize in Korea. Since Mar. Korean Music Copyright Association introduced a verification and assurance process requiring that AI was not used when registering new music copyrights. An association official said, "In the case of AI music, copyright is not recognized in Korea, and no royalties accrue."