Paul McCartney set to release first track in five years for music industry protest of AI
Paul McCartney is set to release his first track in five years as a silent song to protest the use of AI within the music industry.
According to The Guardian, the former Beatle has become the latest in a line of artists to become contributors to the Is This What We Want? album, which is set to come out later this month, where a range of silent tracks will be attached to musicians’ names.
This is part of wider protests against plans to use AI within the music industry which are being approved by the UK government, with the help of Donald Trump’s US government as part of a transatlantic trade deal on technology.
McCartney, whose track will appear on the B-side of the album, will join a host of seismic names including the likes of Kate Bush, Sam Fender, and Hans Zimmer, who are all contributing to the album, set to be pressed on vinyl.
This is not the first time McCartney has joined the campaign against the threat of AI towards the creative industries, as back in September he signed an open letter to the UK prime minister Keir Starmer, urging the government not to back AI plans prior to Trump’s state visit to the country.
It comes as Westminster is currently floating plans for an opt-out system in the music industry, where AI models can essentially be trained using existing music without the original creators’ permission. The legislation is due to be discussed in parliament next year.
McCartney’s song on Is This What We Want?, titled ‘(bonus track)’, features 55 seconds of tape hiss before 15 seconds of clattering, and then a further 80 seconds of hissing and clattering combined.
As a whole, the entire track listing for the album spells out the message: “the British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Earlier this year, McCartney claimed the music industry would become like the “Wild West” if AI plans were to be approved, adding that the stakes are higher for emerging artists as, “We[’ve] got to be careful about it because it could just take over and we don’t want that to happen, particularly for the young composers and writers [for] who, it may be the only way they[’re] gonna make a career.”
The vinyl release of Is This What We Want? will be available from December 8th, 2025.
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