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McCartney Adds Silent 'Bonus Track' to Dec. 8 Vinyl in Protest of UK AI Copyright Plan

Artists use a limited‑run silent vinyl to pressure ministers over a 2026 AI‑training copyright exception they say would allow unconsented, unpaid use of their work.

Paul McCartney à Los Angeles, le 2 février 2024.
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Overview

  • The 2 minute 45 second recording of a “studio empty” titled “(Bonus Track)” will appear on a 1,000‑copy vinyl reissue set for December 8.
  • The track joins Is This What We Want?, a collective album whose February digital release donated all proceeds to the charity Help Musicians.
  • More than a thousand UK artists, including Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, Jamiroquai, Max Richter, Hans Zimmer and Kate Bush, contributed to the project.
  • The campaign targets a Labour proposal for a 2026 copyright exception that would let AI firms train on creative works without permission or payment, which the government presents as an economic opportunity.
  • A UK Music survey reports two‑thirds of artists see AI as a career threat and over nine in ten want protection of their voices and images along with remuneration when their work trains models.