Voices Fighting Back to AI + The Sound of The Lord of The Rings

Author

Nathan Fields
May 30, 2025

In partnership with

The Rareform Rundown #64

Hello Friends,

Nathan here. This week we’re diving into some new projects, spotlighting industry news about artists pushing back on unauthorized AI voice use, and taking a closer listen to the iconic sounds from Lord of the Rings and why they still hit so hard.

I’m also still working through applications for our catalog manager intern role. If you submitted one, thank you for your patience. I’m reviewing each personally and we’ve had over 200 come in. It’s been amazing to see the interest and support, so big thanks for that as always <3

Let’s get into it.

Also friends, this week’s episode is brought to you by 1440 media. 1440 provides unbiased news so you can form your own opinion.

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New projects + music we are looking for

PROJECTS

Excited to share that our sound design elements made it into the campaign for The Amateur!

Fun hearing my track 'Mind Games' with Kevin Huang in the campaign for Hell of a Summer! Appreciate NEON and LIVEBAD for bringing us in on this one.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the No Fakes Act, a new bill aimed at stopping the use of AI to clone people’s voices or likeness without permission. It’s especially relevant in music, where AI tools can now mimic an artist’s voice almost perfectly.

Executives from YouTube, the RIAA, and artists showed up to support it. The bill would make it illegal to create or share AI-generated vocals or performances without consent, and it gives people a way to get that content taken down without needing to go to court.

As AI keeps pushing into the creative space, this is one of the first serious steps toward protecting artists and keeping control over our own work.

Industry Leaders Rally Behind No Fakes Act to Combat AI Deepfakes

Industry voices from YouTube, RIAA, and more testified in support of the No Fakes Act, federal legislation aimed at protecting individuals from AI-generated deepfakes. The bill targets unauthorized digital replicas and proposes clear platform responsibilities and takedown procedures. #AI #Deepfakes

www.rareformaudio.com/blog/no-fakes-act-ai-deepfake-legislation

When it comes to creature sound design, The Lord of the Rings is a solid example of how to do it right.

What makes it work is how grounded everything feels. Even in a fantasy world, the creatures sound like they could actually exist. There’s a lot of detail packed into each vocal and movement, and it all plays a big role in how you experience the scene.

It’s a good reminder of how much sound can shape what we see.

Read more in our latest blog:

Designing Dread: The Creature Sounds of The Lord of the Rings

From dragging cinder blocks to pitch-shifting a donkey's bray, The Lord of the Rings used real-world textures to give voice to myth. This Insight blog breaks down how the Balrog and Fellbeasts were brought to life through bold, physical sound design. #SoundDesign #LOTR #FilmAudio #CreatureVoices

www.rareformaudio.com/blog/balrog-roar-lord-of-the-rings-sound-design

That’s it for this week. Thanks for tagging along for the ride!

-Nathan

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Checkout Echelon — our first cinematic sound pack built for film composers and music producers looking to level up their sound and land more placements.

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