Although still in its early stages, discussions between Universal Music and Google are reportedly ongoing. The proposed platform would allow music fans to create compositions using artificial intelligence, with the guarantee of compensation for “relevant copyright” holders.
Universal Music and Google are in talks to study the feasibility of an artificial intelligence-based music creation tool.
This joint effort aims to counter the proliferation of applications that use the vocal cloning technology of famous artists to generate new compositions.
Record label Universal Music, known for representing big-name artists such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, is considering licensing the use of elements such as its artists' distinctive vocals, lyrics and sounds . Unlike previous approaches, this initiative would include direct compensation for both the original artists and the record label.
Earlier this year, Universal Music cracked down when a song featuring cloned vocals of Drake and The Weeknd, generated by artificial intelligence, went viral on music platforms. The song, titled “Heart on My Sleeve”, was first shared on TikTok and attracted millions of views, raising questions about copyright and leading to its removal.
Disagreement and controversy
The label released a statement expressing disagreement with the use of artificial intelligence to generate music from its existing catalog, citing agreement violations and copyright violations.
Although still in its early stages, talks between Universal Music and Google are reportedly ongoing. The proposed platform would allow music fans to create compositions using artificial intelligence, with the guarantee of compensation for the copyright holders involved.
Warner Music Group is also considering a similar initiative in collaboration with Google, as indicated by Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group. Mr. Kyncl stressed the importance of allowing artists to use artificial intelligence as a creative tool, while ensuring the protection of their works.
In addition, Google has already given a taste of its projects by announcing MusiLM, a generative artificial intelligence technology designed to create music from textual descriptions. Despite these efforts, copyright concerns have played a role in the reluctance to make these tools public.
The music industry has seen controversies related to artificial intelligence, including the removal of tracks generated by the Boomy platform on Spotify.
Boomy, powered by artificial intelligence, claimed to have produced millions of recordings and a significant portion of the world's music, but it faced criticism and removals due to copyright issues.
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