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10 Sep 2024

Beyoncé’s Scorching Hot Girl Summer Playlist Includes All Your Female Favorites

While none of us will ever know what it’s like to go on a lavish island vacation with Jay-Z, to hear Beyoncé tell it, the soundtrack to her 2024 Hot Girl summer is totally relatable. In a new email interview feature with GQ, Queen Bey opens up about about why she decided to launch her own whiskey brand, SirDavis, as well as the musical influences on her Cowboy Carter album and what movies and albums she’s had on repeat lately.

Asked what is currently inspiring her in the world of film and music, Beyoncé said she simply loves and respects “all of the female singers-songwriters who are out right now,” ticking off a list that includes: Raye, Victoria Monét, Sasha Keable, Chloe x Halle, and Reneé Rapp. “I love Doechii and GloRilla, and I just heard That Mexican OT, he’s from Houston…. He goes hard!,” she said of the MC from Bay City, Texas whose 2023 breakthrough hit “Johnny Dang” hit No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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In addition, like so many of you, she also loves Sabrina Carpenter’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “Please Please Please,” and added that, “I think that Thee Sacred Souls and Chappell Roan are talented and interesting.” Most relatable of all, though, was her love for Miley Cyrus, with Bey saying she’s mesmerized by the singer who joined her on the Carter track “II Most Wanted.”

“I’m obsessed with my backseat baby…. I’m a Smiler,” Bey said, referring to Cyrus by her fan group name and via a lyrical reference to the line “I’ll be your backseat baby, drivin’ you crazy/ Anytime you like, whoa/ I’ll be your shotgun rider, ’til the day I/ ‘Til the day I die” from their whiskey-soaked Carter ballad collab.

Back in March, Miley gave thanks for her feature on the landmark country-tinged album from Bey that features a galaxy of other stars — including her godmother Dolly Parton, among many others. “I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her,” Cyrus wrote in an Instagram post that included the Cowboy Carter album cover. “My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her,” she continued. “Thank you Beyonce. You’re everything & more. Love you. To everyone who spent time making this song so special thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

When she’s not listening to her fellow female pop stars, Beyoncé said she spins classics by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the legendary Stax label, as well as watching the 2024 documentary about the Memphis soul label that broke Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes and Sam & Dave, Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.

The best movie she’s seen this year? The long-awaited, $1 billion-grossing sequel to the feelings-forward animated smash Inside Out 2. ” I think it’s brilliant,” she said of the film featuring the voice work of Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Tony Hale, Amy Poehler and Lewis Black, among others. She said she’s also currently watching the Game of Thrones sequel House of the Dragon and Lena Waithe’s long-running drama about life on the South Side of Chicago, The Chi.

10 Sep 2024

Joshua Ray Walker Reveals His Cancer Has Spread to His Lungs, Launches GoFundMe Campaign

Singer-songwriter Joshua Ray Walker, known for songs including “Thank You for Listening,” gave fans an update on his cancer battle, revealing on Tuesday (Sept. 10) that his cancer has spread.

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“Once again, I’ve got some good and bad news to deliver. The good news is that I’ve finished chemo treatment!” began the country artist, who first told fans he was receiving treatment for colon cancer in 2023. “The bad news is that upon the completion of tests to check on the status of my cancer post treatment, multiple nodes of varying sizes were found in both my lungs.

“Before I started chemo, I was told I had a 90% chance of having clear tests post treatment. So to find completely new growth in a new organ was something for which I was not prepared,” he continued. “This unfortunately means my cancer will likely be restaged to stage 4.”

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He informed fans of the road ahead for his treatment, explaining, “I will get a lung biopsy and start radiation soon. I wish I had more information to share but I’m still waiting to meet with a radiology oncologist following my biopsy surgery.”

Walker promised that he’d “continue to fight my hardest” despite the bad news. “I’ve always lived life to the fullest and I will continue to do so. When times are hard my instinct is to figure out how to survive financially,” he shared. “I work harder to ensure that me and my loved ones will have basic necessities. This trait has been very useful in life, but it makes it hard to rest when life’s difficulties aren’t solely monetary. I have a hard time asking for help, even when I believe it will be given happily.”

The singer added that he had launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him “focus exclusively on my health and relationships during this precious time, and ended his message with a note of gratitude for fans who have supported him during his health battle.

Walker is known for albums including 2019’s Wish You Were Here, 2020’s Glad You Made It and 2021’s See You Next Time. Last year, he released the album What Is It Even?, where he paid homage to several women artists, covering songs from artists including Whitney Houston (“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”), LeAnn Rimes (“Blue”), Cher (“Believe”) and Sia (“Cheap Thrills”).

See Walker’s post below:

10 Sep 2024

NIVA Launches Independent Certification Program, Live Independent

Venues across the nation can now show off their independent status. On Tuesday (Sept. 10), the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) announced the launch of “Live Independent,” a first-of-its-kind certification program for independent venues, promoters and festivals nationwide.

The new initiative, supported by event discovery platform Bandsintown, is aimed at strengthening and unifying the live entertainment community by “offering a seal of certification that recognizes excellence and commitment to the independent ethos,” according to NIVA.

Certified venues will receive physical posters, stickers and decals of the Live Independent seal to display, along with virtual seals and assets for websites, marketing materials and social media. Partnerships with ticketing companies will also enable the Live Independent seal to be displayed on event tickets.

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The Live Independent program will include a dedicated website serving as a hub of information and emphasizing the importance of supporting certified Live Independent venues and events. Fans can use the site’s search feature to verify if their favorite venue is certified independent and find shows at certified stages.

“This certification is a testament to the power of independent stages as sanctuaries for human connection. In an era dominated by publicly-traded live entertainment conglomerates, these venues and festivals are the final strongholds of authenticity, where the heart of live performance beats strongest,” said NIVA executive director Stephen Parker in a statement. “When fans and artists choose independent stages, they’re investing in the soul of their community. Live Independent is our collective promise — to the artists, to the fans, and to the communities that cherish these spaces — that the spirit of independent venues will not only endure but will continue to flourish.”

As a partner for the program, Bandsintown is committed to educating fans about what Live Independent means and promoting independent venues through dedicated placements on the Bandsintown app and at Bandsintown.com. Every NIVA-member independent venue will have the Live Independent seal on its Bandsintown venue page while a map of Live Independent-certified venues will be featured on Bandsintown’s homepage to help fans locate and support these independent entities.

“Bandsintown’s ethos is independent at the core, serving artists since day one of their journey,” added Bandsintown co-founder/managing partner Fabrice Sergent. “Independent venues shed light on those artists early in their career and we’re proud to work alongside NIVA to help them find the audience they deserve.”

To become certified, venues, festivals and promoters must demonstrate a mission centered around delivering music, comedy and performance to audiences; maintain fair pay practices for all artists, performers and creators; be independent from multinational conglomerate or publicly traded company ownership or exclusive operation; show support for a transparent, competitive marketplace and a diverse, inclusive community; and be a NIVA member. NIVA members will not pay additional fees to join the program.

More information on the Live Independent certification program, including details on how to apply and the specific benefits of certification, can be found here.  

10 Sep 2024

Inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards Set for December

The first edition of the Billboard Arabia Music Awards (BBAMAs) is set for Dec. 11 at the iconic KAFD in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The awards show is part of the first-ever Riyadh Music Week, an initiative bringing together the global music community for a series of music festivals and events. ​

Billboard Arabia has become the ultimate destination for discovering Arab artists, with the awards show celebrating a year of music milestones and achievements, including the launch of its flagship charts and other initiatives. The BBAMAs will honor trailblazers and rising stars with awards across a wide range of categories, including top artist, female artist and male artist, along with the year’s hottest songs and more. ​

Unlike other music award shows, BBAMA winners will be selected based on their ranking on Billboard Arabia’s flagship charts, including the Hot 100 and Artist 100, as well as the newly launched dialect charts – Khaleeji, Egyptian, Levantine and Magharebi – and genre-specific charts – Arabic Hip-Hop, Arabic Indie, Shelat and Mahraganat. Billboard Arabia’s Charts follow the well-established parameters set by the Billboard brand over the last eight decades.

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In addition to recognizing the top artists and music of the year, the BBAMAs will showcase Saudi Arabia and the region’s diverse talent through live performances and surprise collaborations, featuring both established and emerging artists. It will also include performances from some of the biggest international artists.​

“In just one year, Billboard Arabia has become the fastest-growing music platform that truly reflects the preferences of millions of music fans and followers across the globe,” Jomana R. Alrashid, CEO of SRMG, said in a statement. “Through the support of the Saudi Music Commission, part of the Ministry of Culture, and SRMG’s strategic partnership with Billboard, this significantly strengthens our ability to spotlight Arab artists to bring their work to global audiences and grow the region’s vibrant music industry.”

Rami M. Zeidan, managing director of Billboard Arabia, said: “I am proud to announce the first edition of the Billboard Arabia Music Awards. As one of the fastest growing music hubs, Riyadh is the perfect location to celebrate the achievements of Arab artists around the world. Audiences will experience the diversity of Arab music firsthand through live performances. They will see their favorite artists like never before. This is what BBAMAs are all about: ensuring that Arab artists, their music and their stories receive the well-deserved recognition both regionally and globally.” ​

Billboard Arabia, a pioneering platform at the intersection of culture and music, celebrates the artistry and diversity of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Launched as a partnership between SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the MENA region, and Billboard, the world’s most influential music media brand, its mission is to redefine the global music landscape.

Mike Van, president of Billboard, stated: “We are proud to bring the Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) to Riyadh. The show remains the preeminent music event worldwide. The BBMAs celebrate and recognize musical talent and chart achievements and we’re thrilled to extend this legacy and vision to the MENA region, highlighting the musical excellence of Arab artists.  This show will not only celebrate artists’ commercial success, but also highlight their real impact on the music industry. The focus is on spotlighting artists and the evolving music landscape. Winning at the Billboard Music Awards is not just about one night; it represents an important moment elevating artists toward sustained success in their careers. This year, with the launch of the Billboard Arabia Music Awards, we are applying the same metric-based methodology to showcase Arab artists who have resonated most with music fans worldwide.”​

Billboard Arabia was launched in June 2023 to spotlight Arab artists and their stories on a global stage. Since then, it has introduced several iconic Billboard franchises to the MENA region, including Billboard Arabia News, Women in Music and Charts. These initiatives have established the necessary infrastructure to help both established and new artists reach wider audiences. Billboard Arabia has also developed several unique IPs that further highlight the Arab voices, including its exclusive studio session series, Jalsat Billboard Arabia, and its groundbreaking initiative, Sounds of the Land. ​

Performances and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks. For more updates and news, visit billboardarabia.com.

10 Sep 2024

Prince’s Music Companies ‘Working to Resolve Matters’ Regarding Unreleased Doc Accusing Musician of Abuse

Primary Wave Music and Prince Legacy, two companies with ties to Prince‘s assets, released a statement Monday afternoon in response to reports of an unreleased documentary accusing the late musician of physical and emotional abuse.

“Those with the responsibility of carrying out Prince’s wishes shall honor his creativity and genius,” the statement reads. “We are working to resolve matters concerning the documentary so that his story may be told in a way that is factually correct and does not mischaracterize or sensationalize his life. We look forward to continuing to share Prince’s gifts and celebrate his profound and lasting impact on the world.”

On Sunday, a lengthy report from the New York Times Magazine revealed that an unreleased nine-hour documentary from O.J.: Made in America filmmaker Ezra Edelman featured interviews with dozens of Prince’s former business partners, lovers, friends and associates which included multiple allegations of physical and emotional abuse.

The article chronicled a dense back-and-forth between the film’s production team and Prince’s estate in a battle over the documentary’s release. Per NYT, the project has been in development with Netflix for nearly five years.

The film allegedly includes an interview with Prince’s ex-lover Jill Jones, who recalls a night in which he slapped and repeatedly punched her in the face. Another past relationship, Susannah Melvoin, reportedly told filmmakers that after she moved in with the musician, he monitored her phone calls, told her not to leave the house and tried to keep her separated from her sister. In another interview, his ex-wife Mayte Garcia allegedly recalls being left alone after her and Prince’s child died.

Other interviews allege the famous singer exhibited controlling nature and that he suffered abuse as a child. Additional sources, however, also recall positive memories of the singer, which created what Edelman described as one of the hardest projects of his career.

“How can you tell the truth about someone who, when you’re talking to people, they all had different things to say?” he said.

In a statement to NYT, Netflix said “this documentary project has proved every bit as complex as Prince himself. We have meticulously archived Prince’s life and worked hard to support Ezra’s series. But there are still meaningful contractual issues with the estate that are holding up a documentary release.”

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

10 Sep 2024

Shakira Calls Spain’s Tax Agency ‘Machista’: 5 Things We Learned From Her Op-Ed

One year after she agreed to a deal with Spanish authorities to settle her $15 million for tax fraud case, Shakira is telling her side of the story.

In an over 1,000-word op-ed published in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the Colombian singer penned strong declarations about her war with Spain’s tax agency.

“In 2023, I lived surrounded by cameras anxiously waiting to show the world how I was breaking down,” she writes. “No one missed a single detail: the tax court trial, the media divorce… It was too juicy a show to pass up. But the most frustrating thing was seeing that a state institution seemed more interested in publicly burning me at the stake than in listening to my reasons. Well, I think the time has come to give them.”

In November 2023, after maintaining her innocence for five years, Shakira accepted a last-minute agreement, confirming her acknowledgement of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government about $15.8 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014. Under the agreement, she received a suspended three-year sentence and paid a $7.6 million fine, according to The Associated Press.

Throughout the letter, the global Latin artist — known for hits such as “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Whenever, Wherever,” and “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” — clarifies her intentions on traveling to the European country, why she reached an agreement with the prosecution in the first place and why she’s sharing her truth now. “Just like my songs, I sing to be able to live peacefully again, to turn the page,” she notes.

Below, see five things we learned from Shak’s personal op-ed:

10 Sep 2024

Justin Hawkins Shares Taylor Swift’s Sweet Note to Him After ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ Sing-Along

Taylor Swift believes in a thing called love, and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins has the handwritten note to prove it.

After a clip of the 34-year-old pop star and Travis Kelce belting out the rock band’s 2003 hit “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” at the U.S. Open went viral Sunday (Sept. 8), the frontman took to TikTok to share his positive experience at the Eras Tour in Zurich a few weeks prior. “The hospitality they showed us was extraordinary,” Hawkins said in the clip, including photos of him and his family at Swift’s concert. “I have Chris Rock on one side, Roger Federer on the other side.”

Hawkins went on to share a photo of the handwritten letter from Swift that was waiting for him in the VIP tent pre-show. “What a thrill to have you at the show!” the “Karma” singer wrote to the rock star. “I’m a massive fan of yours and think ‘I Believe In a Thing Called Love’ is one of the greatest songs of all time. I hope you and your family have fun at the show! Thanks so much for coming!”

“I was just Dad of the Year, maybe Dad of the Century, because all of that was a big surprise,” Hawkins reflected. “Speaking of big surprises, I woke up this morning, and everybody’s forwarded me some footage of ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ being played at the U.S. Open and Taylor Swift and her partner Travis dancing along to it and really enjoying the music.”

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“It was a really heartwarming moment for me, and my little girl can’t wait to tell her friends at school,” the “Love Is Only a Feeling” singer added. “Really lovely start to the day.”

Swift’s attendance at the U.S. Open was one of the biggest talking points of the tournament over the weekend, with the 14-time Grammy winner tagging along with her boyfriend and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. Consequently, the internet was ablaze with photos and videos of the two couples cheering on the players and grooving along to the music in Queens, NYC, with one picture in particular — a snap of the pop star and retired soccer player hugging — drawing criticism from some fans due to Brittany Mahomes’ alleged support of Donald Trump.

In 2024, the “Anti-Hero” artist is no stranger to attending sports events — although Kelce is usually the one on the field when she’s there. Most recently, Swift attended the Chiefs’ first game of the 2024-25 NFL season on Thursday (Sept. 5) amid a break in her global Eras Tour, with Kansas City winning against the Baltimore Ravens 27-20.

Watch Hawkins’ TikTok below.

10 Sep 2024

Music AI FAQs: Experts Answer the Most-Asked Questions About the Growing Sector

From Ghostwriter’s “fake Drake” song to Metro Boomin‘s “BBL Drizzy,” a lot has happened in a very short time when it comes to the evolution of AI’s use in music. And it’s much more prevalent than the headlines suggest. Every day, songwriters are using AI voices to better target pitch records to artists, producers are trying out AI beats and samples, film/TV licensing experts are using AI stem separation to help them clean up old audio, estates and catalog owners are using AI to better market older songs, and superfans are using AI to create next-level fan fiction and UGC about their favorite artists.

For those just starting out in the brave new world of AI music, and understanding all the buzzwords that come with it, Billboard contacted some of the sector’s leading experts to get answers to top questions.

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What are some of the most common ways AI is already being used by songwriters and producers?

TRINITY, music producer: As a producer and songwriter, I use AI and feel inspired by AI tools every day. For example, I love using Splice Create Mode. It allows me to search through the Splice sample catalog while coming up with ideas quickly, and then I export it into my DAW Studio One. It keeps the flow of my sessions going as I create. I heard we’ll soon be able to record vocal ideas into Create Mode, which will be even more intuitive and fun. Also, the Izotope Ozone suite is great. The suite has mastering and mixing assistant AI tools built into its plug-ins. These tools help producers and songwriters mix and master tracks and song ideas.

I’ve also heard other songwriters and producers using AI to get started with song ideas. When you feel blocked, you have AI tools like Jen, Melody Studio and Lemonaide to help you come up with new chord progressions. Also, Akai MPC AI and LALA AI are both great for stem splitting, which allows you to separate [out] any part of the music. For example, if I just want to solo and sample the drums in a record, I can do that now in minutes.

AI is not meant to replace us as producers and songwriters. It’s meant to inspire and push our creativity. It’s all about your perspective and how you use it. The future is now; we should embrace it. Just think about how far we have come from the flip phones to the phones we have now that feel more limitless every day. I believe the foundation and heart of us as producers and songwriters will never get lost. We must master our craft to become the greatest producers and songwriters. AI in music creation is meant to assist and free [up] more mental space while I create. I think of AI as my J.A.R.V.I.S. and I’m Iron Man.

How can a user tell if a generative AI company is considered “ethical” or not?

Michael Pelczynski, chief strategy and impact officer, Voice-Swap: If you’re paying for services from a generative AI company, ask yourself, “Where is my money going?” If you’re an artist, producer or songwriter, this question becomes even more crucial: “Why?” Because as a customer, the impact of your usage directly affects you and your rights as a creator. Not many companies in this space truly lead by example when it comes to ethical practices. Doing so requires effort, time and money. It’s more than just marketing yourself as ethical. To make AI use safer and more accessible for musicians, make sure the platform or company you choose compensates everyone involved, both for the final product and for the training sources.

Two of the most popular [ways to determine whether a company is ethical] are the Fairly Trained certification that highlights companies committed to ethical AI training practices, and the BMAT x Voice-Swap technical certification that sets new standards for the ethical and legal utilization of AI-generated voices.

When a generative AI company says it has “ethically” sourced the data it trained on, what does that usually mean? 

Alex Bestall, founder and CEO, Rightsify and Global Copyright Exchange (GCX): [Ethical datasets] require [an AI company to] license the works and get opt-ins from the rights holders and contributors… Beyond copyright, it is also important for vocalists whose likeness is used in a dataset to have a clear opt-in.

What are some examples of AI that can be useful to music-makers that are not generative?

Jessica Powell, CEO, AudioShake: There are loads of tools powered by AI that are not generative. Loop and sample suggestion are a great way to help producers and artists brainstorm the next steps in a track. Stem separation can open up a recording for synch licensing, immersive mixing or remixing. And metadata tagging can help prepare a song for synch-licensing opportunities, playlisting and other experiences that require an understanding of genre, BPM and other factors.

In the last year, several lawsuits have been filed between artists of various fields and generative AI companies, primarily concerning the training process. What is the controversy about?

Shara Senderoff, co-founder, Futureverse and Raised in Space: The heart of the controversy lies in generative AI companies using copyrighted work to train their models without artists’ permission. Creators argue that this practice infringes on their intellectual property rights, as these AI models can produce content closely resembling their original works. This raises significant legal and ethical questions about creative ownership and the value of human artistry in the digital age. The creator community is incensed [by] seeing AI companies profit from their efforts without proper recognition or compensation.

Are there any tools out there today that can be used to detect generative AI use in music? Why are these tools important to have?

Amadea Choplin, COO, Pex: The more reliable tools available today use automated content recognition (ACR) and music recognition technology (MRT) to identify uses of existing AI-generated music. Pex can recognize new uses of existing AI tracks, detect impersonations of artists via voice identification and help determine when music is likely to be AI-generated. Other companies that can detect AI-generated music include Believe and Deezer; however, we have not tested them ourselves. We are living in the most content-dense period in human history where any person with a smartphone can be a creator in an instant, and AI-powered technology is fueling this growth. Tools that operate at mass scale are critical to correctly identifying creators and ensuring they are properly compensated for their creations.

Romain Simiand, chief product officer, Ircam Amplify: Most AI detection tools provide only one side of the coin. As an example, tools such as aivoicedetector.com are primarily meant to detect deepfakes for speech. IRCAM Amplify focuses primarily on prompt-based tools used widely. Yet, because we know this approach is not bulletproof, we are currently supercharging our product to highlight voice clones and identify per-stem AI-generated content. Another interesting contender is resemble.ai, but while it seems their approach is similar, the methodology described diverges greatly.

Finally, we have pex.com, which focuses on voice identification. I haven’t tested the tool but this approach seems to require the original catalog to be made available, which is a potential problem.

AI recognition tools like the AI Generated Detector released by IRCAM Amplify and the others mentioned above help with the fair use and distribution of AI-generated content.

We think AI can be a creativity booster in the music sector, but it is as important to be able to recognize those tracks that have been generated with AI [automatically] as well as identifying deepfakes — videos and audio that are typically used maliciously or to spread false information.

In the United States, what laws are currently being proposed to protect artists from AI vocal deepfakes?

Morna Willens, chief policy officer, RIAA: Policymakers in the U.S. have been focused on guardrails for artificial intelligence that promote innovation while protecting all of us from unconsented use of our images and voices to create invasive deepfakes and voice clones. Across legislative efforts, First Amendment speech protections are expressly covered and provisions are in place to help remove damaging AI content that would violate these laws.

On the federal level, Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Joe Morelle (D-NY) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) introduced the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas and Unauthorized Duplications Act to create a national framework that would safeguard Americans from their voice and likeness being used in nonconsensual AI-generated imitations.

Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) released a discussion draft of a bill called Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe Act with similar aims of protecting individuals from AI deepfakes and voice clones. While not yet formally introduced, we’re hopeful that the final version will provide strong and comprehensive protections against exploitive AI content.

Most recently, Sens. Blackburn, Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Content Origin Protection and Integrity From Edited and Deepfaked Media Act, offering federal transparency guidelines for authenticating and detecting AI-generated content while also holding violators accountable for harmful deepfakes.

In the states, existing “right of publicity” laws address some of the harms caused by unconsented deepfakes and voice clones, and policymakers are working to strengthen and update these. The landmark Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act made Tennessee the first state to update its laws to address the threats posed by unconsented AI deepfakes and voice clones. Many states are similarly considering updates to local laws for the AI era.

RIAA has worked on behalf of the artists, rights holders and the creative community to educate policymakers on the impact of AI — both challenges and opportunities. These efforts are a promising start, and we’ll continue to advocate for artists and the entire music ecosystem as technologies develop and new issues emerge.

What legal consequences could a user face for releasing a song that deepfakes another artist’s voice? Could that user be shielded from liability if the song is clearly meant to be parody?

Joseph Fishman, music law professor, Vanderbilt University: The most important area of law that the user would need to worry about is publicity rights, also known as name/image/likeness laws, or NIL. For now, the scope of publicity rights varies state by state, though Congress is working on enacting an additional federal version whose details are still up for grabs. Several states include voice as a protected aspect of the rights holder’s identity. Some companies in the past have gotten in legal trouble for mimicking a celebrity’s voice, but so far those cases have involved commercial advertisements. Whether one could get in similar trouble simply for using vocal mimicry in a new song, outside of the commercial context, is a different and largely untested question. This year, Tennessee became the first state to expand its publicity rights statute to cover that scenario expressly, and other jurisdictions may soon follow. We still don’t know whether that expansion would survive a First Amendment challenge.

If the song is an obvious parody, the user should be on safer ground. There’s pretty widespread agreement that using someone’s likeness for parody or other forms of criticism is protected speech under the First Amendment. Some state publicity rights statutes even include specific parody exemptions.

10 Sep 2024

Where AI Meets Music: A Directory of Music-Centric AI Startups

As more music industry entrepreneurs rush into the nascent AI sector, the number of new companies seems to grow by the day. To help artists, creators and others navigate the space, Billboard has compiled a directory of music-centric AI startups.

Given how quickly the sector is growing, this is not an exhaustive list, but it will continue to be updated. The directory also does not make judgment calls about the quality of the models’ outputs and whether their training process is “ethical.” It is an agnostic directory of what is available. Potential users should research any company they are considering.

Although a number of the following companies fit into more than one business sector, for the sake of brevity, no company is listed more than once.

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To learn more about what is considered to be an “ethical” AI model, please read our AI FAQs, where key questions are answered by top experts in the field, or visit Fairly Trained, a nonprofit dedicated to certifying “ethical” AI music models.

General Music Creation

AIVA: A music generator that also provides additional editing tools so that users can edit the generated songs and make them their own.

Beatoven: A text-to-music generator that provides royalty-free music for content creators.

Boomy: This music generator creates instrumentals using a number of controllable parameters such as genre and BPM. It also allows users to publish and monetize their generated works.

Create: A stem and sample arrangement tool created by Splice. This model uses AI to generate new arrangements of different Splice samples, which are intended to spark the songwriting process and help users find new samples.

Gennie: A text-to-music generator created by Soundation that produces 12-second-long samples.

Hydra II: A text-to-music generator created by Rightsify that aims to create royalty-free music for commercial spaces. It is trained on Rightsify’s owned catalog of songs.

Infinite Album: A music generator that provides “fully licensed” and “copyright safe” AI music for gamers.

Jen: A text-to-music generator created by Futureverse that was trained on 40 licensed music catalogs and uses blockchain technology to verify and timestamp its creations.

Lemonaide: A “melodic idea” generator. This model creates musical ideas in MIDI form to help songwriters get started on their next idea.

MusicGen: A text-to-music generator created by Meta.

Music LM: A text-to-music generator created by Google.

Ripple: A music generator created by ByteDance. This product can convert a hummed melody into an instrumental and can expand upon the result.

Song Starter: A music generator created by BandLab that is designed to help young artists start new song ideas.

Soundful: This company has collaborated with Kaskade, Starrah and other artists and producers to create their own AI beat generators, a new play on the “type-beat.”

SoundGen: A text-to-music generator that can also act as a “musical assistant” to help flesh out a creator’s music.

Soundraw: A generator that creates royalty-free beats, some of which have been used by Trippie Redd, Fivio Foreign and French Montana.

Stable Audio: A text-to-music generator created by Stability AI. This model also offers audio-to-audio generation, which enables users to manipulate any uploaded audio sample using text prompts.

Suno: A text-to-music generator. This model can create lyrics, vocals and instrumentals with the click of a button. Suno and another generator, Udio, are currently being sued by the three major music companies for alleged widespread copyright infringement during the training process. Suno and Udio claim the training qualifies as fair use under U.S. copyright law and contend the lawsuits are attempts to stifle independent competition.

Tuney: A music generator. This model is known for soundtracking brand advertisements and offering “adaptive music” to make a generated track better fit any given project.

Udio: A text-to-music generator that can create lyrics, vocals and instrumentals with a keyboard stroke. This model is best known for generating “BBL Drizzy,” a parody song by comic Willonius Hatcher that was then sampled by Metro Boomin and became a viral hit. Udio, like Suno, is defending itself against a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the three major music companies. Udio and Suno claim their training counts as fair use and accuse the label groups of attempting to stifle independent competition.

Voice Conversion

Covers.AI: A voice filter platform created by Mayk.It. The platform offers the ability to build your own AI voice, as well as try on the voices of characters like SpongeBob, Mario or Ash Ketcham.

Elf.Tech: A Grimes voice filter created by CreateSafe and Grimes. This tool is the first major artist-voice converter, and Grimes debuted it in response to the virality of Ghostwriter977’s “Heart on My Sleeve,” which deepfaked the voices of Drake and The Weeknd.

Hooky: A voice filter platform best known for its official partnership with Lauv, who used Hooky technology to translate his song “Love U Like That” into Korean.

Kits.AI: A voice filter, stem separation and mastering platform. This company can provide DIY voice cloning as well as a suite of other generic types of voices. It is certified by Fairly Trained.

Supertone: A voice filter platform, acquired by HYBE, that allows users to change their voice in real time. It also offers a tool called Clear to remove noise and reverb from vocal stems.

Voice-Swap: A voice filter and stem separation platform. This company offers an exclusive roster of artist voices to choose from, including Imogen Heap, and it hopes to become an “agency” for artists’ voices.

Vocoflex: A voice filter plug-in created by Dreamtonics that offers the ability to change the tone of a singer’s voice in real time.

Stem Separation

Audioshake: A stem separation and lyric transcription tool. This company is best known for its recent participation in Disney’s accelerator program.

LALA.AI: A stem separation and voice conversion tool.

Moises AI: A stem separation, pitch-changer, chord detection and smart metronome tool created by Music AI.

Sounds.Studio: A stem separation tool created by Never Before Heard Sounds.

Stem-Swap: A stem separation tool created by Voice-Swap.

Dynamic Music

Endel: A personalized soundscape generator that enhances activities including sleep and focus. The company also releases collaborations with artists like Grimes, James Blake and 6LACK.

Lifescore: A personalized soundtrack generator that enhances activities like driving, working out and more.

Plus Music.AI: A personalized soundtrack generator for video-game play.

Reactional Music: A personalized soundtrack generator that adapts music with actions taken in video games in real time.

Management

Drop Track: An AI-powered music publicity tool.

Musical AI: An AI-powered rights management tool that enables rights holders to manage their catalog and license their works for generative AI training as desired.

Musiio: An AI music tagging and search tool owned by SoundCloud. This tool creates fingerprints to better track and search songs, and it automates tagging songs by mood, keywords, language, genre and lyrical content.

Triniti: A suite of AI tools for music creation, marketing, management and distribution created by CreateSafe. It is best known for the AI voice application programming interface behind Grimes’ Elf.Tech synthetic voice model.

Other

Hook: An AI music remix app that allows users to create mashups and edits with proper licensing in place.

LANDR: A suite of plug-ins and producer services, many of which are powered by AI, including an AI mastering tool.

Morpho: A timbre transfer tool created by Neutone.

10 Sep 2024

Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah Rock Staten Island Ferry For Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Week Show

They say you can never go home again, but nobody told that to Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, were Shaolin-adjacent on Sunday when they performed a special set on a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat in honor of designer Tommy Hilfiger’s 2024 New York Fashion week show debuting the brand’s 2025 Spring-Summer collection.

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“Major event took place earlier this evening ! ON THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY !!!!!!! what’s fu–king with that !!!!!! hahahah. at the @tommyhilfiger NYFW last show . we ran the runway with the #hillfiger alumni,” Raekwon wrote on Instagram on Monday (Sept. 9) alongside a carousel of pics from the show, including one with a smiling Hilfiger.

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“we ran the runway with the #hillfiger alumni. Amazing surprise show . @andyhilfiger you and your brother are iconic. appreciate the years of love and respect !!!!!! Myself ..MEF .. and Ghost did the 1/2 to excite the crowd and they went bananas,” the Chef continued of the gig that took place on the John F. Kennedy ferry boat owned by SNL‘s Colin Jost and pal and SNL album Pete Davidson. “so many years of respect to a brand who always supported us to the fullest.”

According to the New York Post, guests who boarded the boat that used to ferry passengers between Manhattan and the borough birthplace of the Wu-Tang docked at the South Street Seaport for Fashion Week included Jost, Brooke Shields, actor Damson Idris (Snowfall), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V), BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, Stray Kids’ Felix and Lee Know and Olympic gold medalists Suni Lee and Gabrielle Thomas.

Tony Stark also posted some pics from the gig, as well as a video of the titanic trio ripping through the iconic 1993 Wu-Tang track “C.R.E.A.M.” as they jumped up unexpectedly from their seats and walked around among the high-brow crowd with the Roots’ Questlove on the decks behind them for a set that also included the Wu-Tang’s 2007 track “Ice Cream.”