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To judge from the results of a report commissioned by GEMA and SACEM, the specter of artificial intelligence (AI) is haunting Europe.
A full 35% of members of the respective German and French collective management societies surveyed said they had used some kind of AI technology in their work with music, according to a Goldmedia report shared in a Tuesday (Jan. 30) press conference — but 71% were afraid that the technology would make it hard for them to earn a living. That means that some creators who are using the technology fear it, too.
The report, which involved expert interviews as well as an online survey, valued the market for generative AI music applications at $300 million last year – 8% of the total market for generative AI. By 2028, though, that market could be worth $3.1 billion. That same year, 27% of creator revenues – or $950 million – would be at risk, in large part due to AI-created music replacing that made by humans.
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Although many of us think of the music business as being one where fans make deliberate choices of what to listen to – either by streaming or purchasing music – collecting societies take in a fair amount of revenue from music used in films and TV shows, in advertising, and in restaurants and stores. So even if generative AI technology isn’t developed enough to write a pop song, it could still cost the music business money – and creators part or even all of their livelihood.
“So far,” as the report points out, “there is no remuneration system that closes the AI-generated financial gap for creators.” Although some superstars are looking to license the rights to their voices, there is a lack of legal clarity in many jurisdictions about under what conditions a generative AI can use copyrighted material for training purposes. (In the United States, this is a question of fair use, a legal doctrine that doesn’t exist in the same form in France or Germany.) Assuming that music used to train an AI would need to be licensed, however, raises other questions, such as how many times and how that would pay.
Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of songwriters want credit and transparency: 95% want AI companies to disclose which copyrighted works they used for training purposes and 89% want companies to disclose which works are generated by AI. Additionally, 90% believe they should be asked for permission before their work is used for training purposes and the same amount want to benefit financially. A full 90% want policymakers to pay more attention to issues around AI and copyright.
The report further breaks down how the creators interviewed feel about using AI. In addition to the 35% who use the technology, 13% are potential users, 26% would rather not use it and 19% would refuse. Of those who use the technology already, 54% work on electronic music, 53% work on “urban/rap,” 52% on advertising music, 47% on “music library” and 46% on “audiovisual industry.”
These statistics underscore that AI isn’t a technology that’s coming to music – it’s one that’s here now. That means that policymakers looking to regulate this technology need to act soon.
The report also shows that smart regulation could resolve the debate between the benefits and drawbacks of AI. Creators are clearly using it productively, but more still fear it: 64% think the risks outweigh the opportunities, while just 11% thought the opposite. This is a familiar pattern with the music business, to which technologies are both dangerous and promising. Perhaps AI could end up being both.
Following the spread of AI-generated, sexually explicit photos of Taylor Swift, the White House is speaking out and calling for legislation to protect victims on online harassment. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the incident “alarming,” and that the negatives […]
Flavor Flav teamed up with his Public Enemy bandmate Chuck D for “Every Where Man,” a new single that uses AI to translate the track to dozens of different languages. To celebrate, he joined Billboard’s Rania Aniftos to discuss the inspiration behind the song. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, […]
The leader of the American Federation of Musicians proclaimed that Hollywood labor is “in a new era” as dozens of members of various entertainment unions came to the doorstep of studio labor negotiators in support of the start of his union’s contract negotiations on Monday.
As an early drizzle that morning turned into driving rain, members of the Writers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and Teamsters Local 399 rallied in front of the Sherman Oaks offices of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers with picket signs, and a few umbrellas, in hand. To AFM‘s chief negotiator and international president Tino Gagliardi, this kind of unity for musicians was unlike anything he’d seen in his time in union leadership. “We’re in a new era, especially in the American labor movement, with regard to everyone coalescing and coming together and collaborating in order to get what we all need in this industry,” Gagliardi told The Hollywood Reporter. “Together we are the product, we are the ones that bring the audiences in, that controls the emotion, if you will.”
The program — which featured music performed by AFM brass musicians and speeches from labor leaders including Teamsters Local 399 secretary-treasurer Lindsay Dougherty, Writers Guild of America West vice president Michele Mulroney and L.A. County Federation of Labor president Yvonne Wheeler — took place hours before the AFM was scheduled to begin negotiations over new Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and Basic Television Motion Picture contracts with the AMPTP in an office just steps away.
The message that speakers drove home was sticking together in the wake of the actors’ and writers’ strikes that shut down much of entertainment for half a year the previous summer and fall. The 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes saw an unusual amount of teamwork occur between entertainment unions, which the AFM is clearly hoping to repeat in their contract talks. “We learned a hard, long lesson last year that we had to be together since day one. That’s going to be the difference going into this fight for the musicians, is that we’re all together in this industry,” Dougherty said in her speech.
The WGA West’s Mulroney addressed the musicians present, saying that her members “never took your support for granted” during the writers’ work stoppage. She added, “The WGA has your back just as you had our backs this past summer.” Though he wasn’t present at Monday’s event, SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland sent a message, delivered by his chief communications officer, that “the heat of the hot labor summer is as strong as ever.”
The AMPTP said in a statement on Monday that it looks forward to “productive” negotiations with the AFM, “with the goal of concluding an agreement that will ensure an active year ahead for the industry and recognize the value that musicians add to motion pictures and television.”
Though the AFM contracts under discussions initially expired in Nov. 2023, the writers’ and actors’ strikes that year prompted both sides to extend the pacts by six months. Top priorities for the musicians’ union in this round of talks include instituting AI protections, amplifying wages and greater streaming residuals.
For rank-and-file writers and actors who showed up at Monday’s rally, one recurring theme was repaying the AFM for its support during their work stoppages. SAG-AFTRA member Miki Yamashita (Cobra Kai), who is also a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists, explained that during the actors’ strike she organized an opera singers-themed picket at Paramount, which AFM members asked to take part in. “Because of them, we had orchestra players and a pianist to play for us during our picket, and I’ll never forget how much that meant to me, that show of solidarity,” she said. “I promised myself that if they ever needed my presence of my help, that I would rush to help them.”
Carlos Cisco and Eric Robbins, both writers on Star Trek: Discovery and WGA members, worked as lot coordinators at Disney during the writers’ strike. They recalled AFM members providing a morale boost during the work stoppage by occasionally playing music on the picket lines. “The struggles that labor faces in this [industry] are universal, whether it’s the hours, the residual payments as we’ve moved to streaming or the concern about AI coming into various spaces. We have far more in common than separates us,” said Robbins.
The AFM’s negotiations are set to continue through Jan. 31. Though the AMPTP offices don’t often see labor demonstrations, Gagliardi says that as a former president of New York-based AFM Local 802, he staged rallies in front of employer headquarters with some frequency. “I did this on a regular basis,” he said. “It was about bringing everyone together to fight for a common cause, and that’s what we’re doing today.”
This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
Tennessee governor Bill Lee has announced a new state bill to further protect the state’s “best in class artists and songwriters” from AI deepfakes.
While the state already has laws to protect Tennesseans against the exploitation of their name, image and likeness without their consent, this new law, called the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act (ELVIS Act), is an update to the existing law to specifically address the challenges posed by new generative AI tools. The ELVIS Act also introduces protection for voices.
The announcement arrives just hours after a bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers revealed the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications Act (No AI FRAUD Act), which aims to establish a framework for protecting one’s voice and likeness on a federal level and lays out First Amendment protections. It is said to be a complement to the Senate’s Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act (NO FAKES Act), a draft bill that was introduced last October.
An artist’s voice, image or likeness may be covered by “right of publicity” laws that protect them from commercial exploitation without authorization, but this is a right that varies state by state. The ELVIS Act aims to provide Tennessee-based talent with much clearer protection for their voices in particular at the state level, and the No AI FRAUD Act hopes to establish a harmonized baseline of protection on the federal level. (If one lives in a state with an even stronger right of publicity law than the No AI FRAUD Act, that state protection is still viable and may be easier to address in court.)
The subject of AI voice cloning has been a controversial topic in the music business in the past year. In some cases, it presents novel creative opportunities — including its use for pitch records, lyric translations, estate marketing and fan engagement — but it also poses serious threats. If an artist’s voice is cloned by AI without their permission or knowledge, it can confuse, offend, mislead or even scam fans.
“From Beale Street to Broadway, to Bristol and beyond, Tennessee is known for our rich artistic heritage that tells the story of our great state,” says Gov. Lee in a statement. “As the technology landscape evolves with artificial intelligence, we’re proud to lead the nation in proposing legal protection for our best-in-class artists and songwriters.”
“As AI technology continues to develop, today marks an important step towards groundbreaking state-level AI legislation,” added Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill will protect Tennessee’s creative community against AI deepfakes and voice cloning and will serve as the standard for other states to follow. The Academy appreciates Governor Lee and bipartisan members of the Tennessee legislature for leading the way — we’re eager to collaborate with lawmakers to move this bill forward.”
“The emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) resulted in fake recordings that are not authorized by the artist and is wrong, period,” said a representative from Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). “The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) applauds Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Senate Leader Jack Johnson and House Leader William Lamberth for introducing legislation that adds the word “voice” to the existing law — making it crystal clear that unauthorized AI-generated fake recordings are subject to legal action in the State of Tennessee. This is an important step in what will be an ongoing challenge to regulate generative AI music creations.”
“I commend Governor Lee of Tennessee for this forward-thinking legislation,” said A2IM president/CEO Dr. Richard James Burgess. “Protecting the rights to an individual’s name, voice, and likeness in the digital era is not just about respecting personal identity but also about safeguarding the integrity of artistic expression. This act is a significant step towards balancing innovation with the rightful interests of creators and performers. It acknowledges the evolving landscape of technology and media, setting a precedent for responsible and ethical use of personal attributes, in the music industry.”
“The Artist Rights Alliance is grateful to Gov. Lee, State Senator Jack Johnson and Rep. William Lamberth for launching this effort to prevent an artist’s voice and likeness from being exploited without permission,” said Jen Jacobsen, executive director of the Artist Rights Alliance. “Recording artists and performers put their very selves into their art. Scraping or copying their work to replicate or clone a musician’s voice or image violates the most fundamental aspects of creative identity and artistic integrity. This important bill will help ensure that creators and their livelihoods are respected and protected in the age of AI.”
“AI deepfakes and voice cloning threaten the integrity of all music,” added David Israelite, president/CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association. “It makes sense that Tennessee state would pioneer these important policies which will bolster and protect the entire industry. Music creators face enough forces working to devalue their work – technology that steals their voice and likeness should not be one of them.”
“Responsible innovation has expanded the talents of creators — artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, and visual performers, among others — for decades, but use of generative AI that exploits an individual’s most personal attributes without consent is detrimental to our humanity and culture,” said Mitch Glazier, chairman/CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “We applaud Governor Bill Lee, State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth’s foresight in launching this groundbreaking effort to defend creators’ most essential rights from AI deepfakes, unauthorized digital replicas and clones. The ELVIS Act reaffirms the State of Tennessee’s commitment to creators and complements Senator Blackburn’s bipartisan work to advance strong legislation protecting creators’ voices and images at the federal level.”
“Evolving laws to keep pace with technology is essential to protecting the creative community,” said Michael Huppe, president/CEO of SoundExchange. “As we embrace the enormous potential of artificial intelligence, Tennessee is working to ensure that music and those who make it are protected under the law from exploitation without consent, credit, and compensation. We applaud the cradle of country music and the birthplace of rock n’ roll for leading the way.”
According to a press release from the state of Tennessee, the ELVIS Act is also supported by Academy of Country Music, American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), The Americana Music Association, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA), Christian Music Trade Association, Folk Alliance International, Global Music Rights, Gospel Music Association, The Living Legends Foundation, Music Artists Coalition, Nashville Musicians Association, National Music Publishers’ Association, Rhythm & Blues Foundation, Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), Songwriters of North America (SONA) and Tennessee Entertainment Commission.
Throughout history, music has embraced constructive change and innovation. And we will do so again as we confront the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence.
Done right, AI should offer avenues for new growth and artistic accomplishment. When creators’ rights are respected, innovation thrives.
Already, music companies have unveiled compelling projects that use AI technologies in groundbreaking ways — with full consent and participation of the artists and rights holders involved. Working together with responsible AI companies, music companies are finding new ways to enhance production and marketing, gain new understandings from data and research, and improve wellness and health. They’ve used it to help identify new audiences for artists and pioneer new ways to celebrate iconic catalogs and performers. This is just the beginning of a new era of possibilities.
But many AI developers are resisting collaborative efforts by the creative sector to develop a responsible policy framework for AI, even though the elements of such a framework are straightforward and common-sense. In short, AI companies must honor:
Authorization: only use copyrighted music if it is authorized (for example, through a license)
Transparency: keep and disclose adequately detailed records of the content on which they train their systems
Authenticity: prevent deepfakes, voice clones, and similar violations of individuals’ rights in their own voice, image, name likeness and identity.
These foundational, consensus principles are detailed by the Human Artistry Campaign and supported by virtually the entire creative community. They set forth a baseline for responsible development and deployment of AI.
But as if on cue, some of the worst instincts of Big Technology have returned. Some AI developers claim it’s “fair use” to scrape up protected music so it can be copied and repackaged by their models. That’s just wrong.
Put bluntly, that’s digital theft.
In every legitimate market in the world, the use of others’ property requires the owner’s consent and agreed-upon compensation. Together, for example, music and technology have developed a burgeoning streaming market built on the common-sense principle that use of copyrighted creative works requires licensing and consent.
Indeed, the developers’ claim that they can use decades’ worth of iconic and extremely valuable recordings for AI without bothering to ask or pay the rightsholders is so far-fetched that former Stability AI developer Ed Newton-Rex quit his job in November rather than be party to an extreme effort to rip off artists and misappropriate their work, explaining via X:
“Companies worth billions of dollars are, without permission, training generative AI models on creators’ works, which are then being used to create new content that in many cases can compete with the original works. I don’t see how this can be acceptable[.]”
It’s not.
This is why transparency is essential. AI developers must keep accurate records of the copyrighted works used by their models and make them available to rights holders seeking to enforce their rights. We need rules requiring that developers maintain adequately detailed records and share this information — or bear the consequences if they fail to produce it. We were pleased to see that the European Union enshrined this as a core principle in its landmark AI Act.
AI policy must also establish clear rules protecting every performer’s right to their own voice, image, name and likeness — the most fundamental cornerstones of individual identity. AI fakes that mine an artist’s body of work to create artificial replicas and voice clones, fashion phony endorsements, or depict individuals in ways they haven’t consented to represent the worst kind of personal invasion. Congress needs to put an end to wrongful appropriation of the most central components of individual human identity.
These are the challenges of 2024.
We either work to continue a strong and sustainable foundation for music in the era of generative AI that moves both art and technology forward together, or generative AI devolves into just another “move fast and break things” novelty that fails to deliver anything of value while eroding our culture.
These are the choices policymakers will face this coming year. Let’s work to help them forge the right path.
Mitch Glazier is chairman/CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America.
Verswire — a venture capital music startup launched by Veeps founder/COO Sherry Saeedi, Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus and Lippman Entertainment partner Nick Lippman, with Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz on board as a strategic advisor — raised $12.3 million in seed and Series A funding led by E.O.A. Productions and idobi Radio along with Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and Foo Fighters tour manager Gus Brandt. Concurrently, Verswise announced a new publishing arm set to launch this year in partnership with Kobalt Music Group.
Verswire has been described as a development incubator for both emerging and established artists that tailors a custom investment for each, including “funding, resources, tools, mentoring, support from prominent music executives and an ecosystem to own and operate their businesses within while allowing them to keep majority ownership of their masters,” according to a press release at launch. The company has signed two artists thus far: Beauty School Dropout and brand-new signee Girlfriends, an alt-rock duo composed of Travis Mills and Nick Gross.
Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to director Alexandria Bombach’s Indigo Girls documentary Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All, which premiered on the opening night of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The distributor is planning a theatrical release for the film in the spring.
BMG acquired the majority of the recorded music catalog of French pop singer and composer Alain Chamfort. The acquisition comprises 13 albums, including Poses, Amour Année Zéro, Tendres Fièvres and Secrets Glacés as well as some of his biggest hits, including “Manureva,” “La Fièvre Dans Le Sang” and “Géant.” BMG will release Chamfort’s future recordings, including a four-track EP with Sébastien Tellier in January and a new studio album, L’Impermanence, in March. BMG will subsequently reissue several of Chamfort’s previous albums.
Additionally, BMG has strengthened its interest in Berlin band NENA‘s catalog, including the band’s global smash hit, “99 Luftballons.” Adding to its existing shares in the catalog, the company has acquired singer Nena’s U.S. recording copyright and ROW artist royalties, along with three band members’ artist shares. Other songs in the NENA catalog including “Nur geträumt,” “Leuchtturm,” “Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann” and “? (Fragezeichen).”
Iron Horse Acquisitions Corp., a special purpose acquisitions company (SPAC), has raised $69 million from an initial public offering of 6,900,000 units at $10 each. Each unit consists of one share of common stock, one full warrant and one right to receive one-fifth of one share of common stock upon the consummation of an initial business combination. The company’s units are listed on the Nasdaq and started trading under the ticker symbol IROHU on Dec. 27. Founded by Jose A. Bengochea, who serves as CEO, Iron Horse is described as a media and entertainment-focused blank check company that will focus on deals spanning verticals including music rights aggregators, music licensors, international music labels, K-pop, AI, production studios, celebrity-backed content creators, gaming, fantasy sports, social media marketers and talent management.
TRINITI, a generative artificial intelligence platform powered by music tech studio CreateSafe, has partnered with newly launched music production platform SOUNDS.STUDIO, which will use TRINITI technology to provide an in-browser music and audio AI tool allowing users to create and distribute music all in one place. TRINITI previously made news for powering Grimes‘ AI voice model. Under the new deal, SOUNDS.STUDIO will allow its users to have the GrimesAI voice model on their own music and then distribute it to the major streaming platforms via TRINITI’s distribution channels.
Lyrics licensing and data solutions company LyricFind acquired technology company Rotor Videos, which makes it easier and more cost-efficient for artists and labels to create video content for Spotify Canvas, Apple Motion Art, social media platforms and more. The Rotor Videos team will continue to be led by founder/CEO Diarmuid Moloney, who will report to LyricFind founder/CEO Darryl Ballantyne. Along with the acquisition, LyricFind and CD Baby have struck a partnership to launch integrations of the Rotor Videos tool and LyricFind’s video enterprise solution, enabling CD Baby artists to create video content directly on the CD Baby platform.
ADA Worldwide has struck a distribution partnership with Omnivore Recordings covering the label’s entire catalog along with new releases. Omnivore specializes in historical releases, reissues and previously unissued vintage recordings, as well as select releases of new music, on CD, vinyl and digital. Omnivore’s catalog includes recordings by such acts as The Muffs, Alex Chilton, Laura Nyro, Stephen Stills and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
ASM Global has renewed its management contract with the Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, N.C., extending the relationship through 2028. The relationship between the two extends back to 2008.
Colombian hemp and cannabis producer One World Products partnered with Kx Family Care, a CBD-enriched personal care product line created by Stephen Marley and Shelly O’Neill. Under the deal, One World will produce and distribute Kx Family Care products in Colombia and Latin America, with the two companies collaborating on efforts to market and distribute the products.
Kids’ music brand KIDZ BOP struck an exclusive apparel licensing deal with IHL Group. An all-new KIDZ BOP apparel line including activewear, intimates, sleepwear and loungewear is set to hit North American retailers in the third quarter of 2024.
12/21/2023
The year saw both record revenues and widespread upheaval amid the rise of new technologies and existential questions about the future of the industry.
12/21/2023
– Megan Thee Stallion agreed in October to settle a long-running legal battle against her former record label record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. The deal came after more than three years of bitter litigation stemming from her accusation that 1501 duped the young artist into signing an unfair record deal in 2018 that was well below industry standards. That cleared the way for her to sign a distribution deal with Warner Music in December.
– Kesha and Dr. Luke reached a settlement in June to end a decade-long lawsuit accusing the pop star of defaming him in 2014 when she accused him of raping her in 2005. The agreement came on the eve of trial — and just a week after a New York court issued a key ruling that would have made it harder for Dr. Luke to win the case.
– DJ Envy, the host of the popular Breakfast Club hip-hop radio show, was sued over the summer by dozens of investors who claimed he was complicit in an alleged multi-million-dollar real estate investment scam in New Jersey perpetrated by celebrity real estate guru Cesar Pina. Envy denied the allegations and said he too was a victim of the fraud. But when federal prosecutors indicted Pina in October for running a “Ponzi-like investment fraud scheme,” they specifically noted that Pina had “partnered with a celebrity disc jockey and radio personality” to boost his reputation.
– New state laws restricting drag performances were struck down as unconstitutional, first in Tennessee, then in Florida, and finally in Texas, each time on the grounds that they likely violate freedom of speech. Such statutes are nominally aimed at protecting children from obscenity, but critics say existing laws already do that and that the new legislation is instead a thinly veiled attack on the LGBTQ community. The new laws have been closely watched by the music industry over concerns that aspects of concerts could run afoul of broad new restrictions.
– Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot during an argument, capping off three years of legal drama over the violent 2020 incident. The sentence came after Lanez was convicted on three felony counts at trial, a verdict that the singer is currently appealing.
– The two key remaining members of Journey — lead guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain — battled in court over back-and-forth accusations related to band finances and a corporate American Express card. The lawsuit was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Journey’s internal dysfunction and legal issues, as detailed by Billboard’s Steve Knopper.
– A private feud between longtime members of the legendary rock band Mötley Crüe burst into public view in April when co-founder Mick Mars filed a lawsuit accusing his former “brothers” of tossing him to the curb after he said he could no longer tour due to a “tragic” disability called ankylosing spondylitis. The rest of Crüe, on the other hand, says they offered Mars “generous compensation” as a courtesy, but that he instead chose to file an “ugly public lawsuit.”
Hidden behind a white sheet and sunglasses, an anonymous music-maker called Ghostwriter logged on to TikTok in April to post his first video. In it, he announced his debut single, “Heart on My Sleeve” — and signaled a seismic shift in the music business. Using an artificial intelligence voice filter that disguised Ghostwriter’s own timbre behind that of Drake and The Weeknd, “Heart on My Sleeve” was the first song to show just how far AI music had come already and what novel challenges and opportunities it would present to artists.
The song also proved that artists would struggle to control how their voice and likeness are used in the age of AI — even superstars like Drake and The Weeknd who have the resources to fight back. Universal Music Group (UMG) issued a strongly worded statement soon after the song’s posting, condemning “infringing content created with generative AI,” and the song was quickly taken down from most platforms. But fans continued to post it to TikTok and YouTube every time it was removed. As Ghostwriter later put it in his Billboard cover story: “The genie can’t be put back in the bottle.”
“Heart on My Sleeve” forced the industry to reckon with the limitations of existing “right of publicity” laws that protect artists from having their voices and likenesses commercially exploited without their authorization. The strength of this right varies from state to state, and at the time the song was released, there wasn’t a precedent for issuing takedown notices for these types of violations, like there is for copyright infringement claims.
Likely as a result of the song and other AI concerns, UMG general counsel/executive vp of business and legal affairs Jeffrey Harleston went to Capitol Hill to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in July, asking for a “federal right of publicity” to be created to help protect artists. Streaming services also voluntarily entered talks with the major labels to form a system so that labels can request takedowns for right of publicity concerns.
Still, some artists consider Ghostwriter to be a revolutionary. Artist-producer Grimes took to X (formerly Twitter) after the release of “Heart on My Sleeve” to write, “I think it’s cool to be fused w a machine, and I like the idea of open sourcing all art.” Shortly after, she launched GrimesAI, a voice model trained on her recordings that lets fans shape-shift their voice into hers at the click of a button. She also collaborated with TuneCore to allow fans to distribute their resulting songs to streaming services under the tag “GrimesAI” to distinguish it from her own catalog.
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YouTube recently built on this same idea with the experimental program Dream Track. It lets fans use voice models of Charlie Puth, John Legend, Sia, T-Pain, Demi Lovato, Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Alec Benjamin and Papoose with the approval of partners UMG and Warner Music Group (WMG).
Songwriters and publishers have also started using AI voice technology. This summer, Billboard reported that AI voice models were used to help writers pitch song ideas to artists. The AI-altered pitch records had been used as an internal reference for the writers to gauge if the track sounded appropriate for a particular singer while composing, and sometimes the records with the AI voice applied were also sent to the artist’s team in hopes that they would increase their chance of landing the song.
In a recent interview with Billboard, pop artist Lauv said he has seen that usage firsthand with one of his songwriter friends who was pitching a track to Nicki Minaj using AI. Lauv himself is also leaning into the new technology: In November, he partnered with AI voice startup Hooky — one of many startups in the space — to translate his new single, “Love U Like That,” into Korean. After getting Korean American songwriter Kevin Woo to translate the lyrics and sing a Korean version, Hooky applied Lauv’s AI voice model to map Lauv’s signature sound over Woo’s.
Ghostwriter’s manager previously said he also believes that artist estates and catalog owners could use AI voice models to market their music. WMG is now experimenting with the catalog of late French singer Édith Piaf. The company is creating AI models to resurrect her voice and likeness for a controversial new biopic called EDITH to “further enhance the authenticity and emotional impact of the story,” according to a press release.
“Heart on My Sleeve” represents just one of many burgeoning areas of AI that can transform the music business in the future. Concurrently, as startups like Kits.AI, mayk.it, Hooky, Voice-Swap, Supertone and Lingyin Engine hope to capture the AI voice model market, AI-generated beats and loops promise to upend production music libraries and the overall creation process. AI “functional music,” soundscapes designed to fit user needs for sleep, focus or relaxation, also promise an evolution in wellness and ambient music. And as AI stem separation unlocks possibilities for remixing, synch licensing and restoring old audio files (the new Beatles song, “Now and Then,” used the technology to restore John Lennon vocal recordings), there are surely even more use cases for AI that are yet to be discovered.
While legal and logistical questions remain with the technology, Ghostwriter’s team is pressing on. He has teased a second single (“Whiplash” featuring the AI voices of Travis Scott and 21 Savage) while expressing his desire to collaborate with other artists. As such, Ghostwriter’s manager believes it is of the utmost importance for the music business to band together to “define an equitable arrangement for all stakeholders” when using AI. As he previously told Billboard, “We had an opportunity [with “Heart on My Sleeve”] to show people the value in AI and music … I like to say that everything starts somewhere.”
This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.