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The first time Ashley Elzinga, a 33-year-old DJ from Traverse City, Mich., heard her doppelgänger’s voice, she was not happy. Not because the sound of an artificial-intelligence imposter was so eerie. Not because AI technology portends robots might someday replace her. She didn’t like the way AI Ashley pronounced “news.” “I was like, ‘Why are they saying nooooose?’” recalls Elzinga in her flat Midwestern accent. “I was so embarrassed.”
It took a few tries for the engineers at Futuri Media, a Cleveland-based AI specialist, to find the right vocal balance between flat and sharp, deadpan and excited. “Now she’s ironing out…,” says Elzinga, a midday host for Portland Top 40 station Live 95.5, then corrects herself: “Now it’s ironing out…. She, or it, is starting to have more emotion and be a bit more accurate resemblance.”
AI Ashley, as Live 95.5 refers to the cloned voice on the air, made “her” debut on the air last Friday, delivering news, introducing songs and hyping station promotions in alternating speaking segments with the real Ashley Z, as Elzinga is known. Live 95.5 hasn’t received any listener complaints, says Dylan Salisbury, the station’s content director: “I don’t even know if they realize it yet.”
Alpha Media, owner of Live 95.5, started experimenting with AI voice technology last fall, according to Phil Becker, the company’s executive vp of content. When company execs learned Elzinga was about to take the full-time job in Traverse City, potentially reducing her hours on Live 95.5, they saw her as a “perfect storm” case study for an on-air test, he says: “The line in Moneyball is ‘the first guy through the wall always gets bloodied.’ That’s where we are right now. We’re OK playing some Moneyball-style radio, because it wins championships.”
Elzinga and Salisbury see AI as an efficiency tool, a way of stretching DJs’ hours so listeners can hear their voices even when they’re not physically present. For Elzinga, who multi-tasks her way through a full-time morning-show gig at her hometown Top 40 station WKHQ, then “tracks” her voice remotely for Live 95.5 and another station in Seattle every day, AI Ashley allows her to work even more. She owns the rights to her voice, approves every on-air AI usage and, Salisbury says, “We have increased her fee.”
“If she says stop, we have to stop,” Salisbury adds. “We’re trying to be respectful during the wild West of AI and go where we think the law is going to go.”
We made history as the world’s first radio station with an AI DJ! Our midday host Ashley has become AI Ashley! We can’t wait for you to meet Ashley, the world’s first artificially intelligent DJ. As to the intelligence of our other DJ’s…we’ll save that for another post 😉 pic.twitter.com/CtlMhYU0IO
— Live 95.5 (@live955) June 13, 2023
Of course, what is a neat, little, high-tech, mostly risk-free magic trick for Elzinga, Salisbury and Alpha Media, the Portland broadcast company that owns Live 95.5 and 205 other stations, is a terrifying prospect for much of the radio industry. When the station posted excitedly about AI Ashley last week, Twitter erupted: An NPR host tweeted an “everyone disliked that” meme, a freelance writer wanted to know, “Why would you participate in the very public elimination of your job?” and even J. Smith-Cameron, who plays Gerri on HBO’s Succession, wondered if Elzinga was “worried you’ll have ALL the days off now that they cloned you?”
For the past three decades, the broadcast industry has faced consolidation and extreme cost-cutting that has oftentimes meant layoffs of on-air talent. Over the past few years, DJs for local radio shows have been outsourced from other markets — much like Elzinga does in Portland and Seattle from her home in Michigan.
“They are eagerly stripping away, as fast as they can, the thing that makes radio unique,” says former radio host and station manager Michele Coppola, who’s now a Portland copywriter.
“My fear is there will be some owners that will [say], ‘This is an efficiency, this is a way for us to save money — that will further deplete the body of truly talented radio people,” adds Steve Reynolds, a Raleigh, N.C., talent coach for radio personalities.
“Futuri claims it’s going to be a tool, just like any other tool, to make a job easier,” says Lance Venta, owner and publisher of Radio Insight. “Voice-tracking, when used properly, is a tool. When it’s used to have a talent voice 35 stations to save money, it’s no longer a tool — it’s a weapon.”
Radio Waits
So far, the rest of the U.S. broadcast industry has yet to plunge into on-air AI voices as aggressively as Live 95.5. But radio stations around the world, and their digital competitors, have tinkered with the technology – and have suggested they may expand. In April, a Swiss station used AI to clone five human presenters on the air; comedian Drew Carey used an AI-generated approximation of his voice on his SiriusXM show in March; and in February, Spotify launched a (voiceless) AI-curated, personalized broadcast called “DJ.” During an April conference call about a soft advertising market, Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of top broadcaster iHeartMedia, told investors after a 3.8% drop in revenue, “We and every other company are looking at how to use AI. I think AI can fundamentally change the cost structure of the company.”
At Audacy, the second-biggest broadcaster, execs have done a “fair bit of experimentation” with AI tools, from voice applications to ChatGPT-style generative text that helps produce drafts of advertising scripts, according to Jeff Sottolano, executive vp and head of programming. But he’s not convinced an AI Ashley-style experiment has “value it creates for the consumer,” because Alpha Media had to expend “up-front investment” on training, reviewing, post-production and editing — all of which, at least for now, contradict the company’s efforts for greater efficiency and cost-cutting.
“All that said, I expect it will continue to get better and easier and faster,” he says. “We don’t look at this as something that’s finished, but something that’s going to continue to evolve. Just because we haven’t done it today doesn’t mean we might not do it tomorrow.”
The human Ashley is happy with the AI arrangement as long as she and her robot counterpart are clearly identified as “Ashley Z” or “AI Ashley” every time she — or it — appears on the air. “You just need to make sure integrity comes first,” she says.
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Source: JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Getty / Oceangate Expeditions
News of an OceanGate Expeditions submersible containing some prominent passengers going missing during an underwater expedition tour to survey the Titanic took over timelines over the weekend. Some recent developments around the company and the makeshift sub’s design have Twitter reacting.
If you didn’t hear about the story, OceanGate’s Titanic tourism submarine with five people onboard has gone missing. Per the New York Times, among those missing are the submarine’s pilot, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of Pakistan’s wealthiest men, Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19.
According to recent reports, time is critical as a search is underway to find the sub that went missing around the Titanic wreckage site in the North Atlantic on Sunday, with experts saying there is enough oxygen to last the crew until Wednesday.
As the story continues to own headlines, a CBS News story on OceanGate’s missing Titan story has gone viral after it showed how makeshift the sub is.
If you signed onto Twitter, you might see that Xbox Controller is trending, and it has nothing to do with the video game company dropping a new Xbox Design Lab custom controller. It’s the fact a cheap knockoff controller controls the $1 million makeshift submersible.
Twitter Is Flabbergasted
As you can imagine, Twitter is reacting to the news. One user sharing a clip from the story wrote in a tweet, “Y’all please watch this. It’s a CBS story that aired a while back about that submarine that is now missing. The creators of that missing submarine are DEEPLY unserious.”
“N****s really went into the deepest depths of the ocean in a DIY submarine controlled by an Xbox controller the size of a coat closet. If that isn’t natural selection idk bro,” another Twitter user wrote.
Bruh.
We hope the missing submarine is found and everyone onboard is alive and well.
You can peep more reactions to these recent developments in the gallery below.
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Photo: JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Getty
Motown Records is motoring into the metaverse.
The fabled label and its artists will take the leap into the virtual world for the first time, through a partnership with Linden Lab’s Second Life and music integration platform STYNGR, which boasts a pre-cleared catalog of more than 100 million tracks.
Through the arrangement, which Billboard exclusively reveals today (June 20), Second Life will host an immersive Motown venue, where gamers can explore the label’s music and roster, and take a piece for the virtual road.
The digital experience is facilitated by STYNGR, whose licensing, technology, and platform specializes in imports curated music from music companies, and has recently struck deals with Warner Music Group, Merlin, Luminate and ICE Services.
Founded in Detroit in 1959 by Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown is, of course, home to such legendary acts as Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Martha & The Vandellas, The Four Tops, and The Jackson 5. Its contemporary signings include YoungBoy Never Broke Again, KEM and Ne-Yo.
Alvaro Velilla, senior VP, new business, Universal Music Group, describes the partnership as “unprecedented,” one that provides Motown fans “with an unparalleled immersive experience.”
Visitors to the Motown hub can also nab so-called “Styngs,” which enables Second Life residents to attach music snippets to their avatars, like a digital badge.
Also, the new space is home to a dedicated Motown Records radio station, curated by Motown and STYNGR, with more experiences and music to roll out in the months ahead.
“Motown Records has always been at the forefront of culture and innovation, expanding the perceptions of what is to what could be,” comments Alex Williams, VP gaming strategy and business development, Motown Records, part of UMG. “As the convergence of music, culture, and tech continue to redefine the way fans experience music, partnerships like this enhance that connection building an even greater community among music lovers.”
Opening the doors to its virtual universe in 2003, Second Life was early on the scene. It has since seen nearly two billion user creations, according to San Francisco-based Linden Lab, which formed earlier, in 1999.
Music played a part in its early success, with the likes of Suzanne Vega, Duran Duran and Talib Kweli performing in-game gigs during its formative years.
Through partnerships and collaborations such as this Motown alliance, notes Brad Oberwager, executive chairman of Linden Lab, the tech specialist is keen to “improve, enhance, and enrich the in-world experiences” of the virtual world’s residents. Working with Motown Records and STYNGR on this campaign, adds Oberwager, is an “extraordinary opportunity” for Second Life.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Taking your music on the go has never been this easy — or this portable — thanks to this mini Bluetooth […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Xbox wants to take your gaming experience to the next level with an Xbox Series X mini fridge, which is back […]
Elon Musk dances to the beat of his own drummer. The Twitter/Tesla boss hardly ever does what you expect and almost always goes for the boldest, most outrageous move, whether in technology or when dipping his toe into the music biz. So far he’s kept his billions firmly focused on land (Tesla, Boring Co.), air […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Normani is entering her next chapter. The singer teamed with Bose to give fans a preview of her new single “Candy Paint” in a dance-themed commercial dropping Thursday (June 15).
“I’m really excited to partner with Bose, especially going into this new chapter,” Normani told Billboard during a phone interview on Wednesday (June 14). “In terms of my career and my music, I know the wait has been extensive but it’s definitely going to be worth it, and I just feel like the partnership couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It just felt like it was so in alignment with where I am musically and creatively,” she explained. “The Bose team [were] really hands on and allowed me to be hands on and take leadership in terms of the creativity. It just felt authentic and enjoyable, honestly. It was probably one of the most seamless experiences [for a partnership] thus far. It was fun! The energy was great the day of [the shoot] and it just felt easy.”
The Bose visual takes viewers on a trip through Normani’s creative process, from jotting down lyrics to recording and coming up with choreography — all while sporting Bose Quiet Comfort headphones and Quiet Comfort earbuds. In some of the more personal moments, Normani opens up about misconceptions people have about her and striving to be her most “authentic” self.
The visual will appear on Bose.com and the brand’s social media accounts.
“At Bose, we’re a community of music lovers, and we partner with artists to help showcase the power of sound during the moments in their career that matter the most,” said Jack Daley, VP, global media & partnerships at Bose. “Like her music, Normani is a force in the industry — we’re excited to premiere this track with her and for what our relationship will hold in the year ahead.”
Normani spoke further with Billboard about what she enjoyed most about the Bose collaboration, the inspiration behind “Candy Paint,” and what the next chapter looks like.
Billboard: What inspired ‘Candy Paint?’
Normani: It’s Texas, all the way! I really wanted to create a record that allowed me to show my personality. I feel like there’s a misconception; it probably has everything to do with my social media. [Laughs] I think that people think I’m so serious, which is the complete opposite [of me]. Anybody that really knows me knows that I’m really funny. I’m a goofball! I love to twerk. [Laughs] I’m just regular. I really wanted to create a record that encompassed that and allowed my personality to shine. It’s a performance record first, which I know my fans have been waiting for, for a very long time. It’s fun, energetic, bossy. It’s bold. It’s sassy but assertive, and yeah, I’m really excited to shoot the music video.
How long did it take to put together?
I would say it came pretty quickly. I had been working with Starrah, who I’ve been working very closely with just on the project overall, I feel like she knows me better than anybody. And the cool thing is we’re able to push each other. The idea came organically. I remember playing it at an event — my family and friends were there, and [my choreographer] was like, “Should we play it?” We ended up teasing it, and it was undeniable! We were like, “OK, this is it! This is the one!”
Normani
Bose
What I love about the Bose spot is that it feels very authentic to who you are.
I’m really grateful that that’s how it was captured. Shout-out to the creative team, because you really get a peek into who I am — not only as the artist, but also me being able to wear so many different hats. I feel like a lot of people still know very little about me, and I think that through the [Bose] spot you get to know a little bit more.
I learned that you moved from New Orleans to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. I didn’t know that!
Yeah, I was 9 years old at the time. I was a baby.
It really speaks to your resilience.
Thank you. I’ve been through a lot, just in my personal life, you know? Even just talking about my parents and what they’ve been through on top of COVID and trying to get the project out I’ve just – I’ve had a lot up against me, but I always manage somehow to pull through as best as I can, and honestly that’s by the grace of God and him just giving me the strength to endure and persevere.
You also mention trusting yourself. How has that shaped your career thus far?
I started in a girl group [Fifth Harmony] when I was 15. I remember that being one of the lowest points for me in terms of my confidence. We’re young, we’re trying to figure out who we are on top of having to do that in front of the rest of the world, while they pit us against each other, and then the things that people project on you, you kind of start to believe. Not just musically, but in my personal life, it’s easy to let those things creep in and for you to allow everybody’s perception to become your identity. But I’ve worked so hard in my adult life [over] the last two to three years. It’s a daily fight. I can’t say that every day is the same, but I’m just really intentional. I speak words of affirmation to myself. I’ve gotten a lot closer to God and I know that through that I’m able to know who I am and who I’m called to be versus the things that people put on me.
I’ve been really intentional with my time. Spending a lot more time with myself and getting to know myself and doing things anyway — even if I’m afraid. I can wholeheartedly say that through a lot of my career I know that I’ve been afraid. And that’s a vulnerable moment for me to even be honest with you and express, but yeah, just leaning into it and doing it anyway and knowing that God has a plan and it’s all going to work for my good. It’s the moments that you feel uncomfortable, the moments that you’re unsure or maybe even moments of chaos that he’s able to do what he does best and make something out of nothing.
What would you title this next chapter?
“Transformative.” In the season of actually stepping into who I am called to be.
Check out a preview video below.
The National Music Publishers’ Association says its members are suing Twitter over allegations of widespread copyright infringement and seeking hundreds of millions in damages, telling the Elon Musk-owned site it can no longer “refuse to pay songwriters and music publishers.”
In the lawsuit, which the group plans to announce during its annual meeting Wednesday (June 14), dozens of music publishers allege that Twitter had infringed more than 1,700 different songs — a claim that, if proven, could put the social media giant on the hook for as much as $255 million in damages.
“Twitter profits handsomely from its infringement of publishers’ repertoires of musical compositions,” the music companies write in their complaint, which was obtained by Billboard. “Twitter’s unlawful conduct has caused and continues to cause substantial and irreparable harm to Publishers, their songwriter clients, and the entire music ecosystem.”
Twitter did not respond to immediate request for comment.
The plaintiffs named in the lawsuit, set to be filed in Tennessee federal court, include Concord, UMPG, peermusic, ABKCO Music, Anthem Entertainment, Big Machine Music, BMG Rights Management, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Kobalt Music Publishing America, Mayimba Music, Reservoir Media Management, Sony Music Publishing, Spirit Music Group, The Royalty Network, Ultra Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, and Wixen Music Publishing.
The announcement that the NMPA would be pursuing legal action against Twitter shouldn’t come as a total surprise. In a February speech at the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) summit, NMPA president and CEO David Israelite called Twitter his “top legal focus” this year. He warned that the company was “hiding behind” the Digital Millenium Copyright Act – the federal law that limits how websites like Twitter can be sued over copyright infringement by their users.
In a statement on Wednesday, Israelite echoed that threat, saying that Twitter could no longer “hide behind the DMCA and refuse to pay songwriters and music publishers.”
“Twitter stands alone as the largest social media platform that has completely refused to license the millions of songs on its service,” Israelite said in a statement. “Twitter knows full well that music is leaked, launched, and streamed by billions of people every day on its platform.”
The DMCA provides websites like Twitter with a legal immunity — a “safe harbor” — against copyright lawsuits over material uploaded by their users, so long as they promptly remove infringing content and ban repeated violators from the platform. But in their new lawsuit, the publishers allege that Twitter failed to do either, meaning the site has legally forfeited the DMCA’s protections.
“Twitter routinely ignores known repeat infringers and known infringements, refusing to take simple steps that are available to Twitter to stop these specific instances of infringement of which it is aware,” the publishers wrote.
The NMPA annual meeting each year is known to feature at least one bombshell announcement from Israelite. Last year, the NMPA launched a legal action against over a hundred different apps that skim music from digital services without obtaining licenses, sent cease and desist notices to Apple and Google app stores, and filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against music video-making app Vinkle. In 2021, Israelite announced $200 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Roblox for hosting thousands of unlicensed songs within the game’s library.
The NMPA’s public grievances with Twitter date back to at least April 2021, when a Billboard published a guest column, co-penned by Israelite and RIAA chief Mitch Glazier. In it, the two leaders called for social media platform to license music and noted that in the last year music creators had sent more than 2 million notices to Twitter of unlicensed and infringing appearances of copyrighted music on the platform, more than 200,000 of which were of unreleased songs. “The company’s response to date has been totally inadequate,” the article lamented. It went on to suggest three ways for Twitter to address the grievances the music business has had with its operations: “licensing music and pay music creators like others do,” “better content protection tools,” and “stop demanding exorbitant payments from creators for content protection.”
Since Jack Dorsey stepped down from Twitter in November 2021, the stability of the company has been in constant flux. By the time Musk bought the company and assumed the role of CEO in October 2022, Twitter’s future seemed even more uncertain amid Musk’s controversial leadership, widespread cost cutting measures, and restructuring of the company. Since Dorsey’s departure, Israelite has taken to the platform to express his hope that subsequent chiefs like Parag Agrawal, Musk and now Linda Yaccarino would “finally” “take a new approach” with licensing music.
But in Wednesday’s lawsuit, the publishers said things had only gotten worse: “Twitter’s change in ownership in October 2022 has not led to improvements in how it acts with respect to copyright. On the contrary, Twitter’s internal affairs regarding matters pertinent to this case are in disarray.”
Licensing for games, social media, and other applications is quickly becoming a major component of music publishers’ income. At last year’s annual meeting, NMPA announced that licensing from new revenue streams — like Twitch, Roblox, Peloton and others — now account for 29.11% of music publishers’ income, something that is expected to only rise over time. This has come with the success of the NMPA’s aggressive legal agenda in recent years, and has helped publishers diversify their income from streaming, which is strictly regulated in the U.S. by the Copyright Royalty Board.
In the lawsuit against Twitter, the publishers noted that TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat had all entered into such broader licensing deals, enabling their users to use copyrighted music while still compensating songwriters. Twitter, they wrote, cannot not continue to be the exception.
“Twitter is seizing for itself an artificial competitive advantage against companies that are not violating copyright law, undercutting existing markets, cheapening the value of music, and undermining Publishers’ well-established business models,” lawyers for the publishers wrote.
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Source: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K
The NFL is the most popular professional sports league in the United States, but according to a new poll, it can’t claim the crown in the video game space.
Spotted on Variety, Madden NFL has been sacked. It is no longer the pinnacle in sports video games, Visual Concepts NBA 2K is king in the U.S., according to new research conducted by OHgamblers.
Analyzing Google searches and search terms related to the basketball video game, sports gaming experts determined that NBA 2K was the most searched game in 31 states over the past 12 months. Massachusetts, New York, and California top the list for the most NBA 2K-related searches.
This shouldn’t come as no surprise, being how popular NBA 2K has become since arriving in 1999. It quickly became the dominant basketball video game franchise thanks to its stellar presentation, superb gameplay, and realistic graphics, helping it dunk on its direct rival, the NBA Live franchise.
That game hasn’t been seen since the legendary NBA Elite 11 Andrum Bynum glitch.
[embedded content]
It’s Not Easy Being At The Top
It hasn’t been an easy transition dunk for NBA 2K, either. Literally being the only basketball video game on the market and there is no direct competitor to keep the game’s developers on the toes, the product got stale with its passionate community ripping the game that became a cash grab due to microtransactions.
But, as of late, with the arrival of the PS5, and Xbox Series X, developers were able to bring new energy to the game thanks to better technology, making the experience look and feel even better than previous iterations.
We loved NBA 2K23, and in our review, we called the game a marginal improvement from NBA 2K22, which wins by celebrating the NBA’s past, specifically the Jordan years.
Madden NFL has also fallen victim to the curse of offering the “same game” every year, just in shiny new packing with a different cover athlete.
So maybe that contributed to the game losing its popularity. Hell, actual NFL players were on Twitter ripping Madden NFL 23, so hopefully, Madden NFL 24 will be a significant improvement next year.
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Photo: Visual Concepts / NBA 2K
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Source: Activision / Call of Duty / Nickmercs
FaZe Clan member Nickmercs learned swiftly that spewing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric will cost you.
Spotted on PC Gamer, Nickmercs got his Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone skin pulled by Activision after he posted a headass anti-LGBTQ+ tweet.
In response to a tweet from CharlieIntel, a Call of Duty-focused website, which speculated that that was why Nickmerc’s skin was suddenly missing because of his comments, the Call of Duty Twitter account did confirm his skin is no longer available.
“Due to recent events, we have removed the ‘NICKMERCS Operator’ bundle from the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone store,” the tweet begins.
The tweet in question from the FaZe Clan member, who has 6.7 million followers on Twitch and 2 million on Twitter, was a reply to a tweet from eSports broadcaster Chris Puckett highlighting a clash between anti and pro-LGBTQ+ demonstrators at a school that was voting to decide if it should recognize June as Pride Month.
“They should leave little children alone. That’s the real issue,” Nickmercs said in his problematic tweet.
Outrage quickly followed after Nickmerc’s tweet, with Puckett himself responding, “Who is this ‘they’ and what terrible act is everyone afraid of?” he inquired. “I think/hope the goal of most of ‘them’ is to reduce child suicides. This is done through acceptance and removing the stigma of feeling/being different.”
Per the website, Nickmercs said he would not delete the tweet or apologize in a stream, claiming he does not resent the LGBTQ+ community.
Riiiiggghhht.
Bigots Are Big Mad
As expected, Actvision’s decision garnered plenty of reactions from gamers. You got the usual suspects who claim they will now be boycotting the company and popular video for taking the right stance.
Welp, it looks like they will have to stay mad because Nickmercs skin is no longer available, and there are no signs it is coming back.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Activision / Call of Duty
1. LOL, you won’t be missed on the COD battlefield
2. Another hater
3. Another loser who claims to be an ally
6. Y’all know what he meant
7. The lack of comprehension
9. Are y’all okay?