music news Universal Music Asks Streaming Services to Block AI Companies From Accessing Songs

[Gwendolyn]

 

Universal Music Group (UMG) is asking streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music to stop artificial intelligence companies from accessing the label’s copyrighted songs to “train” their machines, in what amounts to the latest music industry backlash to such technology.

 

In an email sent to Spotify, Apple Music and other streamers last month, UMG said that it had become aware that certain AI services had been trained on copyrighted music “without obtaining the required consents” from those who own the songs.

 

In the message, first reported by the Financial Times, UMG reminded streamers that they must prohibit such services from using their platforms for those purposes — and it came with an ominous warning.

“We will not hesitate to take steps to protect our rights and those of our artists,” UMG wrote in the email, the details of which were confirmed to Billboard by multiple sources on both sides. But it’s unclear exactly what those steps might be, or what exactly UMG wants the streamers to do differently

 

https://www.billboard.com/pro/universal-music-asks-spotify-apple-stop-ai-access-songs/

[americanlife]

I support this.

[jadeabove]

Good, but I hope labels are not doing the same internally. I feel like they might use the same sort of software in the future to pitch demo tracks to signed artists.

[TROPICUM]

While I support training AI so it can become better and actually helpful in a near future, I do think music is out of limits if it can simply recreate a song using the vocals of real artists, just imagine the morality battle when it comes to dead musicians 

[shyboi]

i was playing with this AI tool not long ago and the way you could prompt it to produce a tropical opera bachata in britney spears style left me speechless

 

and this is just the beginning, the singularity is upon us 

[aesthetic bih]

Yes, train AI to get better but let's not make them use copyrighted song cuz that's just unfair to the artists and especially the producers

[Holiest Dreams]

Good.

[Blue.]

16 minutes ago, shyboi said:

i was playing with this AI tool not long ago and the way you could prompt it to produce a tropical opera bachata in britney spears style left me speechless

 

and this is just the beginning, the singularity is upon us 

Which AI were you using?

[geddymonster]

Seems kind of like an empty threat because the labels are so dependent on streaming nowadays.

[Wonderland]

The debates around this will be so interesting.

 

What rights does a musician have to control the music and lyrics their voice is put to? What rights do they have to claim compensation if an AI generated song using their voice and/or their brand/image takes off? Can they take legal action against people who generate music with them saying damaging/defamatory things? 

 

I don't know the answers, but it is sure to be a great discussion.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Wonderland

[ToMmY]

I mean... They can try, I guess.

[Junlin]

So their talentless writing camp or producers can use it exclusively? 

[FightDragonsWithMe]

What will Britney's Estate do once her AI Voice is wiped? 

[Guest]

recoding and debugging archaic software applications that support Spotify and iTunes, is a more GLOBAL substantial lift than I KNOW they’ve considered.  

[Guest]

Just now, Limitless said:

recoding and debugging archaic software applications that support Spotify and iTunes, is a more GLOBAL substantial lift than I KNOW they’ve considered.  

@Bloo  

[duybeeGAshantiGA]

4 hours ago, jadeabove said:

Good, but I hope labels are not doing the same internally. I feel like they might use the same sort of software in the future to pitch demo tracks to signed artists.

Then we know that artists like Britney or Rihanma would just be lazy and say "those sound good already just use them vocals for the album".

[JustHoran]

GOOD!

[JustHoran]

2 hours ago, FightDragonsWithMe said:

What will Britney's Estate do once her AI Voice is wiped? 

Enjoy your WP 

[JustHoran]

4 hours ago, geddymonster said:

Seems kind of like an empty threat because the labels are so dependent on streaming nowadays.

They could easily destroy Spotify with all the artists that UMG has, if they removed them from Spotify.

Edited April 13, 2023 by JustHoran

[allforyou]

 Good on UMG's part for trying to stop this. I wonder what "steps to protect our rights and those of our artists" would be.

[EtherealCat]

they are powerless, ai is already out of control

[Recluse]

I'm pretty sure labels are already experimenting with their own AI singers and artists lol - isn't there one already?

[Taylor fanboy]

GOOD but what safeguards from the law against AI does UMG hold on to?

[Bloo]

18 hours ago, Limitless said:

@Bloo  

I’m not quite sure I know what you mean and why it’s relevant here?

[Guest]

21 hours ago, Bloo said:

I’m not quite sure I know what you mean and why it’s relevant here?

Because AI is engineered by coders, so having to code on the back end, by request of Universal Studios, to “block” AI companies from accessing streaming services, isn’t at easy as it seems. 
 

That’s why I tagged you to get your thoughts.