Google and Universal Music are in talks to license artists’ VOICES as the industry battles the proliferation of AI tools that can flawlessly replicate Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and Kanye West
- Music executives and Google are looking for ways to protect the industry from AI that has flawlessly recreated the voices of the world’s most successful artists
- One way is to license artist voices to provide legal protections from AI copies
- According to reports, Universal Music and Google could develop a tool that would allow fans to recreate musicians’ voices and pay copyright holders
Universal Music bosses are negotiating with Google to license artists’ voices and tunes to protect them from the growing threat of AI copies.
Executives have reportedly come up with ideas, including an app that would allow fans to create tracks using their favorite artists’ AI-generated voices, with the money split between copyright holders. Artists would have the opportunity to get on or off.
The industry is struggling to keep up with the AI developments that have flawlessly recreated the singing of famous artists past and present.
Recent examples include Johnny Cash “singing” a mix of “Barbie Girl” and “Party” over the backing track to his hit song “Folsom Prison Blues” in the US. AI was also used to create a version of Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise sung by Frank Sinatra.
Other YouTube channels are dedicated to creating music with AI-generated vocals by Drake, The Weeknd, and Kanye West.
Music managers are looking for ways to handle AI technology capable of flawlessly recreating the vocals of legendary artists like Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash
Universal Music bosses are negotiating with Google to license artists’ voices and tunes to protect them from the growing threat of AI copies
Universal Music general counsel Jeffrey Harleston underscored the industry’s concerns about the technology when he told US lawmakers last month, “An artist’s voice is often the most valuable part of their livelihood and public personality, and stealing it.” , no matter what the means, is wrong.’
As reported by the Financial Times, Google, which owns YouTube, has also been in talks with Warner Music about a product.
The report noted that music executives have compared the AI dilemma to the launch of YouTube and users using popular songs as backing tracks for their videos, leading to copyright allegations.
YouTube eventually struck a deal with the music industry worth up to $6 billion a year.
Some artists have complained about the trend. Drake responded that an AI-generated song featuring his voice was the “last drop”.
His record company also recently struggled to rid the internet of a viral AI song that used his likeness.
In April, an AI-generated song featuring the simulated voices of Drake and The Weeknd was removed from Universal Music Group’s streaming services for “violating content created using generative AI.”
The track went viral and at the time of its removal was streamed 600,000 times on Spotify and received 15 million views on TikTok and 275,000 on YouTube.
The song “Heart On My Sleeve” is believed to have been created using AI programs trained on artists’ music, which UMG says “is both a breach of our agreements and a breach of copyright.”
Several channels on YouTube are dedicated to creating cover music with AI-generated vocals. Kanye West is a popular artist whose voice has been mimicked by AI
His voice was also cloned by KI on The Weeknd, and Drake said a song mimicking his voice was “the last straw that breaks the camel’s back”.
The music label told Billboard Magazine that the viral posts “show why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent their services from being used in ways that harm artists.”
It added that the episode “begs the question of which side of history everyone involved in the music ecosystem wants to be on: on the side of artists, fans, and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud, and denial.” of artists.” compensation due.
“We are encouraged by the engagement of our platform partners on these issues – because they recognize that they must be part of the solution.”
Canadian musician Grimes, Elon Musk’s former partner, told artists they could use their voice for fair royalties sharing in AI-generated songs.
The 35-year-old singer said fans could use her music “without penalty” for a 50 per cent profit – after an AI hit of a song performed with the voices of Drake and The Weeknd.
Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher, said that nothing is off limits and her “ultimate goal has always been to push boundaries rather than have a beautiful song.”