Universal Music, Amazon Expand Partnership, Vow to “Address Unlawful AI-Generated Content”
Music giant Universal Music Group (UMG) and Amazon Music unveiled an expanded global relationship on Monday that they said would “enable further innovation, exclusive content with UMG artists, and advancement of artist-centric principles including increased fraud protection.” The partners said they would “work collaboratively to address, among other things, unlawful AI-generated content, as well as protecting against fraud and misattribution.”
The expanded deal reflects the two companies’ “shared commitment to advancing and safeguarding human artistry while ensuring UMG’s artists achieve their commercial potential through the service’s continued product enhancements and exclusive content that elevate authentic engagement between artists and fans,” they said in a statement.
In line with that, UMG and Amazon Music will jointly “explore new and enhanced product opportunities designed to benefit artists and enrich the experience of their fans.” UMG said the partnership news comes as it “continues to expand in audio, including further innovation in audiobooks, audio and visual programming,” and invests in live-streamed content.
“We are very excited to advance our long-standing, excellent partnership with Amazon Music that marks a new era in streaming – Streaming 2.0,” said UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge. “We appreciate Amazon Music’s deep commitment to the interests of our artists, and look forward to progressing our shared artist-centric objectives through product innovation and accelerating growth of their service.”
Added Steve Boom, vp of audio, Twitch and games for Amazon: “UMG has always been a collaborative partner to Amazon Music, and as we continue to invent and introduce more artist-to-fan connections through our product and exclusive content, we’re redefining what it means to be a streaming service. We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with UMG which will enable us to partner on meaningful new ways for artists to deepen their engagement with fans around the world, while working together to protect the work of artists, songwriters, and publishers.”
Universal has been partnering with new AI companies committed to respecting and helping to maximize the commercial impact and reach that responsibly trained AI can bring to artists. Its deals have come with the likes of YouTube/Google, ProRata.AI, Endel, SoundLabs, BandLabs, and Roland. It recently also launched Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree in Spanish for the first time using SoundLabs AI technology, fully approved by the artist.
At the end of October, the music giant also teamed up with L.A.-based AI music company Klay Vision on what the partners described as “a pioneering commercial ethical foundational model for AI-generated music that works in collaboration with the music industry and its creators.”
