Universal Music Group has announced a new partnership with SoundLabs, a “responsible” AI music tools company, to provide AI music editing tools to UMG talent. This includes a personalized real-time AI voice clone plugin called “MicDrop” that is set to launch later this summer.
SoundLabs AI-powered music editing tools (AU, VST3, AAX) connect to all major digital audio workstations (DAWs), including Logic, ProTools, Ableton and more, to let musicians clean up their vocals , make changes and even shape-shift their voices at the touch of a button, thanks to AI technology. With MicDrop, UMG artists can create their own AI voice models, but these custom models will be exclusive to their creative use and not available to the general public.
The news is perfectly in line with the company's “responsible” AI strategy, set out by UMG's CEO and chairman, Lucian Grangein early 2024. As he said in a January memo to staff, received from Advertising sign, Grainge wrote that although some experts viewed AI as a “looming threat”, UMG's view was that AI would “present opportunities” for the company. “Just like we did with streaming, we went to turn those opportunities into reality.”
He went on to explain his two-pronged approach to embracing what he called UMG's “responsible AI initiative.” First, he would lobby for “guardrails” or public policies to protect the name, image, voice and likeness of artists from false impersonation and other “ground rules.”
Second, Grainge set out to “forge pioneering partnerships in the private sector with AI technology companies,” which now includes its deal with SoundLabs. “In the past, new and often disruptive technology was simply released into the world, leaving the music community to develop the model by which artists would be fairly compensated and their rights protected,” Grainge continued. “In a sharp break with that past, we've created a historic relationship with our longtime partner, YouTube, that gives artists a seat at the table before any product comes to market, including helping shape AI product development and a path to monetization. “
SoundLabs was founded by the Grammy-nominated producer, composer, software developer and electronic artist BT. After a 25-year career, working with David Bowie, Madonna, PinchDeath Cab for Cutie, Peter Gabriel and Stamp, turned to software development to create new music tools to help producers innovate. Over the years, his software products – including patented audio plugins such as Stutter Edit, BreakTweaker (iZotope), Polaris, Phobos (Spirfire Audio) – have generated gross sales of $70 million.
The other co-founders of the company — Joshua Dickinson, Dr. Michael Hetrick and Lacy Transeau — are all aligned with BT in an “artist first” approach to building AI music tools. As a press release from UMG states about the partnership: “SoundLabs was founded with a fundamental respect for intellectual property rights and is focused on helping artists retain creative control over their data and models.”
“It is a tremendous honor to work with the forward-thinking and creatively aligned Universal Music Group. We believe that the future of music creation is undeniably human. Artificial intelligence, when used ethically and trained in a consensual manner, has the promethean ability to unlock unimaginable new creative ideas, reduce friction in the creative process, and democratize creativity for artists, fans, and creators of all kinds. We design tools not to replace human artists, but to enhance human creativity,” says BT.
Chris Horton, svp of technology strategy at Universal Music adds, “UMG strives to keep artists at the center of our AI strategy so that technology is used in service of art, not the other way around. We are thrilled to be working with SoundLabs and BT, who have a deep and personal understanding of both the technical and ethical issues surrounding AI. Through direct experience as a singer and working with multiple vocal partners, BT understands how performers view and value their voices, and SoundLabs will enable UMG artists to push creative boundaries by using voice-to-voice AI to sing in languages who don't speak, duet with their younger selves, restore imperfect voice recordings, and more.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/umg-soundlabs-personalized-ai-voice-models-artists/