The foundation of any generative AI model is the underlying data. Developing generative AI typically requires exceptionally large datasets, especially in the pre-training step. The data used in this step forms the foundation of the model in the chosen domain, such as language or images. The volume and quality of data required to pre-train a generative AI model from scratch may impact the ability of new players to enter the market.
June, 2023
Goldman Releases (Slightly) Dialed Back ‘Music in the Air’ 2023
Goldman Sachs has released its 2023 ‘Music in the Air’ report, dialing back its prior music industry revenue forecast slightly. In pointing to the possibility of a cool $153 billion in yearly industry revenue – up substantially from a prior projection of around $131 billion – Goldman in the 2022 analysis made clear its belief that streaming was showing “no sign of saturation.”
Source: Goldman Releases (Slightly) Dialed Back ‘Music in the Air’ 2023
Splash unveils its text-to-music AI-powered creation tool
AI music startup Splash’s latest feature is a text-to-music tool under its Splash Pro banner. Visitors to its website are invited to ‘describe the music you want to create’ with an interface similar to other kinds of generative AI tool (from ChatGPT to DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion). Prompts generate a series of different samples, which can then be extended to 15-second tracks.
Source: Splash unveils its text-to-music AI-powered creation tool – Music Ally
Canva inks deals with Warner and Merlin to let creators use songs in their content
Starting this fall, Canva users will be able to add songs from WMG’s catalog, or the catalogs of indie rights holders represented by Merlin, to their videos or other media presentations. Rights holders will earn royalties when clips of their songs appear in published videos made with Canva. Canva is often used to quickly produce videos for TikTok, YouTube or other video services. It’s also commonly used for businesses’ training videos, slideshows and other presentations.
Source: Canva inks deals with Warner and Merlin to let creators use songs in their content
TikTok parent ByteDance reveals AI-powered music creation app Ripple
The latest big technology firm exploring AI music is ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, with an invitation-only app called Ripple. ByteDance says that the free app is designed for musicians and social-media creators alike. The app includes a feature called ‘Melody to Song’ which enables users to sing or hum a melody into their phone. Ripple will then “expand the melody with an instrumental accompaniment in a variety of different genres.”
Source: TikTok parent ByteDance reveals AI-powered music creation app Ripple – Music Ally
OpenAI and Microsoft Sued for $3 Billion Over Alleged ChatGPT ‘Privacy Violations’
On Wednesday, OpenAI and Microsoft were sued in a class action lawsuit seeking $3 billion in damages for allegedly stealing “vast amounts of private information” from internet users without consent in order to train ChatGPT. This lawsuit, which was filed on June 28 in federal court in San Francisco, and includes sixteen anonymous plaintiffs, claimed that OpenAI secretly “scraped 300 billion words from the internet” without registering as a data broker or obtaining consent.
Source: OpenAI and Microsoft Sued for $3 Billion Over Alleged ChatGPT ‘Privacy Violations’
Google is dropping local news links in Canada
Google will be removing links to Canadian news in Search, News, and Discover following the recent passage of the Online News Act in Canada, according to a blog post by Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs. The law, also called Bill C-18, forces big tech companies like Google and Meta to pay news publishers for their content.
Kool & The Gang’s George Brown strikes ‘multi-million-dollar’ catalog deal with Primary Wave
On Wednesday (June 28), Primary Wave revealed that it has struck what it calls a ‘multi-million-dollar’ deal with George Brown, the legendary songwriter, drummer, producer and Founding Member of Kool & The Gang. Primary Wave says it has acquired a stake in his music publishing catalog, writer’s share, and writer’s share of public performance.
Source: Kool & The Gang’s George Brown strikes ‘multi-million-dollar’ catalog deal with Primary Wave
Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners sells 50% stake in music library
There’s a lot of buzz around classic movie scores right now – as rumors swirl that Warner Bros Discovery is close to agreeing a $500m-ish deal to sell around 50% of its treasured music catalog. Sony is reported to be the front-runner to buy. But that’s not the only major music deal being thrashed out in Tinseltown. Multimedia Music, the UK-headquartered company founded by industry veterans Phil Hope and James Gibb just announced its latest major acquisition.
Source: Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners sells 50% stake in music library to $200m-backed Multimedia Music
Reservoir Music CEO: AI Can Actually Help Protect Creativity and Copyrights
The music community is at the center of the AI conversation, partly because at this stage it’s one of the easiest art forms to understand the impact of AI —everyone’s heard a fake Drake or a fake McCartney by now. But it’s not the end, just the beginning of something new. There is a great opportunity to understand it, collaborate with it, and seize the opportunities it generates.