Independent music rights admin platform Music Reports has announced the acquisition of music licensing and data platform Blokur. The deal will leverage the strengths of both entities to provide a more robust set of services to a wider array of clients. Founded in 2015, Blokur is a music data and licensing platform centered around connecting music to “the next generation of online experiences.”
Source: Music Reports Acquires Licensing & Data Platform Blokur
BMG has announced its strategic partnership with the TUM School of Management, part of Munich’s Technical University, to fast-track the development of generative artificial intelligence within the company. The project will initially prioritize harnessing AI to creatively manage what the company calls an increasingly complex variety of digital assets required for global music marketing campaigns — sometimes up to 700 for a single project.
Source: BMG Says a ‘Single Project’ Can Involve Up to 700 Digital Assets
The US Copyright Office has initiated the first five-year review of two music licensing entities established by the Music Modernization Act of 2018: The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and the Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC). The law reformed mechanical licensing through the creation of MLC, a nonprofit organization that facilitates royalty payments to songwriters and publishers for the use of their works by digital music services in the US.
Source: US Copyright Office launches review of The MLC and DLC’s designations
The bipartisan bill builds on a provision in the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, which added a similar right of action for non-faked explicit images. In a summary, the sponsors described it as a response to an “exponentially” growing volume of digitally manipulated explicit AI images, referencing Taylor Swift’s case as an example of how the fakes can be “used to exploit and harass women — particularly public figures, politicians, and celebrities.”
Source: Lawmakers propose anti-nonconsensual AI porn bill after Taylor Swift controversy
Universal Music Group, one of the largest music companies in the world, said it failed to reach new deal terms with TikTok over issues including artist compensation and AI — and that TikTok tried to “bully” UMG into a deal worth less than its previous pact. As such, Universal Music said it will no longer license content to the app.
Source: Universal Music Group Warns It Will Pull Songs From TikTok After Deal Expiration
The talent agency WME announced a partnership with the technology firm Vermillio on Tuesday that it hopes will protect its clients from having their likenesses misused through artificial intelligence technology. Vermillio has created a platform, Trace ID, that could insulate WME clients from thefts of their likeness and intellectual property by using A.I. technology to track images.
Source: Using A.I., Hollywood Agency and Tech Start-Up Aim to Protect Artists
A new study carried out for collective management organizations (CMOs) in Europe predicts that the global market for generative AI in music will exceed USD $3 billion by 2028 – a tenfold increase from 2023. The study also found nearly unanimous support for payments to rights holders when their music is used to train AI.
Source: Generative AI music market to be worth $3bn by 2028, says report commissioned by Sacem and GEMA
An estimated 62,000 entertainment jobs in California spanning film, TV, music and gaming will be disrupted by the rise of artificial intelligence within the next three years, a new study says. Published Monday, the report further estimates that 204,000 entertainment jobs across the United States will be affected by AI during the same time frame.
Source: Which entertainment jobs are most likely to be disrupted by AI? New study has answers
Celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D beats an infringement lawsuit over a Miles Davis tattoo she inked in 2017. Kat Von D, celebrity tattoo artist and former cosmetics mogul, won a legal battle in federal court last week when a jury ruled that her tattoo reproducing a photo of jazz musician Miles Davis did not violate copyright law. The trial began in Los Angeles last week.
Source: Kat Von D Beats Infringement Lawsuit Over Miles Davis Tattoo
The industry is facing yet another revolution, but what sort isn’t yet clear. Is A.I. a format change in the way music is consumed, like the transition from records and cassettes to CDs, or is it a threat to the business model, as were free downloading and file-sharing? Is generative A.I. a new kind of digital workstation for making music, or is it the new radio—a platform for promoting acts and engaging with fans?
Source: Inside the Music Industry’s High-Stakes A.I. Experiments