YouTube Music is introducing two new ways to boost song discovery on its platform. YouTube announced on Monday that it’s experimenting with an AI-generated conversational radio feature, and rolling out a new Shazam-like tool to help users discover the name of a song by singing, humming or playing parts of it.
Source: YouTube Music testing AI-generated radio feature, adding a song recognition tool
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) has launched a collective licensing solution for the internal use of copyrighted materials in AI systems. The new service, which became available July 1, is an addition to CCC’s existing Annual Copyright Licenses (ACL) service and aims to provide a streamlined method for companies to access a consistent set of rights across multiple rightsholders, while ensuring compensation for content creators.
As the most obvious advantage for library owners, granting training data licenses creates an additional revenue stream for existing programming. However, without suitable implementation, the potential cons for the licensing library owner include harming relationships with creative collaborators and partners whose persona, work or assets are ingested into the AI model along with the licensed library programming.
Source: Licensing Your Movie & TV Content for AI Training: Can You? Should You?
Since 2017, the development of large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT-3 has begun to influence the publishing industry. These models, designed to generate new content on the basis of patterns in existing texts, align with the industry’s trend toward efficiency and consolidation, but simultaneously raise concerns about the long-term survival of human labor. Despite these concerns, some see AI as providing new opportunities for writers in an increasingly competitive market.
Source: AI in Book Publishing – Threat or Promising New Future? — AI In Hollywood
Music industry giant Downtown Music Holdings is reportedly exploring a potential sale and has been in talks with private equity firms and at least one major music company. Downtown, which oversees popular platforms like CD Baby and FUGA and represents high-profile artists such as John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Miles Davis, and Wu-Tang Clan, has experienced changes in recent years. The company has been shifting focus in recent years from owning copyrights to providing services for copyright holders.
Source: Downtown Music holds talks with PE firms, major music company regarding sale (report)
This action sets a dangerous precedent for the preservation of digital media. As our world moves more and more online, the role of media companies in maintaining accessible archives becomes increasingly crucial. The deletion of these archives can lead to a cultural amnesia, where future generations lack the resources to learn from past media landscapes, understand the evolution of societal norms, and appreciate the artistry and creativity that characterized different eras.
Source: The Death of MTV News and What It Means for Digital Archives: Guest Column
Spotify’s main competitors – it along with Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music collectively account for the vast majority of music streaming subscribers in the States – haven’t been as brazen in adopting bundles. But as demonstrated by publisher royalty statements shared with and vetted by DMN, they also rely heavily on multi-product packages. For YouTube Music, the fourth-largest on-demand music platform in the U.S. by paid users, that refers to the estimated 72.99% of subscribers who access the service via a bundled plan.
Source: An Estimated 73% of YouTube Music Subs Use Bundled Plans
Microsoft has relinquished its seat as an observer on the board of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, as regulators on both sides of the Atlantic scrutinize the partnership between the tech giant and the artificial-intelligence startup. In a letter sent Tuesday to the AI company led by Sam Altman, Microsoft said it resigned with immediate effect because it believed OpenAI’s board had gained stability, meaning Microsoft’s involvement was no longer necessary.
Source: Microsoft Quits OpenAI’s Board Amid Antitrust Scrutiny
A promise to repeal the Biden administration’s artificial intelligence executive order is tucked inside former President Donald Trump’s platform, adopted by the Republican National Committee on Monday. “We will repeal Joe Biden’s dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology,” the document states.
Sound recording performance rights, also known as neighboring rights income, reached $2.7 billion in 2023, representing 9.5% of the global recorded music market. While ‘Old Europe’ has traditionally been the hub of these types of revenue streams – namely, rights from TV and radio broadcasting; aligned digital uses such as simulcasting, webcasting and satellite radio; and sound recordings played in public venues – a significant shift is underway.