YouTube announced today the way it plans to approach the impact AI technology is having on the music industry with regard to its video hosting platform and its existing partnerships across the music industry, including with artists, labels and other rightsholders. While the corporate is bullish on AI’s potential to “enhance music’s unique creative expression,” it also says it must make sure the integrity of artists’ work is protected.
To that end, the corporate is launching something it’s calling YouTube’s Music AI Incubator, to assist inform its approach to AI by working with artists, songwriters and producers across the industry to make decisions about learn how to proceed.
To kick off this system, YouTube is working with Universal Music Group (UMG) and its roster of talent, including songwriter and producer Anitta; songwriter, producer and entrepreneur Björn Ulvaeus; musician, composer and producer Don Was; Columbian musician Juanes; producer Louis Bell; composer Max Richter; songwriter and producer Rodney Jerkins; singer-songwriter Rosanne Money; songwriter and producer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic; rapper, musician, entrepreneur and philanthropist Yo Gotti; and the estate of Frank Sinatra.
Unlike YouTube, UMG has been more hesitant to embrace AI. Earlier this 12 months, it asked streaming services like Spotify to forestall AI firms from using its music to coach their models, for instance. It also issued copyright strikes on AI-generated YouTube videos that leveraged its artists’ work. When a viral AI song that replicated Drake and The Weeknd’s vocals went viral, UMG had the song pulled from Spotify and Apple Music.
At the center of UMG’s complaints — just like those we’re seeing across creative industries — is the issue of getting artists’ work ingested to coach AI models after which re-used to create latest art without proper permission or compensation. It’s no surprise then, that UMG has teamed up with YouTube to develop some type of structure that ensures rightsholders receives a commission.
YouTube alludes to its historical understanding of this tension between latest technologies and compensation, noting that it’s “made massive investments through the years within the systems that help balance the interests of copyright holders with those of the creative community on YouTube.”
It references, for instance, its Content ID system, which ensures rightsholders are paid for the usage of their content on the platform. YouTube suggests that some similar system may fit for AI music — a minimum of for those “music partners who determine to participate,” it says.
The corporate also notes that trust and safety are key to creating this technique work, adding that it already has policies around technically manipulated content designed to mislead viewers. Similarly, it goals to scale those systems to be sure that generative AI isn’t used for things like copyright abuse, misinformation and spam, as well. As a substitute, it plans to make use of AI technologies to discover this type of content.
YouTube says it can share more details about how its latest system for AI music will work when it comes to the precise technologies, monetization opportunities and policies being developed in the long run.
“I’m incredibly excited in regards to the opportunity of AI to supercharge creativity around the globe, but recognize that YouTube and the promise of AI will only achieve success if our partners are successful,” wrote YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, in an announcement. “Together, we are able to embrace this latest technology in a way that supports artists, songwriters, producers, and the industry as an entire while driving value for fans and pushing the bounds of what’s creatively possible,” he said.