In a new partnership with chipmaker Nvidia, Universal Music Group plans to introduce what it calls “responsible AI” that could transform the way music is discovered and created.
As revealed in a deal announced Tuesday, the two companies will begin research on how to advance human music production and compensation for rights holders in the age of AI. With this technology, the new partners say they want to leverage AI-powered tools to assist and protect artists' work, rather than using manually generated AI.
“We look forward to working closely with NVIDIA to bring the unprecedented transformative potential of AI to the service of artists and their fans, working together to set new standards for innovation within the industry while protecting and respecting copyright and human creativity,” Sir Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group, said in a press release.
Universal Music uses Nvidia's Music Flamingo program, a large-scale audio language model designed to deeply understand music. Released in November, it helps you understand musical elements such as structure, harmony, instrumentation, and lyrics. The program can handle songs up to 15 minutes long and can capture historical and cultural contexts as well as different emotional arcs.
With the program's ability to thoroughly process songs, Universal Music aims to use this tool to help connect artists and fans. Music Flamingo allows listeners to discover new music in a more automated way, rather than relying on typical genres and tags.
There are also plans for Nvidia and Universal Music to begin developing an incubator to help artists, songwriters, and producers design and experiment with new AI tools. The company said it expects this process will allow AI tools to more easily fit into the creative process.
Headquartered in the Netherlands with additional offices in Santa Monica, Universal Music Group was founded in 1996. The music giant, home to artists such as Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, is valued at about $40 billion on the U.S. stock market and sells for about $25.35 per share. The deal with Nvidia follows several other AI deals Universal has signed with companies such as KLAY and Stability AI.
Nvidia was founded in 1993, and its original goal was to bring 3D graphics to video games and multimedia projects. As the technology industry continues to evolve, Nvidia has emerged as a leader in computer chips designed to power artificial intelligence tools and applications.
“Expanding NVIDIA's Music Flamingo with UMG's unparalleled catalog and creative ecosystem will change the way fans discover, understand and engage with music on a global scale,” Richard Kerris, general manager of media and entertainment at Nvidia, said in a statement.
“And we do it the right way, responsibly, and with safeguards that protect artists' work, ensure attribution, and respect copyright.”
