YouTube has announced the launch of a Music AI incubator in collaboration with Universal Music Group. This initiative aims to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of music, as reported by Reuters.
Neal Mohan, the Chief Executive Officer of YouTube, shared insights on this partnership in an official blog post. He emphasized the rapid pace at which AI is evolving and its increasing influence on creativity and industry transformation. Mohan stated, that “today, AI is moving at a pace faster than ever before. It's empowering creativity, sparking new ideas, and even transforming industries.”
Historical Ties with Music Industry
YouTube's history has been deeply intertwined with music. The platform has served as a hub for iconic music videos and emerging artists and is offering YouTube Music as a competitor to Spotify and other streaming services. Mohan elaborated on this relationship, noting, “For nearly our entire history, YouTube and music have been inextricably linked.” He highlighted how YouTube's collaboration with the music industry has led to innovations such as YouTube Music and Premium subscription services, global livestreaming capabilities, and more.
AI's Role in Music
The partnership with Universal Music Group is centered around developing an AI framework that aligns with three fundamental principles:
- Embracing AI Responsibly: AI advancements, especially in generative AI, are becoming integral to daily life. Mohan mentions, that “in 2023 alone, there have been more than 1.7 billion views of videos related to generative AI tools on YouTube.” The aim is to harness AI's potential responsibly, ensuring it enhances creativity while upholding the integrity of artists' work.
- Protecting and Unlocking Opportunities: YouTube has consistently prioritized the protection of artists' creative work. Tools like Content ID have been instrumental in safeguarding the rights of copyright holders. As AI introduces new forms of content generation, YouTube is committed to evolving its protection mechanisms in collaboration with its partners.
- Scaling Trust and Safety: YouTube has invested significantly in trust and safety measures. These safeguards are now being extended to AI-generated content. Mohan writes “Generative AI systems may amplify current challenges like trademark and copyright abuse, misinformation, spam, and more.” The goal is to leverage AI to identify and counter such challenges.
Collaboration with Universal Music Group
To initiate the Music AI Incubator program, YouTube is collaborating with Universal Music Group and its diverse roster of talent. This includes renowned artists like Anitta, Björn Ulvaeus, d4vd, Don Was, Juanes, Louis Bell, Max Richter, Rodney Jerkins, Rosanne Cash, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Yo Gotti, and even the estate of the legendary Frank Sinatra. These artists will provide insights on AI experiments and research being conducted at YouTube.
Meta is also investing in AI Music
As a leading driver of AI innovation through its Meta AI lab, the company has recently launched AudioCraft, a new generative AI platform that allows users to create original music and audio content with just a few clicks. AudioCraft can produce music and audio for various purposes, such as podcasts, videos, games, ads, or personal enjoyment. Users can also share their creations with others on the platform, or export them to other apps or devices.
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