Meta and Common Music Group (UMG) introduced the enlargement of their licensing settlement to a brand new world multi-year deal on Monday. The brand new settlement contains new monetisation alternatives for the music label, artists and songwriters in addition to focuses on the unauthorised use of AI-generated content material. The latter half refers back to the utilization of synthetic intelligence (AI) to generate music or songs which mimic the voice or model of an artist or songwriter. Moreover, the settlement additionally licenses music for the social media big’s WhatsApp platform.
AI-generated music that mimics one other artist has been a significant challenge within the music business. In 2023, a tune titled ‘Coronary heart on My Sleeve’ was launched on a number of streaming platforms. The tune’s description claimed it was carried out by Drake and the Weeknd, nonetheless, it was AI-generated. Regardless of being a deepfake (an AI-generated media created in one other individual’s likeness with out consent), the tune gained reputation and was even submitted for Grammy consideration.
Many such cases have resulted within the music business urging governments to enhance the regulatory framework round AI. Some main labels have additionally filed lawsuits towards AI corporations allegedly coaching massive language fashions (LLMs) on copyrighted materials.
Now, with the expanded licensing settlement, Meta and UMG have dedicated to working collectively to deal with unauthorised AI-generated content material to guard human artists and songwriters. The announcement didn’t reveal additional particulars on the steps the businesses plan to take to minimise the chance of music deepfakes.
The expanded deal additionally marks the primary time UMG has partnered with Meta to licence music for WhatsApp. This might result in new options for the immediate messaging app sooner or later enabling customers to entry and use copyrighted songs in numerous methods. Whereas at the moment only a hypothesis, this might additionally pave the way in which for Reels to debut on WhatsApp, much like the way it was built-in inside Fb.
Aside from WhatsApp, the deal may also permit all different Meta platforms resembling Fb, Instagram, and Threads in addition to Horizon, the platform for its mixed-reality headsets to make use of UMG-licenced music. Notably, the 2 corporations first signed a deal in 2017, and the present settlement expands the deal each when it comes to period and scope.
