Hamamatsu, Japan & Santa Monica, CA (June 24, 2024)—As governments worldwide assess the implications of artificial intelligence and work on policies to ensure that the technology is used positively, 50 music industry bodies have thrown their support behind “Principles for Music Creation with AI.” The set of clarifying statements, introduced by Roland Corporation and Universal Music Group (UMG) in March, offer a shared philosophy around the application of AI in music creation.
Among the organizations endorsing the principles are NAMM, Sydney University, BandLab Technologies, Splice, Native Instruments, Focusrite, Output, Beatport, Waves, Soundful, LANDR, Eventide, GPU Audio, and many more. To promote greater adoption within the music industry, Roland, UMG and other members are strongly encouraging additional organizations worldwide—including manufacturers, educators, associations, labels and others—to officially endorse these principles under the AI for Music banner.
Chris Horton, SVP, strategic technology at UMG, commented, “The scope of support reflected by all of these participating organizations clearly indicates emerging consensus about the importance of strongly advocating a thoughtful approach to AI adoption.”
The coalition of music industry leadership supporting these principles is committed to adhering to ethical industry standards that protect human creativity, while also exploring innovative ways for AI to empower and support artists, according to a joint statement. Their alignment around the “Principles for Music Creation with AI” underscores their desire for transparency, equity and proactive leadership in order to protect music creatives around the world, they state.
The statement partly reads: “As we usher in a new era of music creation, the emergence of AI-powered tools offers exciting opportunities but also presents significant risks. Therefore, a critical need to manage their impact responsibly is required. ‘The Principles for Music Creation With AI’ were developed to address these challenges, establishing clear guidelines that emphasize the need for strong internal governance and broad industry support. By adhering to these principles, the music industry can protect artistic integrity while harnessing AI’s transformative potential.”
According to Paul McCabe, VP of R&D and strategic partnerships at Roland, “The principles are proving to be a timely solution for a wide spectrum of music organizations, some with robust AI strategies already in place, and many more in various stages of discovery.”
“As with all technologies, the Focusrite Group desires to see AI become another toolset to further the creativity of artists vs. a threat to our industry,” Tim Carroll, CEO of Focusrite, said. “We are proud to support AI For Music and to do our part to help ensure this technology is used in a responsible manner.”
UMG also recently announced a strategic agreement with AI tech company SoundLabs, led by producer/artist BT, that will enable UMG’s artists and producers to create vocal models of the label’s artists. In addition, the plug-in will reportedly allow users to do voice-to-voice, voice-to-instrument and speech-to-singing transformations, as well as language transposition and more. In the announcement, UMG’s Horton commented, “UMG strives to keep artists at the center of our AI strategy, so that technology is used in service of artistry, rather than the other way around.”
The core “Principles for Music Creation with AI”:
We believe music is central to humanity.
We believe humanity and music are inseparable.
We believe that technology has long supported human artistic expression, and applied sustainably, AI will amplify human creativity.
We believe that human-created works must be respected and protected.
We believe that transparency is essential to responsible and trustworthy AI.
We believe the perspectives of music artists, songwriters, and other creators must be sought after and respected.
We are proud to help bring music to life.
