Two of the biggest names in music, Universal Music Group and Roland, have joined forces in a landmark partnership to establish clarity and ethical guidelines around the use of artificial intelligence in music creation. The companies today unveiled their “Principles for Music Creation with AI”, a framework of 7 core tenets they hope will be adopted across the music industry.
Everything you need to know:
✓ UMG and Roland announce strategic partnership to explore AI innovation in music
✓ 7 principles established as ethical framework for AI music creation
✓ Initiatives include joint R&D hub and research on tracking music ownership
AI to replace musicians? Roland & UMG have a different plan
The principles aim to promote the responsible development and application of AI in areas like music production, composition and songwriting. While highlighting AI’s potential to enhance human creativity, the guidelines also emphasize the need to respect and protect human-created works.
“As companies who share a mutual history of technology innovation, both Roland and UMG believe that AI can play an important role in the creative process of producing music. We also have a deep belief that human creativity is irreplaceable, and it is our responsibility to protect artists’ rights.”
Masahiro Minowa, Chief Innovation Officer at Roland
The 7 key principles are:
- 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.
Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer at UMG, added:
“At UMG, we have long recognized and embraced the potential of AI to enhance and amplify human creativity, advance musical innovation, and expand the realms of audio production and sound technology. This can only happen if it is applied ethically and responsibly across the entire industry.”
Roland and UMG: proving AI & artistry are creative allies.
By establishing this ethical framework, Roland and UMG hope to foster an environment where musical creativity can flourish while being protected for generations to come as AI technologies evolve. The principles emphasize that while AI can be a powerful tool, it is meant to augment, not replace, human artistry and ingenuity.
The partnership extends beyond the principles themselves. Roland and UMG have outlined several joint initiatives, including establishing a research and development hub to further explore opportunities at the intersection of music and technology.
Pioneering AI music tech while putting artists first.
Another key project involves developing methods to confirm and track the origin and ownership of music, an increasingly complex issue in an AI-powered world. This could have major implications for properly attributing and compensating human creators even when AI is involved in the creative process.
On a practical level, the companies plan to integrate Roland products and services into some of Universal’s music production facilities worldwide. This will provide opportunities to test and refine new AI-driven music technologies with input from UMG’s incredible roster of artists.
“Japan has a unique history of pioneering cutting-edge technology that has played a huge role in shaping music culture globally. I see similar opportunities with generative AI, provided we start from a foundation of protecting human creativity and securing the interests of our artists.”
Naoshi Fujikura, CEO of Universal Music Japan
The music world has been grappling with how to approach AI ever since the technology started demonstrating the ability to generate realistic songs in the style of popular artists. While some see vast potential, others worry about the ethical and legal implications, especially around copyright and protecting the uniqueness of human artistry.
By coming together to establish clear principles and concrete initiatives, industry heavyweights Roland and Universal Music Group are taking a major step towards building consensus around the responsible use of AI in music. Their hope is that other key stakeholders across the creative community will join them in adopting this framework.
If successful, this collaborative approach could help ensure that as artificial intelligence continues to advance, it does so in a way that respects and empowers human musicians, producers, and songwriters rather than diminishing their vital role. The goal is an future where the power of innovative technology and the irreplaceable spark of human creativity can work in harmony.
