Universal Music Urges Streaming Platforms to Block AI-Generated Music

The Universal Music Group (UMG) label urged streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple to block AI services that extract melodies and lyrics from songs, according to the Financial Times.

According to the publication, UMG is increasingly concerned that bots use copyrighted compositions to train music-generation algorithms.

A person familiar with the situation told the Financial Times that AI-generated songs often appear on streaming services. In response, UMG has been sending takedown requests for such content.

In March 2023, the label sent streaming platforms a letter demanding that access to its music catalogue be closed for developers using it to create generative AI.

“We have learned that some artificial intelligence systems may have been trained on licensed content without obtaining the necessary consent. We will not hesitate to take steps to protect our rights and the rights of our artists,” wrote UMG.

The publication’s source added that the next generation of technologies poses serious challenges for the industry.

“Most of [generative AI] has been trained on popular music. You could say: compose a song in the style of Taylor Swift, but with Bruno Mars’s vocals and the theme of Harry Styles. The resulting product would be linked to the fact that the AI trained on the intellectual property of these artists,” he said.

A UMG spokesperson said that the label bears moral and commercial responsibility to musicians for protection of their copyrights:

“We expect that our partners will want to prevent the use of their services in ways that would harm artists.”

Streaming services did not comment on the situation.

In April, Universal Music Publishing Group secured the removal of a deepfake of Eminem singing about cats.

In October 2022, record labels expressed concern about the spread of music-generation algorithms.