- YouTube is negotiating with major record labels to license their songs for training AI music generation tools.
- Artists are concerned about AI undervaluing their work, leading record labels to push for individual artist participation rather than blanket licenses.
- People in the know have stated that YouTube is offering upfront payments to record labels, instead of setting up royalty-based agreements.
Leading video-sharing platform YouTube is currently trying to convince top record labels to license their songs for training the company’s AI music generation tools (via ArsTechnica). YouTube is reportedly offering upfront payments to major labels, like Warner, Sony, and Universal, to get more artists on board. The artists’ songs will be used to train YouTube’s AI software.
Artists have been pushing back against the use of AI in music creation, citing concerns about these tools undervaluing their work. Although record labels have copyrights to different artists’ songs, blanket licenses will likely not be the way they go, given that this could spark a lot of controversy. Instead, record companies would have to encourage individual artists to participate in this project.