Universal Music Group has unveiled a partnership with IP asset management company Liquidax Capital to “accelerate the development of UMG’s music-related AI patents,” the company said on Tuesday.
In the announcement, UMG, the world’s largest music company, revealed that it has already filed 15 patents with the firm, though UMG was scant on details on what exactly they were patenting. Perhaps the most notable area of focus UMG disclosed was related to AI threat protection. Other patents UMG’s filed are focused around musical collaboration, multimedia content and campaign creation, music and health, music administration and rights management. UMG said two of the patents have been issued but didn’t specify which. A rep for the company didn’t immediately respond when asked for more details on the patents.
As part of the partnership, UMG and Liquidax formed Music IP Holdings, Inc., the companies said, which will license UMG’s AI patents.
“At Universal Music Group, we are taking a very active role in fostering innovation. Building on our historical and contemporary track record of cutting-edge R&D, scientific advancements and successful patent applications, we are looking forward to significantly advancing our internal efforts, with a dedicated focus on AI technology,” UMG svp of Strategic Technology Chris Horton said in a statement.
UMG’s announcement comes as artificial intelligence remains the most-pressing issue in the music business. The topic’s drawn national headlines in recent weeks as the AI band The Velvet Sundown has managed to crack over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The industry’s biggest stakeholders have maintained that AI could presents both a threat to human artistry and an opportunity to revolutionize music’s creation and distribution process if done with consent from artists and copyright holders. UMG and the other major record companies sued prominent AI music generation companies Suno and Udio last year on allegations of massive copyright infringement. Still, UMG has proven willing to dip its toes in the AI music space, establishing a partnership with SoundLabs last year to offer AI music tech to its roster.
“We are honored and excited to partner with UMG, the global leader in music innovation and ethical AI,” Liquidax founder Daniel Drolet said in a statement. “We are laser focused on advancing UMG’s leadership and their cutting-edge technologies, especially AI, to empower their artists, protect creative rights, foster partnerships, and enhance UMG’s fan experiences worldwide. We are thrilled to be working with UMG to shape the future of music.”