By Cerys Davies
Publication Date: 2026-01-07 20:01:00
In a new partnership with chipmaker Nvidia, Universal Music Group plans to introduce what it calls “responsible AI” that could change music discovery and creation.
The companies will begin research on how to advance human music creation and compensation for rights holders in the age of AI, as revealed in the deal announced Tuesday. With this technology, the new partners say they hope to leverage AI-powered tools to aid and protect artists’ work, instead of using hands-off generative AI.
“We look forward to working closely with NVIDIA to direct AI’s unprecedented transformational potential towards the service of artists and their fans as we work together to set new standards for innovation within the industry, while protecting and respecting copyright and human creativity,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, Universal Music Group’s chief executive, in a press release.
Universal Music Group will use Nvidia’s Music Flamingo program, a large audio-language model designed to understand music in-depth. It was launched in November and can understand musical elements like structure, harmony, instrumentation and lyrics. The program can process songs up to 15 minutes long and will also be able to capture the historical and cultural context, as well as various emotional arcs.
With the program’s ability to process songs thoroughly, Universal Music Group aims to use this tool to help connect artists and fans. Instead of relying on typical genres or tags, Music Flamingo allows…