Universal Partners With NVIDIA AI on Music Discovery, Fan Engagement & Creation Tools

The Universal Music Group has inked a new partnership with AI chipmaking giant NVIDIA “to pioneer responsible AI for music discovery, creation and engagement,” the companies announced today (Jan. 6). The collaboration will involve research and development, the companies said, with an emphasis on “advancing human music creation and rightsholder compensation,” including the identification of copyrighted works in AI uses.

Much of that collaboration will center on NVIDIA’s Music Flamingo initiative, launched in November, which allows for in-depth analysis of music below the surface level, digging into elements such as harmony, musical structure, tempo, instrumentation, key, lyricism, musical theory, cultural and historical context and dynamics, among other metrics, including things like emotional resonance and chord progressions. Universal sees that as being additive to the musical discovery process for fans — allowing for deeper connections to different songs, albums or artists based on more than just genre, scene or surface-level signifiers. It also sees it as additive for artists — who can now use it for in-depth analyses of their own works — as well as for fans to more deeply engage in the music they already love, in addition to finding new music that resonates.

“We’re excited to establish…