Universal Music Group is teaming up with music creation platform Splice on what they call the “joint exploration of the next generation of AI-powered music creation tools for musical artists”.
UMG and Splice said in a press release that they’re “building a roadmap for development of commercial AI tools rooted in creative control and sonic excellence”.
The release said that the “artist-centric agreement” builds on Splice’s suite of AI-enabled creator tools, which continue to respect intellectual property, and combine high-quality creative ingredients”.
The statement also noted that the partnership will explore AI-powered virtual instruments and tools that enable UMG artists to “bring their own sounds into Splice’s AI workflows.”
UMG said that its artists are “expected to play a crucial role in guiding the product development process” for AI-powered virtual instruments at Splice.
Splice recently launched a virtual instruments platform that offers access to over 1,200 playable presets at launch.
The launch of Spice INSTRUMENT builds on the company’s reported $50 million acquisition of UK-based “high-end” virtual instrument library Spitfire Audio in April.
Splice was valued at a reported $500 million in 2021, following a $55 million investment round led by Goldman Sachs.
“We look forward to partnering with Kakul Srivastava and her team on this critically important strategic technology front.”
Michael Nash, UMG
Michael Nash, EVP & Chief Digital Officer, Universal Music Group, said: “We’re excited to form this alliance with Splice to promote the alignment of innovation and ethicality in addressing the interests of the creative community to leverage cutting-edge AI-enabled tools to further their artistic expression.
“We look forward to partnering with Kakul Srivastava and her team on this critically important strategic technology front.”
“We’ve spent time building AI tools designed to fairly compensate creators and keep them in control.”
Kakul Srivastava, Splice
Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice, added: “We’ve spent time building AI tools designed to fairly compensate creators and keep them in control.
“We’re thankful for Universal’s continued support, and excited to work together to put these commercial tools in the hands of artists everywhere, knowing they can trust the end result.”
In June of 2024, Splice joined UMG and other industry figures as a signatory to the “Principles for Music Creation with AI,” a series of clarifying statements relating to the responsible use of AI in music creation, advocating for ethical, transparent AI that empowers human creators rather than replacing them.Music Business Worldwide
