Warner Music CEO Urges Music Industry to Embrace AI Revolution
In a recent statement at the Code Conference, Warner Music’s CEO Robert Kyncl addressed the rapid rise of AI in the music industry. Kyncl asserted that AI will revolutionize music creation in the upcoming year, producing higher-quality music at an unprecedented pace.
His message was clear: the music industry must not resist this technological wave but embrace it.
“Look, you have to embrace the technology because it’s not like you can put technology in a bottle…like the genie is not going back in,” he said.
However, Kyncl acknowledged the rights issue for AI-generated music that closely mimics existing artists. Drawing parallels to the early days of user-generated content on platforms like YouTube, he emphasized the need to address rightsholder concerns. To navigate this, Kyncl cited YouTube’s Content ID, a fingerprinting software that helped protect copyrighted material. This system also ensured content creators received compensation.
The takeaway from Kyncl’s address was the need to collaborate with major platforms to establish rules for AI-generated music. These platforms include YouTube, TikTok, and Spotify. Warner Music aims to develop a system that not only gives artists a say in their participation while safeguarding their interests but also anticipates AI’s earlier impact on music than on TV and film. This is possible due to the music’s internet-friendly, short-format nature, as stated by Kyncl. As AI continues to evolve, the music industry should innovate, adapt, and cooperate, all while improving legal protections.
