A Little Knowledge... #27

???BULLETIN NEWS:?Google reportedly in licensed-deepfakes AI talks with UMG & WMG

The Financial Times reported this week?that Universal Music Group is in talks with Google to "license artists’ melodies and voices for songs generated by artificial intelligence", and also claimed that Warner Music Group is engaged in similar discussions. The report added that YouTube Music boss Lyor Cohen has been working on the project for Google, although nobody is commenting on the record for now.

• The FT made it clear that these are early talks with no product launch, and that artists would be able to opt out if they didn't want to be part of any such agreement.
• "The goal is to develop a tool for fans to create these tracks legitimately, and pay the owners of the copyrights for it."
• It would be quite the turnaround for Google,?previously a target for the music industry's wrath around topics from piracy links on search engines to user-generated uploads on YouTube.?Could it now become the first major tech ally for rightsholders' desire to bring regulation and licensing to the deepfake / voice clone space?
• Deals with Google for UMG and WMG could set the parameters for future agreements with other firms in the AI space
• The Human Artistry Campaign -?announced in March?with a?trademark filed by Universal Music Group?indicating its role in the background - this week?added its newest member, BandLab, which says it's the first music-creation platform to back the campaign.?

The major labels' talks with Google hopefully will result in sketching out new ways of making, sharing and consuming music that deepen it – rather than cheapen it. And with artists taking a central role in shaping it all.

???Music Ally archive:?Artificial Intelligence

??? TOOLS: Lob, a startup seeking to "transform direct mail"

At Music Ally, we love to see campaigns that incorporate physical mail to fans – whether it’s for the purpose of teasing new music or simply rewarding superfans with something special. It feels like a nice way to bridge the physical and digital worlds, and excite fans.?

?Recently, we came across?Lob, a startup that calls itself an “automation platform that transforms direct mail into intelligent mail”.??Lob has a print delivery network across the US that enables clients to automatically print and mail postcards and letters?to fans, and track how recipients engage with it: for example, who scanned the QR code on their postcard.?

???We analyse Lob in Tools:?find out whether it’ll work for you?– or one of the alternatives we recommend.

???Music Ally Jobs

The latest and best jobs for the global music business, trusted by both top music industry companies and experienced professionals on top of their game.?

???Are you looking for a job??Click here to see the full list?of vacancies!

???A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA...

And finally… our?daily Bulletin newsletter?is loved by subscribers for its instant industry analysis - but secretly, the part they like most is the ‘A Little Something Extra’ section at the bottom of the email. Here's a few of the best recent links:

• Talking to smart AI NPCs in Unreal Engine 5 is...?a little bleak.
• No picket line is complete without?an insult comic dog.
• A restaurant in Israel has found the absolute best (or worst) way to?serve chocolate ice cream to its diners.