Music Industry Moves: Universal Music Partners With NVIDIA on AI Music-Discovery, More

Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, has forged a strategic partnership with tech giant NVIDIA to develop what they term "responsible AI" for the music industry. The alliance aims to leverage NVIDIA's advanced computing platforms and UMG's immense catalog—which includes recordings from artists like The Beatles and Taylor Swift—to create new tools for music creation, discovery, and fan engagement. A core objective is to advance technology that empowers artists and songwriters while enforcing copyright protections and ensuring rightsholders are compensated fairly, a critical concern as generative AI models become more sophisticated.

The collaboration will center on enhancing NVIDIA's Music Flamingo model, an AI system capable of analyzing complete songs by understanding elements like melody, harmony, and lyrical content, rather than relying on simple tags. This allows for more nuanced music discovery. NVIDIA Vice President Richard Kerris stated the goal is to turn static music libraries into "dynamic, intelligent landscapes for exploration." UMG CEO Lucian Grainge, who has steered the label through the streaming era, emphasized the partnership's potential to benefit creators, noting NVIDIA's commitment to responsible development frameworks. Industry observers suggest this high-stakes deal could set a crucial precedent for how major rights holders license content to AI developers, potentially shaping future industry standards.

In other executive news, independent publishing powerhouse Peermusic has named Paul Smelt as its inaugural Chief Operating Officer. Smelt, who will oversee global publishing and neighboring rights from Amsterdam, previously served as COO of Peermusic Neighbouring Rights. His deep history with the company began when Peermusic acquired Global Master Rights, the firm he co-founded nearly ten years ago. CEO Mary Megan Peer cited his instrumental role in integrating recent acquisitions and stated his promotion will help unify the company's worldwide strategy. This move underscores the growing complexity of music publishing in a globalized digital market.

Separately, ASCAP has elevated Hayley Dukes to Senior Vice President of Licensing. Dukes, who joined the performing rights organization in 2020 after executive roles at AMC Networks and HBO, will continue to report to Head of Licensing Stephanie Ruyle. Ruyle highlighted Dukes's expertise in the audiovisual sector as key for securing fair royalties for members as content consumption splinters across countless new streaming and social platforms. This promotion reflects the increasing need for specialized negotiation skills in a fragmented media landscape.

The music tech sector saw significant consolidation with the acquisition of Stockholm's Reason Studios by Montreal-based LANDR. Reason Studios is renowned for its Reason Digital Audio Workstation, a software suite celebrated for its virtual rack of instruments and effects that has been a creative mainstay for producers for over 20 years. LANDR, an AI-powered platform for automated mastering and distribution, plans to keep the Reason brand distinct while integrating its sound design tools into a broader creative ecosystem. The companies also announced the formation of an Artist Council of producers and veteran Reason users to guide future development. LANDR CEO Pascal Pilon framed the deal as a step toward "seamlessly blending legendary instrument design with next-generation AI creative services," a vision that speaks to the ongoing convergence of traditional music production and artificial intelligence.

Further leadership changes include Big Machine Label Group appointing Jay Cruze as National Director of Radio Strategy. Cruze, who joined the label home to stars like Tim McGraw from a senior post at iHeartMedia, will lead radio promotion efforts. Executive Vice President Kris Lamb praised his industry relationships and understanding of national programming trends. In a parallel development, secure digital ticket service True Tickets promoted Ken Lesnik to Chief Commercial Officer and Kirk Mortensen to Chief Product Officer. Since 2019, Lesnik has been pivotal in expanding the platform's network to over 100 major venues worldwide, including prestigious institutions like London's Royal Opera House—a venue with a history dating back to 1732 and a current schedule of over 350 performances a year—and the New York City Ballet, significantly strengthening True Tickets' position in the competitive live events market.