KLAY Vision secures AI licensing deals with major music companies

The company announced the deals on 20 November, stating that the agreements establish terms for developing AI-driven music experiences while recognising the rights of artists, songwriters and rightsholders. KLAY is developing an interactive music platform powered by a Large Music Model that it says is trained entirely on licensed music.

KLAY said it has been working with industry stakeholders for more than a year to develop a licensing framework for its platform and is now seeking to include independent labels, artists, publishers and songwriters.

The company’s leadership includes founder and CEO Ary Attie, former Sony Music executive Thomas Hesse, former Google DeepMind music lead Björn Winckler and former Spotify scientist Brian Whitman.

“Our goal is always to support and elevate the creativity of our artists and songwriters, while fiercely protecting their rights and works,” Warner Music Group executive vice-president and chief digital officer Carletta Higginson, said. “From day one, KLAY has taken the right approach to the rapidly evolving AI universe by creating a holistic platform that both expands artistic possibilities and preserves the value of music. We appreciate the KLAY team’s work in advancing this technology and guiding these important agreements.”

Universal Music Group executive vice-president and chief digital officer Michael Nash said: “We are very pleased to have concluded a commercial license with KLAY Vision, following up on our industry-first strategic collaboration framework agreement announced one year ago. The supportive role we played … extends our long-standing commitment to entrepreneurial innovation in the digital music ecosystem. We’re excited about their transformational vision and applaud their commitment to ethicality in generative AI music.”

Sony Music Entertainment’s president of global digital business, Dennis Kooker, said: “We are pleased to partner with KLAY Vision to collaborate on new generative AI products. While this is a beginning, we want to work with companies that understand that proper licences are needed from rights-holders to build next-generation AI music experiences.”

Commenting on the partnerships, Attie said: “Technology is shaped by the people behind it and the people who use it. At KLAY, from the beginning, we set out to earn the trust of the artists and songwriters whose work makes all of this possible. We will continue to operate with those values … Music is human at its core. Its future must be too.”