Africa Rising Music Conference to focus on AI and creator rights

This year’s conference will include the first Johannesburg edition of the Berlin AI Think Tank, an initiative founded by Paradise Worldwide, AIxchange, Association for Electronic Music, Fraunhofer IDMT and MusicTech Germany.

According to organisers, the initiative aims to bring together African and international stakeholders to discuss ethical frameworks for the use of AI in music production and distribution.

Conference discussions are expected to address issues including creator consent, licensing, remuneration and copyright protection in AI-generated music systems. Delegates will also discuss the development of a proposed Pan-African framework intended to protect African music and intellectual property within emerging AI ecosystems.

A public panel on AI in the creative industries will form part of the programme. The session will examine the impact of AI technologies on artists, record labels and rights holders, while also addressing attribution and ownership challenges linked to AI-generated content.

Panel participants include Steffen Holly of Fraunhofer IDMT, Marco Erler of Lausen Law, producer Henrik Schwarz, Trenton Birch and Ollie Stoller.

The conference will also highlight the Creative Weight Attribution (CWA) model developed by AIxchange. The system is designed to analyse how copyrighted works influence AI-generated music through audio similarity and attribution technology.

Organisers said the framework builds on long-established audio analysis and signal-processing research, including technology associated with Fraunhofer’s work in digital audio standards.

ARMC was launched to connect African music professionals with international industry stakeholders through networking, education and technology-focused discussions.