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UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP is speaking out against an AI-created DRAKE track, which has gone viral on not only social media but music streaming platforms as well. Several services, including APPLE MUSIC, DEEZER and TIDAL, pulled the track, though it remains on YOUTUBE, SOUNDCLOUD and SPOTIFY as of late yesterday afternoon.
The track, “heart on my sleeve,” credited to the ‘artist’ GHOSTWRITER, has racked up more than 230,000 plays on YOUTUBE, and more than 625,000 plays on SPOTIFY as of yesterday. The track includes AI-replicated vocals of DRAKE and THE WEEKND.
UMG issued a statement: “UMG’s success has been, in part, due to embracing new technology and putting it to work for our artists – as we have been doing with our own innovation around AI for some time already.
“With that said, however, the training of generative AI using our artists’ music (which represents both a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law) as well as the availability of infringing content created with generative AI on DSPs, begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation.
“These instances demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists.
“We’re encouraged by the engagement of our platform partners on these issues–as they recognize they need to be part of the solution.”
GHOSTWRITER’s TIKTOK clips featuring the song have racked up more than 15 million plays.
Other AI tracks which have popped up include a cover of ICE SPICE’s “Munch (Feelin’ U),” with DRAKE’s copycat AI vocals and an AI RIHANNA over BEYONCE’s “Cuff.”
