Common Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge CBE sat down for a fireplace chat with Spotify‘s Alex Norström (Co-President, Chief Enterprise Officer) on the Sensible Minds convention in Stockholm final week.
The dialog touched on every part from Grainge’s strategy to managing inventive expertise, to his views on the function of AI in music creation.
In the course of the wide-ranging dialogue, Grainge mirrored on his decades-long profession within the music trade, emphasizing his identification as a “expertise scout” and his ardour for supporting each artists and entrepreneurs.
Grainge additionally addressed the significance of “accountable AI” and defending artists’ rights in an period of quickly advancing expertise.
Listed below are 5 issues we realized…
1. Sir Lucian Grainge nonetheless considers himself a ‘expertise scout’
Regardless of his place as head of the world’s largest music rightsholder, Grainge nonetheless sees himself as a expertise scout.
“I began as a expertise scout, and I nonetheless describe myself as one,” he mentioned in the course of the dialog with Spotify’s Alex Norström.
He defined that this mindset extends past simply signing artists: “A part of that’s backing the subsequent cycle of entrepreneurs, defending them, teaching and managing them, generally confronting them and having battle,” he mentioned. “Generally the very best artwork comes from battle.”
“I began as a expertise scout, and I nonetheless describe myself as one.”
UMG’s CEO additionally acknowledged the challenges that include managing inventive expertise: “Managing gifted folks and creators, a few of them are unmanageable, however I’ve by no means been frightened of that,” he mentioned.
“That’s a part of their ability, a part of their present, and a part of their expression.”
Norström additionally requested Grainge what the key is to staying at “high of [his] sport for such a very long time”.
“Being curious; all the time desirous to be forward,” mentioned Grainge. “An absolute love of music and a ardour and reference to it, that may deliver happiness and elevate my temper. I like inventive, gifted folks, and I like encouraging and backing folks to be the very best inventive expression of who and what they are often.”
2. World entry to music attributable to streaming is creating alternatives for artists from beforehand underrepresented areas
Grainge highlighted how streaming has basically modified which artists can obtain world success. “For the primary time ever, with music within the cloud, and to an awesome extent by means of our enterprise partnership [with Spotify], something may be heard immediately,” he mentioned.
He pointed to a current awards ceremony as proof of this shift: “Going again over the past 40-50 years, they might traditionally have given the inventive awards to principally People or Brits, however the two folks given awards have been from Korea and Puerto Rico.”
Trying forward, Grainge sees even higher potential: “We’re seeing there’s completely no motive why good songs, good artists and nice creativeness from Japan, from India, probably even from China, can’t be shared and loved globally.”
3. AI can not replicate genuine artistry, however it may possibly assist the inventive course of
Norström requested Grainge to share his ideas on synthetic intelligence within the music enterprise, noting that, in his view, “it’s about empowering artists and giving them instruments”.
UMG’s Chairman and CEO drew a transparent line between AI’s potential as a inventive device versus its limitations in changing human creativity.
“Do I believe that the subsequent Elton John will come from AI or from a program? The reply is that it may possibly’t,” he acknowledged firmly.
“Do I believe that the subsequent Elton John will come from AI or from a program? The reply is that it may possibly’t.”
He elaborated on what makes human creativity irreplaceable: “My lifeblood, our lifeblood, is brilliance and authenticity and distinctive creation. You’ll be able to’t faux being Amy Winehouse, or faux that music. Each type of music has come from somebody’s ardour and their creativeness.
“So, do I believe that that may be replicated? No, however it may be copied. Do I believe that there may be issues that may be generated that may give enjoyable and pleasure? Probably.”
Grainge acknowledged, nevertheless, AI’s potential to help creators: “All media, all content material, has accomplished extraordinarily properly out of each technological development.
“Daniel [Ek, Spotify CEO] and I have been speaking about how we’ve leaned into each transformational shift. I do know that there’ll all the time be expertise that may assist push the boundaries for musicians, on a bridge, on a verse, or in a lyric.”
He additionally gave the instance of a hypothetical songwriter experiencing author’s block for 3 months, asking: “Do I believe that expertise will be capable of assist that? The reply is completely sure.”
4. ‘Accountable AI’ regulation is essential for shielding artists’ rights
Whereas embracing AI’s inventive potential, Grainge emphasised the necessity for correct regulation.
“One thing that I do care deeply about from a regulation and from a political viewpoint is accountable AI,” he mentioned.
“[Protecting] title and likeness, authenticity and stopping the power for somebody to create falsehoods are issues that I do care deeply about.”
Grainge framed this not as resistance to expertise however as safety of music’s distinctive worth: “It’s not on the detrimental or defensive aspect; It’s on the accountable aspect as a result of music is extremely vital.
“There’s a magnificence to music and a magnificence to all of the artistry that we’ve seen as we speak. They make us really feel otherwise to some other type of content material or media.”
5. Music’s common attraction makes it as important as ‘meals and oxygen’
Grainge concluded the dialog by emphasizing music’s elementary significance to human expertise.
“You’ll find folks that don’t like books, folks that don’t like information, folks that don’t like TV sequence, folks that don’t go to the flicks. It’s inconceivable to seek out anybody that doesn’t like music,” he mentioned.
“Music is as crucial as meals and oxygen.”
When Grainge was requested by Norström if he “[believes] that is the start of a brand new period for artwork,” he shared his optimism concerning the long-term worth of music: “Sure, I’ve to, however there all the time has been and there all the time might be artwork,” he mentioned.
He added: “Music has been round for a thousand years, and it’ll be round for 1000’s extra, so long as there’s civilization to take pleasure in it.
“There’s pleasure, rhythm, emotion and I believe music is as crucial as meals and oxygen.”
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