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 Good Minds convention in Stockholm final week.
The dialog touched on every little thing from Grainge’s method to managing inventive expertise, to his views on the position 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 id 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 know-how.
Listed below are 5 issues we discovered…
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 terrified of that,” he mentioned.
“That’s a part of their talent, a part of their reward, and a part of their expression.”
Norström additionally requested Grainge what the key is to staying at “prime of [his] sport for such a very long time”.
“Being curious; all the time eager to be forward,” mentioned Grainge. “An absolute love of music and a ardour and reference to it, that may convey happiness and elevate my temper. I really like inventive, gifted folks, and I really like encouraging and backing folks to be the very best inventive expression of who and what they are often.”
2. International entry to music as a result of streaming is creating alternatives for artists from beforehand underrepresented areas
Grainge highlighted how streaming has essentially modified which artists can obtain international success. “For the primary time ever, with music within the cloud, and to a fantastic extent by our enterprise partnership [with Spotify], something might be heard immediately,” he mentioned.
He pointed to a latest awards ceremony as proof of this shift: “Going again over the past 40-50 years, they’d traditionally have given the inventive awards to principally Individuals or Brits, however the two folks given awards have been from Korea and Puerto Rico.”
Trying forward, Grainge sees even larger potential: “We’re seeing there’s completely no purpose 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’t replicate genuine artistry, however it will probably 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 will probably’t,” he said firmly.
“Do I believe that the subsequent Elton John will come from AI or from a program? The reply is that it will probably’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 pretend being Amy Winehouse, or pretend that music. Each model 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 might be issues that may be generated that can provide enjoyable and pleasure? Probably.”
Grainge acknowledged, nonetheless, AI’s potential to help creators: “All media, all content material, has accomplished extraordinarily effectively 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 know-how that can 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 know-how will be capable of assist that? The reply is totally sure.”
4. ‘Accountable AI’ regulation is essential for safeguarding 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 standpoint 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 know-how however as safety of music’s distinctive worth: “It’s not on the unfavourable or defensive facet; It’s on the accountable facet as a result of music is extremely essential.
“There’s a magnificence to music and a magnificence to all of the artistry that we’ve seen at the moment. They make us really feel in a different way to every other type of content material or media.”
5. Music’s common enchantment makes it as important as ‘meals and oxygen’
Grainge concluded the dialog by emphasizing music’s elementary significance to human expertise.
“Yow will discover folks that don’t like books, folks that don’t like information, folks that don’t like TV collection, folks that don’t go to the films. It’s unattainable to seek out anybody that doesn’t like music,” he mentioned.
“Music is as vital 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 in regards to the long-term worth of music: “Sure, I’ve to, however there all the time has been and there all the time can 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 may be civilization to take pleasure in it.
“There’s pleasure, rhythm, emotion and I believe music is as vital as meals and oxygen.”
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