Who Owns the Future of Music?
Summary
Recorded live in Amsterdam, this episode explores how AI is reshaping music ownership and value. Host Jennifer Strong interviews Andrea Chappell-Martin of PRS for Music and Ghazi Shami of Empire Records, who discuss using AI to recover unpaid royalties and streamline production. They debate the ethical guardrails needed for voice cloning and agree that human emotion remains the industry's most valuable asset.
Topics discussed
Introduction and AI's impact on music ownership
Live audience introduction at Human X
Who owns the future of music? Human element vs AI
Case study: AI-generated hit 'Rubbers' and Grammy debate
PRS for Music: Using AI to find unpaid royalties
AI solutions for archaic music industry systems
Empire's tech-forward approach to AI evolution
Internal AI applications: Legal, analytics, and production
Ethical guardrails and the 'North Star' for AI use
AI as a creative tool: Access and production costs
PRS data complexity and revenue growth via AI
Agentic AI for international revenue collection
Scarcity value and the rise of live music revenue
Voice cloning, Content ID, and artist choice
Early voice cloning incidents and industry reaction
Navigating generational shifts in acceptable AI use
PRS CEO's final goal: Reducing payment lag and commissions
Empire's new rights management system and Amsterdam HQ
Credits and sign-off
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