Sir Lucian Grainge’s interview with Spotify’s Alex Norström at Sensible Minds: 5 issues we discovered…

Common Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge CBE sat down for a hearth 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 artistic 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 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 know-how.

Listed here 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 stated 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 stated. “Generally the most effective 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 artistic expertise: “Managing gifted folks and creators, a few of them are unmanageable, however I’ve by no means been petrified of that,” he stated.

“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 “high of [his] sport for such a very long time”.

“Being curious; at all times eager to be forward,” stated Grainge. “An absolute love of music and a ardour and reference to it, that may deliver happiness and raise my temper. I like artistic, gifted folks, and I like encouraging and backing folks to be the most effective artistic expression of who and what they are often.”

2. World 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 world success. “For the primary time ever, with music within the cloud, and to an amazing extent via our enterprise partnership [with Spotify], something may be heard immediately,” he stated.

He pointed to a latest awards ceremony as proof of this shift: “Going again during the last 40-50 years, they’d traditionally have given the artistic awards to largely Individuals or Brits, however the two folks given awards have been from Korea and Puerto Rico.”

Wanting forward, Grainge sees even larger potential: “We’re seeing there’s completely no cause 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 could actually help the artistic 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 artistic 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 could actually’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 could actually’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 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 can provide enjoyable and pleasure?  Probably.”

Grainge acknowledged, nevertheless, AI’s potential to help creators: “All media, all content material, has finished 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 at all times 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 have the ability to help that? The reply is totally sure.”

4. ‘Accountable AI’ regulation is essential for safeguarding artists’ rights

Whereas embracing AI’s artistic potential, Grainge emphasised the necessity for correct regulation.

“One thing that I do care deeply about from a regulation and from a political perspective is accountable AI,” he stated.

“[Protecting] identify and likeness, authenticity and stopping the flexibility 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 unfavorable 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 immediately. They make us really feel otherwise to another 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 will discover people who don’t like books, people who don’t like information, people who don’t like TV sequence, people who don’t go to the flicks. It’s inconceivable to seek out anybody that doesn’t like music,” he stated.

“Music is as essential 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 at all times has been and there at all times can be artwork,” he stated.

He added: “Music has been round for a thousand years, and it’ll be round for hundreds extra, so long as there may be civilization to get pleasure from it.

“There’s pleasure, rhythm, emotion and I believe music is as essential as meals and oxygen.”

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