Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer provided insights into the music industry’s evolving landscape, notably discussing TikTok and artificial intelligence (AI).
In a Financial Times interview, Stringer did not dismiss the possibility of Sony Group Corp.’s SONY Sony Music pulling its content from TikTok, akin to Universal Music Group NV‘s UMGNF recent decision to remove music from the platform.
He also highlighted past decisions like removing Sony’s music from ByteDance’s Resso in 2022 as precedent for protecting artists’ interests.
He critiqued TikTok’s claim to being a promotional tool for music, asserting, “it is part of ByteDance's ‘profit centre, and therefore we should share in those profits’.”
On the topic of AI in music, Stringer conveyed a vision for innovation and originality, stating: "The best music will be the most original use of AI. It won't be a fake Drake singing a Nirvana song. It will be a 14-year-old kid [making] something that's totally unique."
He underscored the importance of compensating artists in the digital age, especially as corporations leverage AI, warning: "[They] are building something off the back of someone's creativity."
And added: "If some giant corporation is going to take all their content and put it in the blender, artists have to be paid."
Stringer’s comments highlight a broader industry debate on fair compensation and the creative potential of new technologies, while advocating for a balanced approach that supports artists’ rights and innovation.
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Image credits: Ivan Cholakov on Shutterstock.
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