KLAY Launching AI-Driven Music Subscription Platform

After a year of development and securing AI licensing agreements with the recorded music and publishing arms of Universal, Sony and Warner, music tech company KLAY will launch a subscription product driven by its large music model.

Led by former Sony (Thomas Hesse), Google (Björn Winckler) and Spotify (Brian Wickman) executives, the company stated that "all experiences created through the platform will enhance, rather than replace, human creativity."

"KLAY is not a prompt-based meme-generation engine designed to supplant human artists," it elaborated. "It is an entirely new subscription product that will uplift great artists and celebrate their craft. Within KLAY’s system, fans can mold their musical journeys in new ways while ensuring participating artists and songwriters are properly recognized and rewarded."

KLAY will also expand its offerings through licenses with independent labels, artists, publishers and songwriters.

"From the beginning, we set out to earn the trust of the artists and songwriters whose work makes all of this possible," said founder/CEO Ary Attie. "We will continue to operate with those values, bringing together a growing community to reimagine how music can be shared, enjoyed and valued."

The digital leaders of all three majors praised KLAY's licensing-minded approach at a time when the AI music boom still feels a bit like the Wild West.

UMG EVP, Chief Digital Officer Michael Nash said: “We are very pleased to have concluded a commercial license with KLAY Vision, following up on our industry-first strategic collaboration-framework agreement announced one year ago. The supportive role we played with the management team of Ary, Thomas, Björn and Brian in the development of their product and business model extends our long-standing commitment to entrepreneurial innovation in the digital music ecosystem. We’re excited about their transformational vision and applaud their commitment to ethicality in generative AI music, which has been a foundation of our partnership with them from the start of their journey.”

"From day one, KLAY has taken the right approach to the rapidly evolving AI universe by creating a holistic platform that both expands artistic possibilities and preserves the value of music," added WMG EVP/Chief Digital Officer Carletta Higginson.

Noted Sony Music Entertainment President, Global Digital Business Dennis Kooker, "While this is a beginning, we want to work with companies that understand that proper licenses are needed from rightsholders to build next-generation AI music experiences.”