AI continues to make burrow its way into the heart of the music industry. And something of a milestone has been reached last week with the announcement that Hallwood Media, the independent record company founded by ex Geffen president Neil Jacobson, has signed Imoliver, the producer who is the most streamed ‘creator’ on the AI platform Suno.
It should be noted that Imoliver is a real flesh and blood human being rather than an AI apparition. He just uses Suno to “develop his lush sonic landscapes” in the words of Hallwood. The company plan to release a single, Stone, on all platforms on August 8, with an album to follow on October 24.
“Imoliver represents the future of our medium,” Jacobson said in a statement. “He’s a music designer who stands at the intersection of craftwork and taste. As we share his journey, the world will see the dexterity behind his work and what makes it so special. What he does is exactly why I love music and why we push boundaries at Hallwood.”
Imoliver himself added: “Signing with Hallwood is a huge moment, not just for me, but for the future of music. It’s a sign the industry is ready to embrace new ideas and new ways of creating. This isn’t about replacing artists, it’s about expanding what’s possible.”
The question is to what extent these ‘new ways of creating’ will involve trampling over the copyrights of existing artists? The three major record labels would appear to be facing in two directions at once.
Whilst Universal Music, Warners and Sony are all currently suing Suno and fellow AI platform Udio for copyright infringement, the former has also established a partnership with SoundLabs to offer AI tech to its roster of artists.
Certainly, the signing of a ‘creator’ who uses Suno heavily would appear to confer industry legitimacy on the platform, whose CEO Mikey Shulam appeared made up by the news: “This is a milestone - not just for Oliver, Hallwood and Suno, but for the future of music,” he said in a statement. “A new creator emerging from a new platform, making new kinds of content, shows that the future of music will be more vast and more inclusive than it is today. The boundaries of artistry are ever expanding.”
