Technology Archives - Page 9 of 18

AI Music Is Eligible To Win Grammy Awards Under The Right Circumstances, Per New Recording Academy Rules

June 16, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The 2024 Grammy Awards will be a bit different than ceremonies from prior years. For instance, The Recording Academy revealed earlier this week that three new categories have been added: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording. Now, the Academy has also addressed AI music and the eligibility of works created using artificial intelligence.

As Variety reports, there are new “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Protocols” that essentially say music made purely by AI cannot be nominated for a Grammy. However, human-created work made using AI technology is eligible, so long as there’s a significant human contribution.

Here’s what it says in full:

“The GRAMMY Award recognizes creative excellence. Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a GRAMMY Award. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any Categories. A work that features elements of A.I. material (i.e., material generated by the use of artificial intelligence technology) is eligible in applicable Categories; however: (1) the human authorship component of the work submitted must be meaningful and more than de minimis; (2) such human authorship component must be relevant to the Category in which such work is entered (e.g., if the work is submitted in a songwriting Category, there must be meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship in respect of the music and/or lyrics; if the work is submitted in a performance Category, there must be meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship in respect of the performance); and (3) the author(s) of any A.I. material incorporated into the work are not eligible to be nominees or GRAMMY recipients insofar as their contribution to the portion of the work that consists of such A.I material is concerned. De minimis is defined as lacking significance or importance; so minor as to merit disregard.”

So far, Grimes has been the most notable artist to dive headfirst into AI music: A song featuring “GrimesAI,” how tracks using an AI version of her voice are credited, was released last month.

Major Music Publishers Sue Twitter for $250 million in “Massive Copyright Infringement” Case

June 14, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022, the platform has become known as somewhat of a lawless place with the loosening or removal of many prior restrictions on content and speech. However, the law has seemingly caught up to the lawless platform.

On Wednesday, Universal, Sony, Warner, and 14 smaller publishers filed a lawsuit against Twitter for at least $250 million over the alleged infringement of approximately 1,700 works. The lawsuit alleges that Twitter had been sent hundreds of thousands of takedown notices, most all of which were ignored. Twitter has also ignored requests to obtain the proper licenses for music and other forms of copyrighted intellectual property.

The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Tennessee, alleges that Twitter “consistently and knowingly hosts and streams infringing copies of music compositions” in an effort to “retain account holders and viewers” and “grow the body of engaging tweets” and ultimately, “fuel its business.”

Twitter is currently the only major social media platform that does not have some sort of music licensing agreement in place. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok all have entered into agreements with publishers that allow the platforms to legally host music, videos, and other copyrighted content. In return, the agreements specify that the platforms compensate the creators and/or publishers for use of their content. (Before Musk took over Twitter, several major publishers had been in talks with former CEO Jack Dorsey to set up a similar agreement in 2021).

According to Yahoo, in December 2021, the National Music Publishers’ Association, acting on behalf of the publishers, began sending formal infringement notices to Twitter on a weekly basis, according to the complaint. The company was notified of over 300,000 infringing tweets. The lawsuit alleges that most tweets were not removed and the accounts of repeat offenders were not penalized in any way. The lawsuit alleges that Twitter basically encouraged this type of activity by taking no action against offenders.

Previously, Elon Musk had tweeted that “current copyright law in general goes absurdly far beyond protecting the original creator,” suggesting that certain aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) may go too far in overstepping its boundaries on social media.

The post Major Music Publishers Sue Twitter for $250 million in “Massive Copyright Infringement” Case appeared first on The Source.

Reddit’s Biggest Communities In Music And Beyond Are Going Dark To Protest A Controversial Policy Change

June 5, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Getty Image

Reddit was founded in 2005, and since then, the social news and discussion website has become a pillar of the internet. It’s one of the world’s most-visited websites and has been a valuable resource for people interested in pretty much any topic the world has to offer. The platform is well known for its AMAs (“Ask Me Anything”), a Q&A format in which an expert, celebrity, or otherwise notable person answers user-submitted questions. Specifically in regards to music, we’ve gotten some great, insightful, and fun AMAs from people like Paul McCartney, Lucy Dacus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Snoop Dogg, and many, many more.

Now, though, there’s some drama happening on the platform and the site’s biggest communities, in music and beyond, are getting involved.

It all started a few days ago, with a post from the developer of Apollo, a third-party mobile app used to access Reddit, in the Apollo subreddit. The post currently has over 154,000 upvotes (which is a lot) and is titled, “Had a call with Reddit to discuss pricing. Bad news for third-party apps, their announced pricing is close to Twitter’s pricing, and Apollo would have to pay Reddit $20 million per year to keep running as-is.” The post goes into greater detail and notes that Apollo would likely cease to exist under this model, which would be prohibitively expensive. Developers of other third-party Reddit apps have shared similar posts.

Since then, there has been a movement to protest this. A June 2 post from the newly formed r/Save3rdPartyApps subreddit is leading the charge and it does a great job at summarizing the situation. It states:

“A recent Reddit policy change threatens to kill many beloved third-party mobile apps, making a great many quality-of-life features not seen in the official mobile app permanently inaccessible to users.

On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced they were raising the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that will kill every third party app on Reddit, from Apollo to Reddit is Fun to Narwhal to BaconReader.

Even if you’re not a mobile user and don’t use any of those apps, this is a step toward killing other ways of customizing Reddit, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface .

This isn’t only a problem on the user level: many subreddit moderators depend on tools only available outside the official app to keep their communities on-topic and spam-free.”

The post then lays out a plan for a protest: “On June 12th, many subreddits will be going dark to protest this policy. Some will return after 48 hours: others will go away permanently unless the issue is adequately addressed, since many moderators aren’t able to put in the work they do with the poor tools available through the official app. This isn’t something any of us do lightly: we do what we do because we love Reddit, and we truly believe this change will make it impossible to keep doing what we love. The two-day blackout isn’t the goal, and it isn’t the end. Should things reach the 14th with no sign of Reddit choosing to fix what they’ve broken, we’ll use the community and buzz we’ve built between then and now as a tool for further action.”

Since this post, a number of major subreddits have either shared similar posts or linked to that one, to declare that they too will be participating in the protest. That includes r/Music, which has over 32 million members and is the fifth-largest community on all of Reddit. Notable genre-specific communities like r/hiphopheads and r/indieheads, which have around 2.5 million members each, have also vowed to join the protest.

A list of other significant subreddits getting involved in the protest, some of which have tens of millions of members, can be found here.

Diddy Sues Diageo for Shunning His DeLeón Tequila Brand

June 1, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Diddy Partners with DJ Khaled to Announce New 'Diddy Direct' Platform

Diddy and his Combs Wines and Spirits LLC are taking Diageo to court, citing the spirits company has neglected his DeLeón tequila brand, a joint venture between the two. According to The Wall Street Journal, Diageo has directed its attention to two other tequila brands, one of which is the George Clooney-led Casamigos.

Included in the suit, Diddy notes Diageo exhibits racial discrimination by placing DeLeón in the “urban” category and also referring to the tequila as a “Black brand.”

In response, Diageo has disputed the allegations. A spokesperson highlighted the matter as “a business dispute,” and they are saddened “that Mr. Combs has chosen to recast this matter as anything other than that.”

According to court filings, Diddy and his company are seeking Diageo to comply with the terms of their 2013 joint agreement and additional statements to develop written agreements on further business.

The court docs also highlight a history of Diddy having complaints to Diageo, including out-of-stock products, limited distribution, and botched redesign. Additionally, in 2010 and 2021, Diageo allegedly did not provide agave to DeLeón during a shortage of the ingredient.

The DeLeón relationship flourished after the success of Diddy and Ciroc. The brand was purchased when it was little known, but Diageo already had Don Julio and would eventually add in Casamigos. All the while, the popularity of tequila skyrocketed in the American market, reaching over $11 billion in sales in 2022. Casamigos controls the market share for tequila purchases at a segment-leading 12%. Diddy’s DeLeón comes in at 28th, just .4% of all sales. Furthermore, DeLeón was only available in 3.3% of outlets as Don Julio was 36% and Casamigos was 34.4%.

“For more than 15 years, we’ve had a productive and mutually beneficial relationship with Mr. Combs on various business ventures, making significant investments that have resulted in financial success for all involved,” the Diageo spokeswoman said to the WSJ. “We are disappointed our efforts to resolve this business dispute amicably have been ignored, and that Mr. Combs has chosen to damage a productive and valued partnership.”

Last week, Diddy unveiled Diddy Direct, a groundbreaking platform designed to assist retailers and consumers in easily discovering, inquiring about, and purchasing any of the popular spirits from his Combs Spirits portfolio. This includes the entire range of CÎROC Vodkas, CÎROC Spritz, CÎROC VS, and DeLeón Tequila variants. With the recent introduction of the limited edition Cîroc Honey Melon, Diddy Direct provides a convenient way for consumers to locate and buy these products.

To launch Diddy Direct, Diddy has partnered with DJ Khaled in a digital ad campaign. In a humorous golf-themed short film, the two celebrities showcase their friendship, with Khaled demonstrating his superior golf skills. The campaign debuts on social media today and will be rolled out across various platforms.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LOVE (@diddy)

“This platform is a game-changer for the spirits industry, and we’re proud to offer consumers and retailers direct access to our portfolio of premium spirits,” said Diddy. “With Diddy Direct, we’re setting a new standard for direct to retailer & direct-to-consumer experiences and bringing the best of Combs Spirits directly to anyone, anywhere in the country.”

Diddy Direct is a platform providing valuable information to consumers and retailers regarding the availability and locations of their preferred Combs Spirits products across the United States. The platform features a user-friendly interface with search functionality based on location and specific products. It also incorporates an interactive national map, allowing users to locate local businesses and distributors easily. By verifying their age, users can navigate the site effortlessly and swiftly find the desired products, along with detailed information on where and how to obtain them anywhere in the country.

You can learn more about Diddy Direct here.

The post Diddy Sues Diageo for Shunning His DeLeón Tequila Brand appeared first on The Source.

Montana Residents File Lawsuit Against State’s TikTok Ban

May 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Citizens of Montana are fighting back against their state’s recent legislation against TikTok. In case you missed it, Montana has become the first state in America to ban TikTok. In a Senate Bill signed on Wednesday, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte stated his aim is to protect the private information of the residents of his state.

According to NPR, Senate Bill 419 highlights the Chinese government as a reason for the ban, citing the nation as a potential threat.

“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gov. Gianforte said.

The counter lawsuit was filed on May 17, led by Samantha Alario, Heather Dirocco, Carly Ann Goddard, Alice Held, and Dale Stout, who identify as “creators and viewers of content on TikTok.”

“Montana has no authority to enact laws advancing what it believes should be the United States’ foreign policy or its national security interests, nor may Montana ban an entire forum for communication based on its perceptions that some speech shared through that forum, though protected by the First Amendment, is dangerous,” they said in the lawsuit, according to Music Business Worldwide.

“Even if Montana could regulate any of the speech that users share through TikTok, SB 419 wields a sledgehammer when the First Amendment requires a scalpel.”

The plaintiffs argue SB419 is unconstitutional and ignores national security and foreign economic factors.

The owner of TikTok, tech giant ByteDance, denied sharing information. However, government officials highlight the records of consumers are available as the nation’s government allows for storing public records.

The ban will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, but it is currently unclear on how it will be enforced, and is also facing opposition that the bill is unconstitutional.

The post Montana Residents File Lawsuit Against State’s TikTok Ban appeared first on The Source.

Diddy Partners with DJ Khaled to Announce New ‘Diddy Direct’ Platform

May 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Sean “Diddy” Combs has unveiled Diddy Direct, a groundbreaking platform designed to assist retailers and consumers in easily discovering, inquiring about, and purchasing any of the popular spirits from his Combs Spirits portfolio. This includes the entire range of CÎROC Vodkas, CÎROC Spritz, CÎROC VS, and DeLeón Tequila variants. With the recent introduction of the limited edition Cîroc Honey Melon, Diddy Direct provides a convenient way for consumers to locate and buy these products.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LOVE (@diddy)

“This platform is a game-changer for the spirits industry, and we’re proud to offer consumers and retailers direct access to our portfolio of premium spirits,” said Sean “Diddy” Combs, Chairman of Combs Global. “With Diddy Direct, we’re setting a new standard for direct to retailer & direct-to-consumer experiences and bringing the best of Combs Spirits directly to anyone, anywhere in the country.”

Diddy Direct is a platform providing valuable information to consumers and retailers regarding the availability and locations of their preferred Combs Spirits products across the United States. The platform features a user-friendly interface that includes search functionality based on location and specific products. It also incorporates an interactive national map, allowing users to locate local businesses and distributors easily. By verifying their age, users can navigate the site effortlessly and swiftly find the desired products, along with detailed information on where and how to obtain them anywhere in the country.

You can learn more about Diddy Direct here.

The post Diddy Partners with DJ Khaled to Announce New ‘Diddy Direct’ Platform appeared first on The Source.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to Announce 2024 Presidential Campaign in Twitter Spaces Event with Elon Musk

May 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is ready to announce his 2024 presidential campaign. The announcement will be part of a Twitter conversation with the platform’s owner Elon Musk on Wednesday evening.

According to NBC News, DeSantis will instantly become the main opposition in the Republican party to former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.

The conversation will occur over the Twitter Spaces audio chat platform, scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET. The conversation with be moderated by another tech entrepreneur David Sacks. The 2024 DeSantis campaign video will launch the same evening as the conversation. After the Memorial Day weekend, DeSantis is expected to travel the country for his campaign.

For better or worse, the Twitter spaces will blend a rising Republican name and a powerful tech mogul. Previously, Musk invited Trump back to Twitter following his acquisition. Musk reportedly believes that Trump can’t regain control of the White House, opting to align with a future candidate.

None of the alleged parties involved in Wednesday evening’s event has commented.

The post Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to Announce 2024 Presidential Campaign in Twitter Spaces Event with Elon Musk appeared first on The Source.

Dre of Cool & Dre Joins Lobus to Bring Music Catalogs and More to Market as Investable Assets

May 23, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Andre “Dre” Lyon, known for being part of the renowned production team Cool & Dre, recently revealed becoming a partner with Lobus, a prominent platform for managing cultural assets. Lobus currently oversees a vast portfolio of assets valued at over $9 billion.

In his capacity as a partner, Dre will collaborate with Lobus to introduce an innovative approach, enabling musicians, entertainers, and creators to present their assets as alternative investment prospects. This new model allows individuals to issue public shares, akin to how Fortune 500 companies do, for their music catalogs, digital content, artwork, and other valuable cultural assets.

Dre’s involvement with Lobus signifies a transformative shift in investment infrastructure, where culture itself becomes a viable asset class, surpassing traditional stocks, bonds, and commodities. This groundbreaking development empowers individuals to engage with cultural assets in a novel and unparalleled manner. Moreover, it presents artists, musicians, filmmakers, influencers, and other creators with an opportunity to monetize their intellectual property, fostering wealth creation that can benefit future generations. Lobus and Dre are spearheading this innovation, enabling a wide range of individuals to access and benefit from the value of cultural assets.

“I am thrilled to partner with Lobus in merging culture with finance,” Dre said. “We are entering a transformative era where songs from two decades ago are being rediscovered and propelled to overnight success through platforms like TikTok and Twitch. By simply selling our catalogs, artists are missing out on the potential rewards. We need a model that allows us – the creators, the originators – to remain connected to our assets and continue growing our work during this extraordinary period of growth. We pour our blood, sweat and tears into our work, and it is only fair that our future generations benefit from our sacrifices and artistic contributions. Lobus is the new paradigm.”

Dre’s role as a partner at Lobus involves utilizing his extensive network and industry knowledge to facilitate the introduction of top-tier assets to the market. He will be the primary contact for artists, creators, and entertainment professionals seeking to monetize their music catalogs, digital content, and other intellectual property within this innovative investment model. Dre will collaborate closely with Lobus to expand the platform, champion the interests of artists, and ensure that creators maintain ownership as they evolve into multi-faceted brands.

Under this new model, institutions and individuals can invest in prominent contemporary brands, diversifying their portfolios and gaining exclusive experiences across various cultural sectors. At the same time, musicians and creators receive access to exceptional financial, media, and advisory services that support the growth of their intellectual property and foster meaningful connections with their audiences.

“Lobus and Dre share the same mission,” Lobus Co-Founder and CEO Lori Hotz. “We are both committed to using our collective experience across finance, culture and technology to help creators build generational wealth and reach new entrepreneurial heights by aligning incentives. At Lobus, artists are not disintermediated from their value.”

“As an artist, Dre understands the true value of his art and how those assets can drive economic growth and create a new paradigm,” Lobus Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Sarah Wendell Sherrill said. “With his partnership, we feel confident that we are establishing a robust ownership model for artists and empowering them to be the true founders of the work they produce.”

Dre also will release his debut album, Nah For Real, at the end of the year. Earlier this year, Dre joined Forbes BLK’s Advisory Council as a strategic thought partner.

The post Dre of Cool & Dre Joins Lobus to Bring Music Catalogs and More to Market as Investable Assets appeared first on The Source.

Ice Cube On AI Music: “I Don’t Wanna Hear That Bullshit”

May 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

While the recent advancements in technology certainly have their benefits, it’s hard to deny that some of them are terrifying. Over the past few months, an increased number of artificial intelligence-generated music has been coming to the forefront, whether in the form of artists covering unlikely songs (such as Drake on Ice Spice’s “Munch (Feelin’ U)”) or using the voices of dead rhymers to cover tracks from other artists made long after their passing. We’ve heard several public figures using their platform to voice the dangers of AI. The latest is Ice Cube, who candidly shared his opinion during this past Friday’s (May 19) episode of the Full Send podcast.

After one of the hosts asked the NWA alum if he heard the recently circulating The Weeknd and Drake AI collaboration, Cube made it abundantly clear that he “doesn’t want to hear” such things. When it was argued that “everyone on the internet” has been listening to the track, the Californian shot back, “Yeah, I don’t wanna hear that bullshit. He should sue whoever made it.” When it was suggested that the technology is coming for his career too, he made it known that he won’t hesitate to take legal action against anyone who tries.

Read More: Is AI A Threat To Hip-Hop?

Ice Cube isn’t Feeling Music’s AI Advancements

Ice Cube sends warning to AI music creators: “I don’t wanna hear that bullshit” https://t.co/52WCdDsvQr pic.twitter.com/T5AUOT8YqP

— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) May 21, 2023

“Yeah, and I’mma sue the muthaf*cka who made it and the people and the platform who play it,” the “No Vaseline” hitmaker declared. “It’s like a sample, you know what I mean? Somebody can’t take your original voice and manipulate it without having to pay.”

As HipHopDX notes, others who have spoken out about their issues with AI lately include will.i.am. “We all have voices, and everyone’s compromised because there are no rights or ownership to your facial math or your voice frequency,” he told DJ Whoo Kid on SiriusXM, addressing the dangers that face everyday people too. “So, forget songs. Banks. People calling up your bank pretending to be you.”

Watch the Rapper’s Entire Full Send Episode

Tap into Ice Cube’s entire conversation with the Full Send podcast below. Do you agree with his stance on artificial intelligence in music? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

[Via]