Music and tech forge new ground at ARIA Innovator

The second annual ARIA Innovator wrapped yesterday at the State Library of NSW, bringing together Australian and international voices from across the music and technology sectors. The message from the room was clear: the path forward on artificial intelligence runs through licensing, partnership and respect for creative rights.

Presented by ARIA with support from Sound NSW, the conference brought together more than 250 music professionals to hear from an international lineup including Jonathan Dworkin (EVP, Digital Business Development & Strategy), Meng Ru Kuok (CEO, BandLab Technologies and Caldecott Music Group), Cathy Hackl (tech and gaming executive), Dom Price (work futurist), Margaret Zhang (filmmaker and creative director) and The Betoota Advocate's Errol Parker and Clancy Overell, with conversations guided by award-winning broadcast journalist Narelda Jacobs OAM and music journalist Sosefina Fuamoli.

The day covered some of the most pressing shifts facing the industry, with AI licensing, copyright, gaming, media, creative leadership and the future of Australian music culture all on the agenda.

Jonathan Dworkin, who plays an integral role in UMG's digital partnerships and AI licensing strategy globally, said: “At Universal, running away from AI was never an option nor a consideration. The music business is in deep partnership with the technology business. We are determined to learn the lessons from our past and, instead of trying to fight the waves of innovation, understand how we can harness them to empower our artists. We can do much, much better – for artists, better for consumers, better for humanity – and we are demonstrating that it's possible.”

Pointing to UMG's partnerships with Udio, KLAY, Spotify, Nvidia and others as evidence of the market working at scale, Mr Dworkin said: “We didn't defeat piracy by turning off the internet. Ultimately, we prevailed because streamers built a better product than piracy. That's what we hope to do with AI.”

BandLab Technologies CEO Meng Ru Kuok, whose platform serves more than 100 million creators worldwide, described copyright itself as one of the great enabling technologies: “The technology of copyright and licensing and IP rights has been developed over hundreds of years. Electricity is still around, and I believe it will be around for a couple hundred years more. Copyright legislation has continually evolved, but it's one of the most robust frameworks we have. The most important thing is respecting the way it's been created, and enforcing it.”

On how platforms value creative rights, Mr Kuok said: “Some companies see royalties and licensing fees as their cost of goods. The difference for a platform like ours is that we're targeting music fans, we're targeting emerging artists: it's not a cost, it's the whole point.”

Cathy Hackl, whose session explored the convergence of music and gaming, said: “If you have bold strategies around AI and gaming, and start to look at how some of the newer models can be harnessed, you can start to lead internationally. Australia has an extraordinary opportunity here.”

The Betoota Advocate's Errol Parker, reflecting on what a globalised, algorithm-driven market means for sovereign Australian creativity, said: “Localism matters. We look at some of our biggest songs that people sing at weddings: why is it so offensive to include a place name in a chorus nowadays? People feel seen and heard and relevant to what's being made. The dream here is, do we want an Australian music scene? Or do we want to send one away overseas, where they change their accent and just become generalised?”

ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said: “AI presents genuine new opportunities for the music industry, and licensing deals are emerging with major and independent labels globally but these opportunities must be built on a foundation of consent, transparency and fair compensation. The hundreds of AI licensing deals already operating at scale prove our copyright system is working. Yesterday’s presenters proved Australia doesn't need new copyright carve-outs or regulatory shortcuts to enable artificial intelligence: the music industry is open for business, and we're ready to do deals.”

NSW Minister for the Arts and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham, whose government has invested $103 million in contemporary music through Sound NSW, said: "It's phenomenal to have ARIA playing this role, concerned not just about the immediate business but about the wider music ecosystem. We want Sydney to be a Music City. We want New South Wales to be a music state."

Day Two continues today with the ARIA Innovator Leadership Workshop, an application-only program for selected NSW-based music professionals focused on developing leadership skills for high-performing, mid-level people working in the music industry.

ARIA Innovator has been made possible by the NSW Government through Sound NSW.

Event Images HERE

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Knowles

M: 0449 510 357

E: andrew@skmediagroup.com.au