RAIN Notes: October 5

AI expertise in high places

Universal Music Group (UMG) has recruited Oscar Celma to be the label giant’s Senior Vice President, Applied AI and Machine Learning. In managing the development and deployment of AI and ML tech will stretch across all of UMG’s global labels, divisions and business operations — as the company describes HERE. Celma arrives at UMC from Conde Nast where he led machine learning and product analytics. Before that Celma was at Spotify as Director of Engineering and Machine Learning. Before that? Pandora is essentially the same role (plus others) at the VP level. Suffice to say, Celma has AI/ML chops. At UMG he reports to Chief Data Officer Hanna Proferl. Official PR is HERE.

Loving AI … to a point

As AI-created music continues to cause controversy as it grows more prevalent, the idea emerges that AI music should have its own success chart. If not a new idea it’s a current one, promoted now by pop star Kelly Clarkson. She voiced the idea on the Las Culturistas podcast hosted by comedian/actors Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. Clarkson is a proper advocate of the idea, as she has spoken in favor of AI against the grain of her colleagues for the most part. The difference appears to be on the creative side, where she uses it artistically. “I love AI,” she enthused. “There are very amazing things with AI that I am obsessed with, and I’m very into it artistically, too.” She draws a line against AI competing with humans … we do not find an explanation of how that would work.

Appointment

U.S. government-sanctioned PRO (Performance Rights Organization) SoundExchange has reportedly appointed Paul Shaver as Senior Vice President of Business Development. At the time of this post the hire does not appear on Shaver’s LinkedIn profile, an update which most people make quickly when they undergo a career advancement. Our source is HERE.