Conan Does a Dance, Sony Bets on AI, and Spotify's Recount: Link Drop

The news, podcasts, albums, and ephemera that I've enjoyed in the last month.

Can’t Get Much Higher’s link drop is a monthly series for paid subscribers where I discuss art, news, and stories that have gotten me thinking and laughing in the last 30 days. This month, we talk about an AI lawsuit, a festival headlined by Nickelback, Prince’s Super Bowl Half Time show, and so much more.

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Online Posts that Gave Me Life

As someone who is chronically online, I include a few posts that gave me chuckle each month in these link drops. Typically, they are behind the paywall. But I wanted to give everyone a laugh. Subscribe if you want more of these.

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Musical Trends to Keep an Eye On

“Sony Music Makes First AI Investment, Leading Vermillio’s $16M Series A Funding Round” by Kristin Robinson (Billboard)

One big question over the last few years is how the major labels will treat artificial intelligence technology. Some of that treatment has been in the form of lawsuits. (More on that in a moment.) But this latest news shows Sony embracing pieces of the technology. Vermillio, the company they are investing in, allows artists to license the intellectual property to be used in AI-powered products. Here’s an example:

Sony Pictures also worked with Vermillio to create an AI engine that allowed fans to make their own unique digital avatars in the style of Spider-Verse animation. Each of the fan generations were then tracked using TraceID so that all works could be tied back to the filmmakers’ original IP.

“What the Reuters AI copyright decision means for the music industry” by Tatiana Cirisano (Midia)

Media-related AI lawsuits have sprung up regularly over the last few years. For example, last year the major labels sued Suno and Udio, two platforms that produce music with AI. They alleged that the platforms only worked because of large-scale copyright infringement. Nearly all of these lawsuits are still in progress. We finally have a ruling in one, though.