Key Highlights
- Charlie Puth appointed as chief music officer for Moises, an AI platform.
- Moises is primarily used to isolate vocals and instruments in remixing or sampling songs.
- There are contentious debates over regulating AI in the creative industries.
- Record companies have been negotiating deals with AI music studios for compensation of human artists.
The Rise of AI in Music: Charlie Puth Joins Moises as Chief Music Officer
Charlie Puth, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, has taken a significant step into the world of artificial intelligence by joining Moises, an AI platform dedicated to music tech. Puth’s new role as chief music officer is seen as a move that could reshape how musicians interact with AI technology.
Moises: A Platform for Music Tech Innovations
Moises, founded in 2019, has been at the forefront of developing AI tools to enhance the creative process. The platform offers functionalities like isolating vocals and instruments, changing song keys or generating guitar chords, among others. Notably, last year Moises ventured into generative AI by building an AI-augmented music studio that allows users to generate song stems using text prompts.
Controversies and Licensing Deals
The adoption of AI in the creative industries has not been without controversy. Many artists remain wary of AI technology, especially when it comes to content generation capabilities. However, more companies like Moises have been pushing to strike licensing deals with talent across sectors—ranging from film and TV to video games—to avoid backlash from those who fear their voices and likenesses might be used without consent.
For instance, the AI voice generation platform ElevenLabs has partnered with actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine to license their famous voices for generative audio uses.
Singer Liza Minnelli also collaborated on an AI-generated album made by the company. These moves indicate a shift towards artists accepting and even embracing AI as a tool rather than a threat.
Puth’s Support and Experimentation with AI
Charlie Puth has been a public supporter of experimenting with AI in music for years. In 2023, he was among the first to sign onto an AI music partnership, collaborating with Google to make his voice available for AI-generated YouTube Shorts soundtracks. He is also a longtime user of Moises and recently partnered with it to launch a “Jam Sessions” contest for his fans.
“AI, when done right, isn’t here to replace musicians,” Puth stated in his statement about the new role. This sentiment reflects a broader debate within the industry: while some argue AI can enhance creativity by providing tools that were once out of reach, others fear it could diminish the unique human touch in music.
Industry Pushback and Adaptation
The pushback against using human art to train AI models without permission has led many record companies to negotiate licensing deals. In 2024, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group signed major licensing deals with AI music studios Stability AI and Udio. Sony Music Entertainment also announced separate agreements with Klay, a small music technology company.
These deals aim to compensate artists while navigating the complex landscape of AI-generated content in streaming services.
The Recording Academy’s president Harvey Mason Jr. acknowledged that how the Grammys handles AI-generated or AI-assisted music is “the toughest part of his job.” He highlighted the range of uses, from generating entire tracks to supplementing small elements with AI.
Despite these challenges, Moises seems well-positioned in this space. Puth’s appointment as chief music officer signals a strategic move that could help Moises differentiate itself from full-song generators and avoid some of the backlash associated with those solutions.