AI to the Rescue? — BMG Says a ‘Single Project’ Can Involve Up to 700 Digital Assets

Photo Credit: BMG

BMG strikes up a partnership with a Munich tech university to fast-track the development of artificial intelligence within the company.BMG has announced its strategic partnership with the TUM School of Management, part of Munich’s Technical University, to fast-track the development of generative artificial intelligence within the company.

The project will initially prioritize harnessing AI to creatively manage what the company calls an increasingly complex variety of digital assets required for global music marketing campaigns — sometimes up to 700 for a single project.

Led by Professor Dr. Jochen Hartmann (pictured), the founder of TUM School of Management’s GenAI Lab and BMG’s marketing and corporate development teams, the first project will focus on deploying AI to manage assets for global marketing campaigns, for projects that include artwork for streaming services, banners, advertising materials, and social media content.

Dr. Hartmann, whose papers include a study into political bias in ChatGPT which made headlines last summer, is an expert on the junction of digital marketing and machine learning and a global pioneer in applied generative AI research. To complement the partnership, BMG is sponsoring a two-year PhD position at TUM’s Professorship of Digital Marketing, fostering innovative research and academic excellence.

“The core objective of this first phase of our work will be to demonstrate how generative AI can improve the creative efficiency and effectiveness of multi-modal marketing content,” said Dr. Hartmann. “I am delighted to be working with BMG in this groundbreaking area.”“GenAI’s impact on the music industry will be transformational, where human artistry is at the heart of it. We are delighted to be partnering with a thought leader in the field of digital marketing, Professor Dr. Hartmann,” said BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld. “Together we believe we will continue to move the dial on the deployment of AI technologies in the music business to reach wider fan audiences more effectively.”

“The integration of AI into music marketing is about more than efficiency; it’s about reimagining the creative process. AI offers us an unprecedented opportunity to change the way we market and experience music globally,” added Johannes von Schwarzkopf, SVP of Corporate Development at BMG.

“The corporate partnership with BMG reflects our commitment to fostering a dynamic exchange between the corporate world and our academic community. By collaborating with renowned institutions and industry leaders such as BMG, we remain at the forefront of innovation,” concluded Professor Dr. Gunther Friedl, Dean of the TUM School of Management.

The initiative also builds on BMG’s commitment to the development of AI; in addition to AI technologies already being used in both sync and royalty functions, in 2021, the company released an AI-completed version of Beethoven’s unfinished tenth symphony.