Splice partners with UMG on the development of AI-powered tools and virtual instruments

Leading sample platform Splice has announced a partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG) on the development of AI-powered music creation tools for artists.

Though the two companies have declared an intention to develop advanced commercial AI tools “rooted in creative control and sonic excellence” that deliver “high fidelity and precise expression of artistic intent”, details on what this will entail are scarce.

A press release states that the partnership will explore AI-powered virtual instruments and tools that allow UMG artists to bring their own sounds into Splice’s AI workflows, and UMG says artists on its roster will play a “crucial role” in the product development process.

Building on Splice’s existing suite of AI tools, which includes the AI-based sample discovery tool Splice Create and the in-DAW Search With Sound feature, the result of the company’s partnership with UMG could take any number of forms: it’s not hard to imagine a prompt-based AI tool that generates samples or instruments on demand based on the style of UMG artists such as Drake, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd.

Splice has previously been reluctant to incorporate purely generative AI into its platform, as Splice CEO told MusicRadar in 2024: "I think there is power in these [AI] tools. But, I don't think the power in these tools is, ‘oh, we can generate a sample’. I think there's power in the human-generated samples that our users really appreciate.”

“I do think that generative AI can be used to build better tools. We spend a lot of time with artists. I personally spend a lot of time with producers, learning about how they would want to use generative AI in their creative process. They've got some really powerful ideas. Are we working on it? Absolutely, absolutely, we're working on it. We're not going to use it to ‘generate’ a library of samples. We're going to use it to build better tools."

UMG recently made a bold move into the generative AI space with AI music platform Udio after the two companies reached a settlement in an ongoing lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement. Back in October, UMG and Udio announced a partnership that will see the development of an “innovative, commercial music creation, consumption and streaming experience” to be launched in 2026.

“We’re excited to form this alliance with Splice to promote the alignment of innovation and ethicality in addressing the interests of the creative community to leverage cutting-edge AI-enabled tools to further their artistic expression,” UMG’s EVP Michael Nash said in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with Kakul Srivastava and her team on this critically important strategic technology front.”

“We’ve spent time building AI tools designed to fairly compensate creators and keep them in control,” added Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava. “We’re thankful for Universal’s continued support, and excited to work together to put these commercial tools in the hands of artists everywhere, knowing they can trust the end result.”

In June 2024, Splice joined UMG and numerous industry figures in signing the Principles for Music Creation with AI, a series of statements concerning the responsible use of AI in music creation designed to underscore the need for transparency, equity, and community involvement.