Apple has reportedly purchased London-based startup AI Music. Photo Credit: Zhang KaiyvAbout 10 days after revealing that its services boast a combined total of almost 800 million subscribers, Apple has reportedly acquired London-headquartered AI Music. The artificial-intelligence startup generates personalized soundtracks and music based upon users’ preferences and inputs.
Outlets including Bloomberg have reported on the sale, but at the time of this piece’s writing, higher-ups at Apple and six-year-old AI Music hadn’t commented publicly on the matter. The under-the-radar deal closed “in recent weeks,” according to the same source, with AI Music having employed some 24 individuals pre-sale.
Though the AI-driven business’s website is no longer live, its LinkedIn page explains that the company is “on a mission to redefine how we create, interact and experience music.”
“AI Music allows brands, developers and sonic adventurers access to our intelligent music library,” AI Music’s LinkedIn description continues. “Our goal is to give consumers the power to choose the music they want, seamlessly edited to fit their needs or create dynamic solutions that adapt to fit their audiences.”
Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see how Apple – which currently has over 785 million subscribers across Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, Apple Arcade, and other services, as mentioned – integrates AI Music’s technology moving forward.
From customized workout experiences on Apple Fitness+ to mood-tailored Apple Music listening options and even user-specific gaming soundtracks, there seems to be no shortage of potential applications for AI Music. More broadly, the Primephonic owner Apple has purchased the startup as artificial intelligence continues to play an increasingly significant role in the wider music industry.
AI-powered music platform Aimi, for instance, closed a $20 million Series B in November of 2021. The three-year-old company utilizes AI and artist-crafted beats to create customized electronic music for users. Other players in the space are turning to artificial intelligence to separate music and to discover unsigned acts with the perceived potential to achieve commercial success.
And specifically on the streaming side, Spotify has patented AI technology that would do everything from analyze song lyrics to determine the mood of listeners (based upon their tone of voice) and recommend tracks accordingly.
But the addition of AI Music to Apple’s portfolio could help the Cupertino-headquartered company to develop its own suite of artificial-intelligence functions on Apple Music, which has worked to stand out in the crowded streaming-service arena by embracing high-definition audio as well as exclusive DJ mixes and livestream performances.
