UMG Licenses Songs to AI Gaming Company TYGER

Universal Music Group just signed its first major label deal with AI gaming startup TYGER, opening a new soundtrack frontier. The agreement, announced Thursday Oct. 22, lets TYGER users stream UMG songs in real-time as they play. TYGER had more than 400,000 tracks before, mostly indie, so this marks its first major-label partnership. Nick Venti said gaming is where the next generation spends time, and music has had a way to reach them. Michael Nash, UMG's chief digital officer, said the deal lets artists soundtrack personalized gameplay and connect with millions of gamers. Earlier this year, UMG signed a Spotify deal for AI remixing, showing its growing embrace of machine-learning music. Lucian Grainge, UMG's CEO, told Nvidia in March that AI is inevitable for music, provided guardrails exist. With TYGER, the label's artists now get a fresh, interactive platform to reach gamers and new fans.