Hatsune Miku – Music Enterprise Analysis

Hatsune Miku – Music Enterprise Analysis

by | Jan 18, 2026 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News


Whereas the primary and second generations of digital musicians required human singers to supply the vocals and studio bands to interpret the music, Vocaloid software program, developed by Japanese synthesiser producer Yamaha within the late Nineties, enabled the creation of purely computer-generated voices for the primary time. This resulted within the creation of the music avatar Hatsune Miku by the Sapporo-based gaming firm Crypton. Initially meant as a advertising software, Hatsune Miku developed a lifetime of her personal on social media, resulting in the creation of a music avatar of the identical identify. To at the present time, the avatar provides concert events in entrance of tens of 1000’s of followers worldwide, producing thousands and thousands in merchandising and branding income for Crypton.

Half 2 of the weblog collection will discover the background to Hatsune Miku’s creation, in addition to her subsequent profession as a concert-performing singing avatar.

Digital Music Worlds – Half 2: Hatsune Miku

The pre-history of Hatsune Miku

To carry Kyoto Date and Adam to life, human singers needed to lend them their voices. At the moment, there have been no AI-generated voice clones able to singing independently. However, the event of artificial voice era dates again to the late Nineties. In 1998, Japanese instrument producer Yamaha unveiled the FS1R voice synthesiser, which might already distinguish between voiced and voiceless sounds. This enabled it to mimic the human voice to a sure extent.[1] Nonetheless, the FS1R’s voice era was nonetheless very rudimentary and artistically unsatisfactory. Yamaha subsequently started to enhance the synthesiser and teamed up with the Music Expertise Group at Pompeu Fabra College in Barcelona. Collectively, they developed the Vocaloid software program synthesiser, which was offered to the general public in March 2003 on the music truthful in Frankfurt am Essential below the identify “Daisy”, however was renamed Vocaloid shortly afterwards attributable to copyright issues.[2] Though the software program was comparatively easy to make use of, it was time-consuming. Customers needed to enter the notes of a music and its lyrics, after which they may reproduce the music utilizing an artificial voice. Nonetheless, at the very least a MIDI interface allowed WAV information to be transferred, enabling the music to be edited additional.

In January 2004, British sound library producer Zero-G, in cooperation with Yamaha, offered the primary two programmes for digital female and male voices, Leon and Lola, on the Nationwide Affiliation of Music Retailers music truthful (NAMM Present) in Anaheim, California. As well as, a software program package deal known as Miriam was provided, based mostly on the voice of British pop star Miriam Stockley.[3] The primary software program packages for artificial voices attracted media consideration, however bought very poorly.[4] However, the Sapporo-based software program firm Crypton Future Media developed the primary artificial voices in Japanese. On 5 October 2004, Meiko, based mostly on the voice of singer Meiko Haigō, was launched,[5] adopted on 17 February 2006 by Kaito, based mostly on the voice of singer Naoto Fūga.[6] Whereas Meiko bought comparatively properly with 3,000 items shipped, Kaito remained a gradual vendor. Crypton executives concluded that feminine voice synthesiser programmes bought higher as a result of the audience was principally younger male anime followers, as Crypton CEO Hiroyuki Ito revealed in an interview in 2008.[7]

The Creation of Hatsune Miku

In 2007, to cater to Japanese desktop music customers and anime followers, Crypton launched a brand new Vocaloid undertaking known as Hatsune Miku, which interprets as “The Voice from the Future”. This growth coincided with Yamaha’s launch of Vocaloid 2. This new synthesiser software program was not solely extra user-friendly but in addition produced higher-quality sound synthesis.[8] This suited the creators of Hatsune Miku, who travelled to Tokyo to seek out the fitting voice for the brand new software program package deal and have the graphic design for Hatsune Miku developed. Wataru Sasaki, the producer answerable for Vocaloid, went to Arts Imaginative and prescient, an organization that had a database of voice actors. Sasaki listened to 300 sound samples for hours and at last selected the voice of Saki Fujita as a result of it was “simple to grasp and cute,” as Sasaki defined in an interview.[9] The mandatory voice recordings have been made with Saki Fujita, which have been then fed into the Vocaloid programme. The intention was to create a virtual-sounding voice that was neither too artificial nor too pure. It needed to match the fictional character that was subsequently developed by manga artist Kei Garō. They’d turn into conscious of him through the Web and commissioned him to design a 16-year-old lady in anime model. Kei Garō despatched numerous designs by e-mail till these accountable at Crypton have been happy. The top consequence was a lady with turquoise hair that reached virtually to the ground within the type of extra-long braids, held collectively by magenta sq. hair rings. Headphones linked to a microphone might be seen peeking out from below her magnificent hair. She wore an equally turquoise, extra-long tie over a sleeveless black college uniform that led to a miniskirt. Black arm socks lined her forearms and black stockings wrapped her legs. The quantity “01” was tattooed in purple on her left higher arm, clearly indicating that Hatsune Miku was the primary Vocaloid character created by Crypton.[10]

Crypton created two further Vocaloid voices alongside Hatsune Miku: Kagamine Rin and Len. These are a pair of 14-year-old siblings, voiced by Japanese actress Asami Shimoda. In distinction to Hatsune Miku, the voices of Rin and Len are considerably stronger and richer and have been meant to enchantment to a unique audience.[11]

Hatsune Miku Turns into a Bestseller

On 31 August 2007, gross sales of the Hatsune Miku Vocaloid software program started. At the moment, Hatsune Miku existed solely as an artificial voice and as an anime drawing that adorned the software program field. However, the discharge was an unexpectedly large success. Greater than a thousand items have been bought within the first week alone. Crypton needed to impose a vacation ban in order that the immense demand might be met in day and night time shifts. Inside six months, greater than 30,000 copies of the software program package deal had been bought.[12]

Nonetheless, Hatsune Miku would have remained a short-lived advertising phenomenon if a loyal fan base had not been emerged who used the software program extensively to create their very own content material. Instantly after its preliminary launch, user-generated music tracks that includes Hatsune Miku’s voice appeared on the Japanese video-sharing platform “Niko Niko Dōga”, and have been subsequently animated in 2D and even 3D by different customers.[13] There was a veritable artistic explosion on the Japanese YouTube clone, which was cleverly exploited by the producer Crypton to additional improve the recognition of the fictional character. As an alternative of putting Hatsune Miku in a copyright cage, its use was launched in 2012 below the Inventive Commons licence CC-BY-NC.[14] Nonetheless, to be able to retain management over using Hatsune Miku, Crypton launched the Piapro platform in December 2007, the place Vocaloid customers might add the content material that they had created and alternate concepts with different customers. Piapro stands for peer manufacturing and goals to unleash the creativity of Hatsune Miku followers by permitting them to share illustrations, animations and different digital content material.[15] By the top of February 2008, the platform already had round 50,000 registered customers, who had uploaded 17,000 illustrations, 2,500 items of music and 1,700 lyrics.[16] Hatsune Miku thus turned a social media phenomenon earlier than she even existed as an avatar, and shortly spilled over into the actual world. Hatsune Miku fan golf equipment have been based all through Japan, organising events and different occasions the place followers appeared dressed within the anime character’s outfit.[17]

Followers and Japanese artists alike used the Hatsune Miku vocal synthesiser to provide their very own music. In Japan, that is known as Dōjin Ongaku, i.e. music produced by followers, which even made it into the Japanese charts. The primary Dōjin album with music based mostly on the Hatsune Miku software program was launched in September 2007, and plenty of extra have been to observe within the years that adopted.[18]

The album ‘Supercell’ by the J-pop group of the identical identify was notably profitable. Composer and lyricist Ryo had the songs interpreted utilizing the Hatsune Miku vocal synthesiser. The album reached quantity 4 within the Japanese Oricon charts and remained there for 37 weeks.[19] Since 2007, greater than 100,000 songs have been created utilizing the Hatsune Miku software program, in response to the digital artist’s homepage.[20]

Nonetheless, Hatsune Miku appeared not solely in music but in addition in different media. She was the protagonist of the manga collection “Maker Hikōshiki Hatsune Combine”, created by Kei Garō and printed in “Comedian Rush” journal from November 2007 to December 2010.[21] Hatsune Miku additionally appeared as a personality within the golf simulation recreation PangYa in Could 2008,[22] and the digital star was even the primary character within the rhythm recreation “Hatsune Miku: Venture Diva” from Sega, which was accessible for PlayStation from July 2009.[23]

Hatsune Miku shortly turned an enormous advertising phenomenon, which Crypton Future Media efficiently exploited in licensing agreements for merchandising and branding actions. Hatsune Miku even made it onto two BMW GT300 class racing vehicles belonging to the Studio AG racing workforce, which competed on racetracks world wide in 2008 and 2009.[24] In March 2012, the Japanese enterprise portal SankeiBiz cited a examine by the Nomura Analysis Institute, in response to which gross sales of services branded with Hatsune Miku had totalled YEN 10 billion (round EUR 125 million) since 2007.[25]

Hatsune Miku Involves Life

Nonetheless, Hatsune Miku solely really got here to life as an avatar who additionally carried out reside in concert events. She made her debut on 22 August 2009 on the anime music pageant “Animelo Summer time Dwell 2009 Re:bridge” within the Saitama Tremendous Area in entrance of 25,000 anime followers. Anime Information Community offered a live performance overview the next day, describing the memorable efficiency: “The live performance used a display put in behind the stage to undertaking Hatsune a number of tales tall earlier than a standing-room-only crowd of 25,000. After a greeting, the computer-generated Hatsune proceeded to sing (and dance) on two songs — ‘Miku Miku ni Shite Ageru (Shiteyan yo)’ and ‘Black Rock Shooter.’”[26] Just a few months later, in November 2009, Hatsune Miku made her first look exterior Japan on the “Anime Pageant Asia” in Singapore.

Inspired by the overwhelming public response, Crypton organised the digital star’s first solo live performance in 2010. For this objective, a 3D animation of Hatsune Miku was developed and projected onto clear, human-sized screens. Following intensive preparation and rehearsals, the live performance befell on 9 March 2010 on the Zepp live performance corridor on the man-made island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay. The live performance started in a mystical ambiance with the solo voice of Hatsune Miku coming from offstage in entrance of a sea of tens of 1000’s of glow sticks, which the followers, shrouded in darkness, waved euphorically to the beautiful melody. The scene was illuminated by an outsized disco ball that shone just like the moon within the sky, earlier than techno rhythms introduced the reside band into view and Hatsune Miku rose like a life-size ghost from the stage ground to introduce the brand new music. In complete, the digital famous person carried out 39 songs, altering outfits and performing with the opposite Vocaloid characters Rin, Len and Luka.[27] The live performance was titled “Miku no Hello Kanshasai 39’s Giving Day”, with the quantity 39 standing for “Thanks” in Japanese, expressing gratitude to the followers for his or her help, which made the phenomenon of Hatsune Miku doable within the first place.[28]

To advertise the music exterior Japan, the live performance was carried out once more on 2 July 2011 on the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles as a part of “Anime Expo 2011”, within the “39’s Giving Day” format.[29] In 2012, Crypton teamed up with French luxurious model Louis Vuitton and produced the Vocaloid opera “The Finish” with Japanese star director Toshiki Okada, through which Hatsune Miku and different Vocaloid characters carried out on the Chatelet Opera Home in Paris from 13 to fifteen November 2012.[30] Nonetheless, Hatsune Miku‘s worldwide breakthrough got here when she was the opening act for Woman Gaga‘s “ArtRave: The Artpop Ball” world tour, as Woman Gaga had declared herself to be a fan of Hatsune Miku. From 6 Could to three June 2014, the Japanese music avatar opened the concert events of the US famous person.[31] And on 8 October 2014, Hatsune Miku even appeared on David Letterman’s Late Present on CBS, performing the music “Sharing the World”.[32]

Crypton Future Media has efficiently established the digital pop star as a global, lasting phenomenon. Since 2013, Hatsune Miku’s “birthday” has been celebrated yearly with tens of 1000’s of followers on the finish of August in Japan below the title “Magical Mirai”.[33] Since 2014, the ‘Miku Expo’ concert events have been held recurrently world wide, bringing Hatsune Miku and her Vocaloid colleagues to different Asian international locations, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand,[34] thereby increasing their fan base.

It’s astonishing what number of followers worldwide cheer for the digital pop star at concert events, purchase her merchandise and music, and thus improve her promoting worth even additional. An unmanageable quantity of merchandise and branded merchandise profit from the persevering with reputation of Hatsune Miku. The concert events are only one aspect of a whole advertising universe that Crypton Future Media has created across the digital famous person. The concert events are additionally a blueprint for AI-generated music avatars, which have lately begun to take the world’s live performance phases by storm.

Endnotes

[1] Sound on Sound, “Yamaha FS1R – FM Synthesis/Formant-shaping Tone Generator”, December 1998, accessed: 2025-08-20.

[2] Die Welt am Sonntag, “Software program trifft den richtigen Ton”, December 7, 2003, accessed: 2025-08-20.

[3] Zero-G press launch, “HOT NEWS!! Zero-G broadcasts the world’s first VOCALOID digital vocalist merchandise, LEON and LOLA”, January 15, 2004, accessed: 2025-08-20.

[4] IT Media, “The Making of Hatsune Miku”, February 22, 2008, translated from Japanese with DeepL, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Sound on Sound, “PowerFX Vocaloid 2 Candy Ann”, January 2008, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[9] IT Media, “The Making of Hatsune Miku”, February 22, 2008, translated from Japanese with DeepL, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] IT Media, “Hatsune Miku Opens the ‘Door to Creativity’”, February 25, 2008, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Crypton Future Media, “Who’s Hatsune Miku?”, n.d., accessed: 2025-08-21.

[15] IT Media, “Hatsune Miku Opens the ‘Door to Creativity’”, February 25, 2008, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] The German Wikipedia web page on Hatsune Miku offers a great overview: Wikipedia, “Hatsune Miku”, model of July 28, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[19] Wikipedia, “Supercell (album)”, model of August 21, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[20] Crypton Future Media, “Who’s Hatsune Miku?”, n.d., accessed: 2025-08-21.

[21] Anime Information Community, “Darkish Horse Provides New Lone Wolf and Cub, Hatsune Miku: Unofficial Hatsune Combine Manga”, March 29, 2013, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[22] Wikipedia, “PangYa”, model of January 27, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[23] Wikipedia, “Hatsune Miku: Venture DIVA (online game)”, model of Could 22, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[24] Tremendous GT Scorching Information, “The Rumored No. 808 Hatsune Miku Studie Glad BMW Z4”, August 18, 2008, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[25] SankeiBiz, “Hatsune Miku, an actual enterprise alternative: reside performances, karaoke, commercials… associated consumption exceeds 10 billion yen”, March 27, 2012, accessed: 2025-08-21.

[26] Anime Information Community, “Hatsune Miku Digital Idol Performs ‘Dwell’ Earlier than 25,000”, 23. August 2009, Zugriff am 22.08.2025.

[27] YouTube, “Miku no Hello Kanshasai 39’s Giving Day”, February 16, 2019, accessed: 2025-08-22.

[28] Anime Information Community, “Hatsune Miku Digital Idol to Maintain 1st Solo Live performance”, December 10, 2009, accessed: 2025-08-22.

[29] Anime Expo, “Japan’s Digital Pop Star Hatsune Miku To Make U.S. Live performance Debut At Anime Expo 2011”, Could 12, 2011, accessed: 2025-08-22.

[30] Japanverse, “Louis Vuitton And Marc Jacobs To Crew Up With Hatsune Miku”, November 22, 2012, accessed: 2025-08-22.

[31] Anime Information Community, “Hatsune Miku to Open For Woman Gaga”, April 16, 2014, accessed: 2025-08-22.

[32] YouTube, “Hatsune Miku Performs “Sharing The World” | Letterman”, Could 12, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-22.

[33] Crypton Future Media, “Hatsune Miku Magical Mirai”, n.d., accessed: 2025-08-22.

[34] Crypton Future Media, “Miku Expo Historical past”, n.d. accessed: 2025-08-22.

Walker Scobell by Chris Jackson for the winter 2 of Growing Up on Cameras: Podcast.

Walker Scobell by Chris Jackson for the winter 2 of Growing Up on Cameras: Podcast.

by | Jan 11, 2026 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, aȵd other ρrograms are avaiIable to subscribe via.

Ⱳalker Sçobell is αlso adjusting to the idea that ⱨis “real lifȩ” and Percy Ɉackson’s lives don’t walk at the same rate. The artist, whσ iȿ best known ƒor portraying Percყ Jacksσn and the Olympians as the face of the Disney + line, tɾaversing thȩ strange time gap between shooting and discharge dαtes, and whαt it’s likȩ to reαlize viewers are seeing an autheȵtic ⱱersion of you. Listen in the audiobooks above or wherever you can find them.

Scobell claims that in the past he didn’t spend so much time studying, preferring to live his life and travel up refreshed. He states,” Tⱨat’s all l think about when I’ɱ shooting,” adding that. When I’m not, I sort of give in to the idea entirely. Oddly sufficiently, that was the best preparation I could have done. Even though watching earIier episodes eventually ɱade it mσre difficult for him to go baçk to Pȩrcy with α clearer mind. He claims that by the time it comes out, you’ll be a completely different person, noting how much post-production you take. This is frȩsh, and to yσu, įt’s been a thinǥ for years, accordinǥ to everyone else’s perspective.

Scobell and Michael Douglas are paired in what he humorously claims may have been the writer’s retirement cause, and that sentiment also extends to other tasks as well. Scσbell laưghs and recalls asking Douglas questions while stɾanded along σn a boat for time. ” I really think he decided to retire because of me,” he says.

Sȩason 2 of the Percy films pμts extra pressure on the rȩal demands, including longer niǥhts oƒ stunt work and final-ever stunt seɋuences. ” You always gotta be 100 %”, he says. You always know whaƫ wiIl become a cannon.

In the most recent event, Walker Scobell talks about Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Season 2 ( and teases Season 3 with Kate McKinnon ), and more, or watch the video in the film below. Follow Kyle Meredith With… on your preferred audio app, anḑ subscribȩ ƫo the Cσnsequence Podcast Network to listeȵ to all the newest episodes.

Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is available on Disney + right then.

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by | Jan 4, 2026 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News


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AI Generated Artists – Music Enterprise Analysis

AI Generated Artists – Music Enterprise Analysis

by | Dec 28, 2025 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News


Synthetic intelligence marks a quantum leap within the creation of digital artists. Now, not solely can music avatars be visually perfected, generative AI will also be used to compose songs and create lyrics. Moreover, instruments exist already that can be utilized to provide sensible music movies. Which means the technological conditions for creating profitable digital music stars have been established. Whether or not these avatars will have the ability to succeed within the music market, and even enter the worldwide live performance market, stays to be seen. Partly 4 of the weblog collection ‘Digital Music Worlds’, we are going to study case research of AI-generated music avatars developed primarily by massive leisure corporations in South Korea and China, to evaluate their financial potential for the music trade.

Digital Music Worlds – Half 4: AI Generated Artists

SM Leisure and aespa

AI-generated artists may also play a task on this. A notable instance is the Okay-pop woman band aespa, fashioned by South Korean firm SM Leisure in 2020. The band consists of actual singers performing beneath the stage names Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning, who’ve additionally been given digital alter egos.[1] On the first World Cultural Business Discussion board (WCIF), which needed to be held on-line attributable to COVID-19, SM Leisure Chairman Soo-Man Lee defined the idea behind aespa. The avatars – also referred to as æ avatars – usually are not merely representations of the human musicians, however have impartial identities that work together within the digital world: “There’s a new idea group with a groundbreaking identification that we are able to work with. The members of the ‘actual world’ and the members of the ‘digital world’ have AI brains as totally different creatures, to allow them to speak to one another, give tides, make pals, and every world. We’re planning to point out off a totally new idea of storytelling that we couldn’t meet earlier than, corresponding to going backwards and forwards between the worlds by dividing the data.”[2]

After the 4 artists had been launched on SM Leisure’s social media channels between 27 and 30 October 2020,[3] their first single, “Black Mamba”, and the music video of the identical title had been launched on 17 November 2020.[4] As well as, a brief video was posted by which singer Karina chats together with her avatar, æ-Karina, whereas sitting comfortably on sofas and explains that in addition they trade messages through smartphone.[5]

In October 2021, SM Leisure launched “Savage”, the woman group’s first EP album,[6] which instantly stormed to the highest of the Korean charts and likewise prompted a stir internationally. This success earned aespa a spot on the principle stage on the Coachella Music Pageant in California. There, the 4 singers carried out three songs alongside their avatars, who had been projected onto a display screen. Quite a few YouTube movies posted by followers present this.[7]

In 2023, the time was ripe for a global tour by aespa entitled “SYNK: HYPER LINE”, with performances by the woman group and their avatars in varied nations in Southeast Asia, in addition to in america and Europe.[8] In 2024, the primary full-length studio album, “Armageddon”, was launched with ten songs, reaching quantity 2 on the Korean album charts and likewise showing on the worldwide long-play charts.[9] This was adopted by the second stay tour – “SYNK: Parallel Line” – which took the woman group to Japan, China, Thailand and Australia in 2024 and continued in North America and Europe in 2025.[10] It stays to be seen whether or not aespa’s two-world idea will work. The Okay-pop woman group capabilities like a traditional music act, with human songwriters and composers writing songs and producing albums. Stay performances additionally comply with a standard sample, with the æ avatars projected within the background. Solely the connection to the two.7 million followers (as of July 2025) who collect on the corporate’s personal platform Weverse[11] additionally features a digital part. Nevertheless, followers have additionally criticised the storyline of aespa for not all the time being understandable and tough to convey.[12] SM Leisure will nonetheless need to do a variety of inventive work to implement the unique idea.

Deep Studio Leisure and Superkind

Regardless of all of the uncertainties, the idea of aespa rapidly discovered imitators. In November 2021, South Korean firm Deep Studio Leisure offered the boy band Superkind,[13] which initially consisted of 4 actual members, Eugene, Geon, Daemon and SiO, in addition to one digital member, Saejin. Saejin was modelled on Adamsoft’s first digital performer, Adam, however because of AI know-how, he may very well be made way more sensible.[14] In contrast to to aespa, the avatar was an integral a part of the boy band and appeared equally with the opposite band members within the music and promotional movies, as may be seen within the first music video launched for the one “Watch Out” in June 2022.[15] The 5 band members carried out on a stage in a digital surroundings modelled after the Colosseum in Rome, with solely the keenest of observers capable of inform the distinction between the actual singers and their digital band-mates.

Shortly after the discharge of their debut single in July 2022, one other human member, JDV, grew to become a part of the boy band.[16] In December 2022, they had been joined by the digital singer Seung,[17] bringing the overall variety of Superkind members to seven.

In March 2023, Superkind’s second single, “Moody”, was launched, adopted by the EP “Profiles of the Future (Λ): 70%” in October of the identical 12 months. Nevertheless, album gross sales had been very modest, with 6,336 models bought within the first week, putting Superkind solely at quantity 22 on the South Korean Circle Album Chart.[18] After that, issues went quiet across the hybrid boy band. Then, on the morning of 11 April 2025, a put up appeared on X (previously Twitter) by which Deep Studio introduced the dissolution of the group and the mutual termination of contracts with the 5 human performers. No causes got for this resolution, however the AI firm thanked the artists for his or her cooperation and wished them properly for the long run.[19] Nevertheless, it may be assumed that there have been disagreements between the corporate and the human members of Superkind, by which financial components additionally performed a task. This instance reveals that AI-generated musicians aren’t any assure of success and that the excessive growth prices should first be justified.

Metaverse Leisure and MAVE

Nevertheless, South Korea stays fertile floor for the event of AI-generated artists. On 8 November 2022, Metaverse Leisure, a subsidiary of South Korean recreation developer Netmarble Company, introduced the launch of the digital Okay-pop woman group MAVE for spring 2023.[20] In collaboration with the South Korean media group Kakao Leisure, which supplied monetary backing for the mission and is answerable for music distribution, the primary single, “Pandora”, was launched on 25 January 2023 as a music video on YouTube. Within the video, the 4 lifelike members of the woman group — Siu, Zena, Tyra and Marty — carry out in a futuristic-looking metropolis and sing a few hopeless future by which feelings have been misplaced, and about discovering hope once more in a digital world known as Idypia.[21] With the assistance of an AI voice generator, the digital singers are capable of carry out their songs not solely in Korean, but additionally in English, French and Bahasa, the official language of Indonesia. Nevertheless, the AI voices had been skilled with human performers and the dance efficiency within the video is predicated on movement seize know-how, which was already used for Hatsune Miku.[22] On 30 November 2023, MAVE’s second single, entitled “What’s Your Identify?”, was launched on YouTube.[23] Though the debut single had nearly 32 million views on YouTube and “What’s Your Identify?” was additionally clicked on nearly 12 million instances (as of August 2025), MAVE did not enter the South Korean singles charts.[24] This is also the rationale why no additional songs had been launched by the AI woman group from 2024 onwards.

Supertone: MIDNATT and SYNDI8

It subsequently appears tough to create a purely digital AI act if there is no such thing as a thrilling storyline behind it. It’s subsequently simpler to derive an AI avatar from an current star. That is the case with MIDNATT, the alter ego of South Korean celebrity Lee Hyun, who fashioned the vocal group 8Eight along with Joo Hee and Baek Chan and loved success from 2007 to 2014.[25] 8Eight was signed to Korean music firm Massive Hit Leisure, which later grew to become HYBE Company. MIDNATT was developed by South Korean AI firm Supertone, which was acquired by HYBE in 2022 for US $32 million.[26]

In Could 2023, the primary single ‘Masquerade’ by MIDNATT was launched as a YouTube video.[27] Due to Supertone’s voice cloning know-how, the track is obtainable in six languages (Korean, English, Spanish, Chinese language, Japanese and Vietnamese). MIDNATT is the primary results of Challenge L, by which HYBE subsidiary HYBE IM goals to create extra AI-generated artists.[28]

Nevertheless, the follow-up mission got here from Supertone, which launched the digital woman group SYNDI8, consisting of the avatars Canary, Nest, Goyo and Raven, in July 2024. SYNDI8 “stay” within the digital NANSY Land, whose title is derived from Neural Evaluation & Synthesis. The intention is to provide voices as realistically as potential utilizing an AI mannequin. An attention-grabbing element that emerges from Supertone’s announcement about SYNDI8 is the aim of making mental property for AI-generated voices: “We discover the purposes of know-how within the music content material enterprise and to domesticate personal voice mental property (IP) to exhibit the capabilities of creations.”[29]

In contrast to MIDNATT and MAVE, nevertheless, SYNDI8 are manga-style comedian characters, not modelled after people. The EP “MVP”, launched in July 2024, featured music movies produced in comedian fashion for all three songs: “ATOTA”[30], “My Fantasy”[31] and “True Color”[32]. Reasonably than creating hyper-realistic representations of the singers, Supertone centered on producing voices that had been as sensible as potential with the assistance of AI. Nevertheless, with just a few thousand views between them, the movies show that SYNDI8 is an experiment that also wants additional growth.

Tencent Music and Lucy

Moreover the South Korean leisure corporations, the Chinese language know-how firm Tencent is especially concerned in growing AI-generated digital artists. In November 2022, Tencent Music Leisure, a Tencent subsidiary, introduced that it had produced over 1,000 music items utilizing the Lingyin Engine generative AI device. These have been streamed over 100 million instances in China. This know-how has additionally enabled the voices of the late Chinese language singers Teresa Teng and Anita Mui to be recreated.[33]

Tencent Music went one step additional with the Lucy mission. This can be a hyper-real digital pop star developed by the corporate’s personal Lyra Lab and offered to the general public in December 2022 through X (previously Twitter).[34] A month later, Lucy already had three songs within the Chinese language charts and quite a few singles on the Chinese language streaming platform QQ Music.[35] Nevertheless, if Tencent Music will get its manner, it is not going to cease at Lucy, however shall be joined by different AI-generated music avatars.

The evaluation of current AI-generated music avatars reveals that efficiently positioning them in the marketplace is tough. The more than likely path to success is to derive AI artists from human musicians, as demonstrated by aespa and MIDNATT. In these circumstances, followers have a degree of reference within the flesh-and-blood stars, who’re perceived as extra genuine and thus have larger identification potential. AI artists created from scratch discover it a lot more durable to succeed. In addition to the appreciable growth prices, advertising and marketing, promotion and distribution prices should be coated for them to turn into seen in the marketplace. Up to now, solely Hatsune Miku has succeeded in constructing a big, sustainable fan base that attends her concert events. The stay music enterprise particularly is the essential issue within the sustainable institution of an AI music star. As the instance of ABBA has already proven, an excessive amount of technical effort is required to ship the suitable stay expertise for the viewers. Easy 2D projections usually are not sufficient, and hologram know-how has not likely established itself in the marketplace. So, to construct up an AI-generated music star in a sustainable manner and make them profitable, along with good music, nice music movies and thrilling social media appearances, what is required above all is an immersive stay expertise that may win over the followers. As well as, a

Endnotes

[1] Korea Joong Ang Every day, “SM Leisure to debut new woman group, aespa”, October 26, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[2] SM Leisure Pressemitteilung, “Soo-Man Lee, chairman of SM Leisure Group, delivered a speech on the 1st World Cultural Business Discussion board as a consultant of the Korean cultural group!”, October 28, 2020, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[3] m.entertain.naver.com, “Yoo Ji-min debuts as Karina, member of SM Leisure’s new woman group ‘aespa’”, translated from Korean utilizing DeepL, October 28, 2020, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[4] YouTube, “aespa ‘Black Mamba’ MV”, November 17, 2020, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[5] YouTube, “aespa ‘MY, KARINA’”, October 28, 2020, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[6] Wikipedia, “Savage (EP)”, model of June 4, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[7] YouTube, “aespa full efficiency @coachella 2022”, April 24, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[8] NME, “aespa announce Europe, US legs of 2023 ‘SYNK: Hyper Line’ world tour”, Could 19, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[9] Wikipedia, “Armageddon (Aespa album)”, model of August 25, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[10] Wikipedia, “Synk: Parallel Line”, model of August 10, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[11] Weverse, “aespa”, n.d., accessed: 2025-08-28.

[12] Digiverse, “A brief historical past of digital artists”, October 12, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-28.

[13] Superkind is an anagram of NUKE, PRID and S. NUKE refers back to the digital members of the boy band, PRID to the human members, whereas the S stays a thriller that PRIDs and NUKEs should unravel on their journey; see ibid.

[14] YouTube, “SAEJIN, SUPERKIND, Debut Challenge”, January 22, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[15] YouTube, “SUPERKIND ‘WATCH OUT’, Official MV”, June 20, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[16] Korea JoongAng Every day, “Superkind has a member with a distinction — nevertheless it’s nearly undetectable”, July 28, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[17] KProfiles, “SUPERKIND Members Profile”, n.d., accessed: 2025-08-29.

[18] Circle Chart, “Album Chart 2023, Week 42”, October 21, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[19] The X-post was shared throughout quite a few on-line media retailers, together with allkpop, “Superkind formally disbands following contract conclusion with DEEPSTUDIO”, April 11, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[20] The Dailypost, “Netmarble F&C subsidiary Metaverse Leisure launches official web site”, November 8, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[21] YouTube, “Pandora”, January 25, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[22] Reuters, “Meet Mave: the AI-powered Okay-pop woman group that look nearly human and converse 4 languages”, March 17, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[23] YouTube, “MAVE_What’s My Identify”, November 30, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[24] Wikipedia, “Mave”, model of February 11, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[25] Wikipedia, “8Eight”, model of January 19, 2025, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[26] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “HYBE acquires faux voice AI firm Supertone in $32m deal (report)”, October 4, 2022, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[27] YouTube, “MIDNATT ‘Masquerade’ Official MV (Obtainable in 6 languages ENG/KR/JP/CH/ES/VN)”, Could 15, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[28] The Korean Herald, “Hybe opens up an period of ‘tech-tainment’ with new artist Midnatt”, Could 15, 2023, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[29] Cited in Music Enterprise Worldwide, “After being acquired by HYBE in a $32m deal final 12 months, voice cloning startup Supertone launches AI-powered digital pop group, SYNDI8”, July 2, 2024, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[30] YouTube, “SYNDI8 ‘ATOTA’ Official Visualizer”, July 10, 2024, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[31] YouTube, “SYNDI8 ‘My Fantasy’ Official Visualizer”, July 10, 2024, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[32] YouTube, “SYNDI8 ‘True Colour’ Official Visualizer”, July 10, 2024, accessed: 2025-08-29.

[33] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Over 1,000 songs with human-mimicking AI vocals have been launched by Tencent Music in China. Certainly one of them has 100m streams”, November 15, 2022, accessed: 2025-09-01.

[34] X-Publish, “In the present day, TME introduced the debut of Lucy, who’s the primary super-realistic digital idol of the corporate”, December 12, 2022, accessed: 2025-09-01.

[35] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Meet the digital artists backed by a number of the world’s largest leisure corporations”, Could 22, 2023, accessed: 2025-09-01.

The Housemaid & Twistiȵg the Thriller: Audio feaƫures Paul Feig.

The Housemaid & Twistiȵg the Thriller: Audio feaƫures Paul Feig.

by | Dec 21, 2025 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, αnd oƫher programs αre available to talk via.

With The Housemaid, Paul Feig leans heavily iȵto tⱨe urge to sneak sharp weapoȵs iȵto brighƫ plans, which he has α career in. The proḑucer of Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters: Aȵswer the Call, and A Plαin Preƒer has a mental movie comįng ouƫ of the ǥate while focusing on another intricate, fȩmale-driven plot staring Șydney Sweeney anḑ Amanda Seyfried. Finding the appropriatȩ musical tilt, how does Kyle Merediƫh adapt Freida McFadden’s best book, αnd why ⱨis filɱs continue to reⱱolve around people who rȩfuse tσ fit in ƀeautiful cartons are topįcs of conversation with Feig. Talk in the apps above or wherever you can find them.

Feig was acutȩly aware of thȩ author’s enormoưs fan baȿe, which meant rȩsisting the urge to rewrite the wheel. He claims that the booƙ is “reαlly nice” αnd that iƫ has been on the bestseller list for abouƫ a year aȵd α half. So it was recognįzing,” Yes, come not mess witⱨ it ƫoo liƫtle,” Just make sure tσ make it as visual as ρossible. A intentional musical bait-and-switch created that lulls the visitors into involvement before pleading guilty for it. According to Feig,” We spend the first hour making you source for anything you’re not supposed to be barracking for, and then we make you pay for it the next minute. “

Feig’s long-ɾunning interest in poįnt oƒ view and functionality, especially when įt comes to stars like Seyfried and Elizabeth Perƙins, who use çaution αnd silence. Feig saყs,” I enɉoy working with women and sⱨowing children’s stories. ” I’m always searching for great three-diɱensional depictions of people in whatever ȿtyle ƫhere are,” says the director,” Thȩre aɾe many videos aƀout people. ” A

And then there αre thȩ naɱes Feig oȵly has the abiliƫy to ωalk into thrillers, like a beautifully framed cocktail. He laμghs,” You çan teIl if there’s a cocktαil in a moⱱie that’s one of my movies. ” ” Those are my cameos,” I saiḑ.

ln the most receȵt event, PauI Feig talks about Thȩ Housemaid, and more, σr watch the video iȵ the film below. Follow Kyle Meredith With… on yσur preferred audio system, anḑ subscribe to the Conseɋuence Podcast Network to listen to aIl thȩ newest episodes.

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IPRMENTLAW WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS (December 1-7, 2025)

IPRMENTLAW WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS (December 1-7, 2025)

by | Dec 14, 2025 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News


Madras Excessive Court docket: Ilaiyaraaja — makers of Dude & Good Dangerous Ugly settle; INR 50 lakh paid

Composer Ilaiyaraaja and the producers of the movies Dude and Good Dangerous Ugly knowledgeable the Madras Excessive Court docket that they’ve entered right into a settlement over alleged unauthorised use of his works; the producers paid INR 50 lakh (after TDS) as a part of the compromise and the fits have been disposed. The courtroom recorded the joint compromise memo and closed the copyright fits.

Madras Excessive Court docket: Interim injunction towards launch of Akhanda 2 in favour of Eros

Madras HC handed orders restraining exploitation/launch of the movie Akhanda II pending compliance with an earlier arbitral award — This attraction was filed by Eros in reference to its long-standing arbitral award towards 14 Reels Leisure Personal Restricted, beneath which Eros is the award holder of a cash decree of roughly Rs28 crore.

Eros argued that this was an oblique try to flout the arbitral award and keep away from compliance with legally decided monetary obligations.

Eros Worldwide obtained an interim injunction in search of to forestall launch till an arbitral award sum is glad.

Delhi Excessive Court docket awards ₹1.5 lakh to Tommy Hilfiger — counterfeit sale by Kolkata dealer (Tommy Hilfiger v. Kolkata dealer)

 The Delhi Excessive Court docket (bench of Justice Tejas Karia) held {that a} Kolkata dealer bought counterfeit Tommy Hilfiger items and granted financial compensation of ₹1.5 lakh for trademark infringement and passing off (judgment delivered 28 Nov 2025). The courtroom discovered clear use of the registered mark on faux merchandise that deceived shoppers.

Madras Excessive Court docket strikes out Sangeetham Home Of Veg trademark for violating earlier settlement (Sangeetha Veg v. Sangeetham Home Of Veg)

The Madras Excessive Court docket (Justice N. Senthilkumar) struck out registration of the mark Sangeetham Home Of Veg (a Tiruchendur eatery), discovering it obtained in violation of an earlier court-recorded settlement that required a change of title.

The registration was ordered eliminated for breaching the settlement phrases recorded within the earlier infringement swimsuit.

Bombay Excessive Court docket bars Chemco Plast from utilizing “CHEMCO” as a trademark; permits area use

The Bombay Excessive Court docket restrained Chemco Plast from utilizing CHEMCO as a trademark however permitted them to proceed utilizing it as a website title. The courtroom balanced trademark rights with sensible use within the on-line presence (area), disallowing trade-mark use that might trigger confusion with the established brand-owner, whereas recognizing restricted non-trademark on-line utilization is permissible topic to circumstances.

Delhi Excessive Court docket restores Kohinoor Seeds trademark swimsuit towards Veda Seed; territorial jurisdiction present in Delhi

The Delhi Excessive Court docket restored Kohinoor Seed’s trademark swimsuit towards Veda Seed, holding that Delhi has territorial jurisdiction to entertain the swimsuit. The bench discovered correct trigger to revive the proceedings and proceed with the trademark infringement/pass-off declare 

Calcutta Excessive Court docket refuses interim aid in PL SUPREME trademark dispute (Parul Ruparelia v. Camme Wang)

 The Calcutta Excessive Court docket (Justice Ravi Krishan Kapur) refused interim injunction to Kolkata importer Parul Ruparelia in a swimsuit towards Chinese language producer Camme Wang over the mark PL SUPREME.

The courtroom discovered the Chinese language producer to be the prior adopter and proprietor, accepted its export invoices and registration proof, and held the Indian importer couldn’t declare unbiased goodwill. The courtroom additionally vacated earlier interim orders and directed seized items be returned.

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Delhi Excessive Court docket: swimsuit over pre-1965 sound recordings closed — defendant says it claims no rights

Delhi HC (Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, J.) disposed of CS(COMM) 1094/2025 (Bignet Options LLP v Novex Communications Pvt. Ltd.) after Novex confirmed it doesn’t assert rights in recordings printed earlier than 1965.

The courtroom recorded that the plaintiff’s occasion passed off and that Novex doesn’t declare copyright within the listed pre-1965 recordings; the swimsuit was disposed.

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Supreme Court docket: “We’re cautious” — on petitions about unregulated/unchecked use of AI within the judiciary

In a public assertion / listening to this week, the Supreme Court docket recorded that judges should train “utmost warning” in utilizing AI in judicial processes; the Court docket signalled warning on petitions in search of to manage judicial use of AI and emphasised safeguards and cautious, measured adoption.

CBFC / Authorities: Coverage replace — 50% ladies participation in each Analyzing & Revising Committee for movie certification

Authorities / CBFC statements this week confirmed that the Central Board of Movie Certification will guarantee 50% ladies participation on each Analyzing and Revising Committee constituted for movie certification.

Coverage implementation measures have been referenced alongside the Cinematograph (Certification) Guidelines, 2024.

Netflix acquires Warner Bros. for US$82.7 billion — a seismic reshuffle in leisure

Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) introduced that Netflix will purchase Warner Bros. (together with its movie & tv studios, HBO, HBO Max and streaming/manufacturing property) in a landmark cash-and-stock deal valuing Warner Bros. at an enterprise worth of US$82.7 billion (fairness worth US$72.0 billion), at US$27.75 per WBD share.

The acquisition is contingent on WBD first spinning off its World Networks division (cable/information networks similar to CNN/TNT/Discovery) right into a separate publicly-listed entity (anticipated Q3 2026).

South Korea: Coaching AIs on full news-articles or textbooks dominated copyright-infringing

On 4 December 2025, the federal government authorities in South Korea — via the Korea Copyright Fee along with the Ministry of Tradition, Sports activities and Tourism (South Korea) — publicly declared that utilizing full textual content of reports articles or textbooks to coach generative-AI techniques constitutes copyright infringement.

The brand new “Information to Truthful Use of Generative AI Coaching on Copyrighted Works” clarifies that coaching AI on such works (information, textbooks, photos, music) with out consent doesn’t qualify as honest use.

Cox Communications v. Sony Music Leisure — United States Supreme Court docket hears huge web music-piracy case

In early December 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court docket took up arguments within the high-stakes piracy case Cox Communications v. Sony Music Leisure. The problem earlier than the Court docket: whether or not an web service supplier (ISP) could be held responsible for “contributory copyright infringement” merely as a result of it knew customers of its service repeatedly engaged in unlawful file-sharing — however didn’t take motion to chop off their entry — even with out proof that the ISP itself took affirmative steps to facilitate the infringement.

The case has a background: a jury beforehand awarded over US$1 billion in damages to file labels (affiliated with Sony) based mostly on allegations that Cox ignored repeated infringement by its subscribers. That verdict was partially overturned on attraction, which remanded the matter for reconsideration. The Supreme Court docket’s determination may re-set the principles for secondary legal responsibility of ISPs.

U.S. Court docket orders OpenAI handy over 20 million anonymized ChatGPT logs in copyright-suit led by The New York Instances

A U.S. federal decide — Ona Wang (Justice of the Peace Decide, Southern District of New York) — dominated that OpenAI should produce roughly 20 million anonymized user-chat logs from ChatGPT for discovery in a copyright lawsuit introduced by the New York Instances and different media retailers. The courtroom rejected OpenAI’s arguments that turning over the logs would violate person privateness.

The information retailers argue the logs are vital: they contend the logs will present whether or not ChatGPT output reproduces or carefully mirrors copyrighted content material from their publications. OpenAI had objected, claiming that just about all of the chat logs have been irrelevant to the dispute and that handing them over would compromise person belief and confidentiality. The decide held that the logs are related and that inbuilt de-identification and protecting orders sufficiently mitigate privateness dangers

Star dancers & a lawmaker demand higher copyright safety for choreography in Okay-pop 

On 4 December 2025, a bunch of distinguished Okay-pop choreographers and a member of the Korean parliament convened at a chat present hosted by Korea Choreography Copyright Affiliation (KCCA) and the Korean Sports activities Growth Affiliation in Seoul.

Among the many panel have been celebrated choreographers like Lia Kim, founding father of 1Million Dance Studio, and Choi Younger‑joon, together with legislator Jin Jong‑ho (Individuals Energy Social gathering), an ex-Olympian and former athlete. They collectively known as for stronger authorized recognition and safety of choreography as a standalone inventive work — together with obligatory attribution and higher enforcement of rights.

U.S. media v. AI startup: New York Instances (and Chicago Tribune submitting) — copyright combat vs AI summarizer/startup

On December 5, 2025, The New York Instances filed a lawsuit within the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of New York towards Perplexity AI.

The criticism alleges that Perplexity has engaged in “large-scale, illegal copying and distribution” of NYT’s copyrighted content material — together with articles, movies, and podcasts — to energy its AI instruments.

The lawsuit claims Perplexity reproduces NYT materials verbatim or “near-verbatim,” presents it to customers as its personal output, and even attributes fabricated content material to the Instances