Universal Music release AI-powered Spanish version of Brenda Lee's hit song

Universal Music Group on Friday released a Spanish version of country music star Brenda Lee’s 1958 hit song “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” using SoundLabs‘ AI technology.

Called, “Noche Buena y Navidad” in Spanish, the song was created with Lee’s approval under award-winning Latin music producer Auero Baqueiro.

Universal Music said that the song demonstrates how AI can be used while respecting artists and ensuring their full authorisation.

The ethical use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry has been a point of discussion after several incidents where AI-generated content raised concerns about copyright infringement and artist consent.

The track’s vocal was made using SoundLabs’ MicDrop, an artificial intelligence vocal plug-in which allows users to transform their voice into another voice or instrument.

The song used the original music and background vocals while replacing Lee’s lead vocals with a newly translated Spanish language vocal, created using the AI vocal model derived from the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s voice.

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“The result is a new version of the familiar and cherished holiday classic that sounds as if 13-year-old Brenda Lee was in the booth, singing it for the first time,” Universal Music said. Universal Music signed a deal with SoundLabs in June to create official high-quality vocal models for artists using their own voice data for training, while retaining control over ownership and giving them full artistic approval.

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