Apple Is set to Acquire Startup That Makes Music With Artificial Intelligence
According to a person familiar with the matter, Apple acquired AI Music, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to generate tailor-made music, adding technology that could be used across its slate of audio offerings.
In recent weeks, AI Music, a London-based company founded in 2016, was purchased. Prior to the acquisition, the company had about a dozen employees.
According to a copy of AI Music’s now-defunct website, technology developed by the company can create soundtracks using royalty-free music and artificial intelligence. The goal is to create dynamic soundtracks that change in response to user interaction. A song in a video game, for example, could change to fit the mood, or music during a workout could adapt to the user’s intensity.
According to AI Music’s LinkedIn page, the company’s 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.” Previously, the startup had agreements with advertising firms to create more engaging ads that played different music depending on the audience.
Apple’s Cupertino, California-based representative declined to comment.
Despite its small size, the acquisition is one of the tech giant’s few in the last year. Apple’s most recent reported acquisition was also for a music company: Primephonic. This startup provided a classical music streaming service, which Apple plans to turn into an app linked to Apple Music later this year.
According to an October filing, Apple significantly reduced its acquisition spending in 2021, devoting only $33 million to deal payments over the fiscal year. This is a decrease from $1.5 billion in 2020 and $624 million in 2019.
