Sweden-based collection society STIM has launched what it calls “the world’s first collective AI license for music.”
How it works:
As per STIM’s release, the license covers a selection of works by creators who have “explicitly” given their consent for their music to be used for training by AI models.
STIM claims the human creators receive royalties during the training process, during the use of the AI service, and when the music it generates is used.
This is achieved through independent attribution technology, which allows AI-generated music to be traced back to the human-created works that influenced it.
The launch:
The license is being launched as a pilot project in partnership with the startups Songfox and Sureel.
As per Music Business Worldwide, Songfox is a Stockholm-based startup that allows creators to legally produce covers and AI-generated compositions.
Sureel is STIM’s “preferred attribution provider,” allowing the AI output to be traced back to the human-created source.
Only a limited number of works – all from STIM-affiliated rights holders who have explicitly opted in – are included in the first phase as a way of “stress-testing its framework in a controlled setting.”
STIM’s license is structured as an “open framework” that will be available to any AI company that meets STIM’s criteria of achieving “fair licensing practices” across the sector.
What they said:
Lina Heyman, Acting CEO of STIM: “We are establishing a scalable, democratic model for the industry. With the world’s first collective AI license, we show that it is possible to embrace disruption without undermining human creativity. This is not just a commercial initiative but a blueprint for how rights and innovation policies can align, delivering fair compensation for creators and legal certainty for AI firms.”
