NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In Music City, we value originality.
So, as technology continues to advance, it's no surprise that songwriters are going the extra mile to ensure their work is recognized as being created by a human, not a machine.
Now, through a series of forms, a company called Humanable is helping songwriters and composers get their work certified as 100% human-made.
"We attack the problem even before it's released to the marketplace," said Tim Wipperman, CEO. "Even afterward, we're bringing in catalogs from songs that already exist in the marketplace. But it's the only truly foolproof way to help songwriters and artists maintain their royalties."
Wipperman, who once led Warner Chapell Music, joined Humanable in February. The company launched in September during Americanafest.
"I'm at a point in my career that I've been given the grace to do what I want to in my career. I have been so fortunate that it was my turn to create something that protects the creators in this community," Wipperman said.
Humanable — designed to benefit human creators, record companies, studios, publishers, musicians, and platforms — aims to become widely recognized so that fans can identify the content as authentic, human-created music.
Co-founder Lili McGrady is focused on getting the Humanable brand out there.
"Make full use of that Humanable trademark that you get rights to use," Lili McGrady tells members. "Put that little H pick logo on your poster, T-shirt, put it in your Instagram bio. Maximize the use of that trademark and try to find those passionate fans who love human-created art."
The Humanable icon is an H inside a guitar pick.
"We have 4 million songs certified so far and counting," McGrady said.
Artists pay $6.95 a month for a membership and just $1 for every song they want to certify.
Country singer-songwriter Kristina Murray was a fan early on. She says she's worked too hard on her new music for it to be overshadowed by AI.
"I really appreciate what Humanable is doing, or attempting to do, because it's important to keep it pure and true," Kristina Murray said.
Last year, Tennessee became the first state to take a step to protect musicians and other artists against AI. The Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act or Elvis Act updated Tennessee’s Protection of Personal Rights law. Previously, the law did not specifically address generative AI cloning models and services that enable human impersonation and allow users to make unauthorized fake works in the image and voice of others.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
