In a significant move for the music industry, Sony Music has made a pioneering appointment by hiring Geoff Taylor as their new Executive Vice President of Artificial Intelligence (AI), marking the first senior executive role focused specifically on AI in the field.
BeatCurry Team
The news was revealed through an internal memo obtained by Variety. Taylor, who served as the CEO of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) trade organization for an impressive 15 years and holds the distinguished title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), will report directly to Kevin Kelleher, the COO of Sony Music Entertainment.
According to the memo, Taylor’s primary responsibilities will revolve around spearheading Sony’s AI-related endeavors. This will involve coordinating the company’s efforts across various business divisions, such as global digital business and business and legal affairs, to ensure a cohesive approach to AI implementation.
The music industry has experienced a surge of interest and activity in the realm of AI in recent months, with its impact being compared to the transformative effect of streaming technology. Unlike the industry’s response to challenges like illegal downloading and file-sharing in the early 2000s, the music business is now taking a proactive stance towards AI and actively establishing standards and guidelines pertaining to artist compensation and rights management. Geoff Taylor’s appointment serves as a testament to this proactive approach.
Below is an excerpt from Kelleher’s memo:
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) has great significance for the future of the music industry and, as a result, more focused attention on it is required.
Accordingly, we are delighted to share that Geoff Taylor will be joining us as our new Executive Vice President, Artificial Intelligence.
Reporting to me and working closely with our Global Digital Business and Business & Legal Affairs divisions, Geoff will align and help coordinate the work of every part of the business that touches AI.
Geoff brings to our company decades of music industry experience. Most recently, from 2007 to 2022 Geoff was the Chief Executive of the BPI, our UK Trade Body for recorded music, where he led the fight against piracy and fraud and advocated for the strategic importance of recorded music to jobs, investment and maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness. Prior to joining the BPI, Geoff was General Counsel and Executive Vice-President at our global recorded music trade body, the IFPI from 2005-2007.
In these roles, Geoff has worked with our company for several years and I am delighted he is joining to help us successfully navigate a key moment in the history of the music industry.”
Related reviews and articles you’d like to see:
Subscribe to BeatCurry’s YouTube Channel here
Check out our Web Stories: Interesting scoops, trivia, stories, industry news delivered at your fingertips.
Watch: Exclusive interview with World’s Fastest Guitarist Davide Lo Surdo
Watch: Exclusive interview with GRAMMY awardee, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Follow us: We’re trending on Instagram
Exclusive Music Review: Mali Delivers An Ode To Each Broken, Hurt Heart Through ‘Ashes’
Exclusive Music Reviews: Mame Khan’s ‘Desert Rose’ Recites The Heartfelt Journey Of Life
Explore: #BeatCurryShorts NOW!
Explore: Check out the BeatCurry Podcast HERE!
If you’d like to know about the unique and versatile forms and flavors of music, follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, subscribe to BeatCurry.com and never miss another update from us.