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SoundLabs and Universal Music Group announce strategic agreement to offer responsibly trained AI technology and vocal modeling plug-in MicDrop to UMG artists

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SoundLabs is an artist-founded AI technology company, focused on creating responsibly trained generative AI tools for the next generation of music makers

MicDrop is a cutting-edge vocal plug-in, that will allow artists to change their voice into any voice in real time

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SoundLabs, An innovative new AI technology company offering responsibly trained, next-generation AI tools for music creators, and Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced a strategic agreement that will enable UMG’s global family of artists and producers to use SoundLabs MicDrop, a cutting-edge AI vocal plug-in, to create official ultra-high fidelity vocal models for artists using their own voice data for training while retaining control over ownership and giving them full artistic approval and control of the output.

Launching this summer, MicDrop is a real-time (AU, VST3, AAX) plug-in compatible with all major DAWs. It empowers artists and producers to explore bleeding-edge vocal transformations, including voice-to-voice, voice-to-instrument, speech-to-singing, language transposition, and a myriad of previously impossible vocal transformations. Together, UMG and SoundLabs are collaborating to allow UMG artists to create custom vocal models that will be available for their exclusive creative use cases, and not available to the general public.

SoundLabs was founded by Grammy-nominated producer, composer, software developer, and electronic artist BT. With a career spanning over 25+ years, BT has released, produced, and remixed platinum and award-winning music for A-list artists including David Bowie, Madonna, Sting, Death Cab for Cutie, Peter Gabriel, and Seal. He has also scored #1 box office and Oscar-winning films such as Monster and The Fast and the Furious. As a software developer, BT has revolutionized music creation tools and pioneered new techniques that are heard in albums, scores, and trailers daily. He has patented and developed award-winning audio plugins like Stutter Edit, BreakTweaker (iZotope), Polaris, and Phobos (Spitfire Audio), among many others, which are used by countless audio professionals. His software products have generated over $70 million USD in gross sales.

SoundLabs founding team also includes award-winning, veteran software developers Joshua Dickinson and Dr. Michael Hetrick of Unfiltered Audio, a brand known for redefining the limits of typical creative audio tools. Joining SoundLabs, they expand this pursuit into the realm of AI where they continue to explore the augmentation of human creative potential.  

MicDrop is the first in a suite of interoperable AI tools and services developed by SoundLabs for sound design and music generation. It gives artists new “music super-powers” and completely reimagines how music is made, enabling them to expand what is possible.

SoundLabs’ goal is to place powerful new compositional tools at artists’ fingertips, while supporting proper management of their intellectual property. SoundLabs was founded with a foundational respect for intellectual property rights and is focused on helping artists retain creative control over their data and models.

SoundLabs founder BT said, “It’s a tremendous honor to be working with the forward-thinking and creatively aligned Universal Music Group. We believe the future of music creation is decidedly human. Artificial intelligence, when used ethically and trained consensually, has the promethean ability to unlock unimaginable new creative insights, diminish friction in the creative process and democratize creativity for artists, fans, and creators of all stripes. We are designing tools not to replace human artists, but to amplify human creativity.”

Chris Horton, SVP, Strategic Technology at Universal Music said, “UMG strives to keep artists at the center of our AI strategy, so that technology is used in service of artistry, rather than the other way around.  We are thrilled to be working with SoundLabs and BT, who has a deep and personal understanding of both the technical and ethical issues related to AI. Through direct experience as a singer and in partnership with many vocal collaborators, BT understands how performers view and value their voices, and SoundLabs will allow UMG artists to push creative boundaries using voice-to-voice AI to sing in languages they don’t speak, perform duets with their younger selves, restore imperfect vocal recordings, and more.”

UMG has long recognized and embraced the potential of AI to enhance and amplify human creativity, advance musical innovation, and expand the realms of audio production and sound technology with responsible and ethical applications that respect copyright. Recently, UMG and Roland published the Principles for Music Creation with AI (aiformusic.info), a series of clarifying statements relating to the responsible use of AI in music creation and advocating for their adoption across the music industry and creative community. The principles highlight the opportunity for innovation with AI in music production, composition, and songwriting while underscoring the need for transparency, equity, and community involvement. SoundLabs is pleased to have signed on in support of these shared principles.

About SoundLabs
SoundLabs is a cutting-edge music production and software company founded by BT, Joshua Dickinson, Dr. Michael Hetrick and Lacy Transeau. With deep roots in the music industry, SoundLabs is poised to revolutionize music production with its next generation tools. This deeply dedicated team of veteran musicians and developers brings unparalleled expertise, having created award-winning plugins, groundbreaking albums, blockbuster film scores, and top-selling sound libraries. Blending human creativity with the vast power of AI, SoundLabs crafts intuitive, inspiring, and ethical tools that transform imagination into reality, redefining what is possible in music production. For more information, visit soundlabs.ai

About Universal Music Group
At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms, and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information on Universal Music Group, please visit universalmusic.com.

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SOURCE Universal Music Group

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L’Oréal Hong Kong Wins Prestigious Gold Award at the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence

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Company Recognised for Outstanding Sustainability Achievements in the “Shops and Retailers” Sector

HONG KONG, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — L’Oréal Hong Kong received the Gold Award in the “Shops and Retailers” sector at the annual Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE). This esteemed award, organised by the Hong Kong Environmental Campaign Committee in collaboration with the Environment and Ecology Bureau and major chambers of commerce, highlights the company’s exceptional achievements in sustainability under its “L’Oréal For the Future” commitment.

As the beauty market leader in Hong Kong, L’Oréal has been accelerating sustainable transformation across its entire value chain, from product innovation, sourcing, transportation to retail and consumption.

Eva Yu, President and Managing Director of L’Oréal Hong Kong, expressed her gratitude for the recognition, “We are deeply honoured to receive the Gold Award at the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence. This is a testament to our unwavering commitment to sustainability. As the market leader, it is our responsibility to not only provide the best in beauty, but also lead in meaningful actions to protect the environment and contribute to the community we serve.”

The assessment of HKAEE award covered stringent criteria from green leadership, sustainability programs and performance, to partnerships. L’Oréal Hong Kong was recognised for the following sustainability achievements in the past year:

Green Office: L’Oréal Hong Kong’s office is LEED Platinum certified, uses 100% renewable energy, and has been reducing energy consumption year on year with different energy efficiency features.

Green Operations: All local packaging of L’Oréal products is plastic-free and all disposals from warehouse are recycled. The company also aims to minimise CO2 emissions in transportation by using sea and rail shipment as well as electric vehicle in local transport.

Green Retail: 100% of new stores under L’Oréal Hong Kong are eco-designed. The stores use sustainably sourced and certified materials, as well as reusable and recyclable materials.

Green Consumption: Through joint efforts by L’Oréal Hong Kong’s 17 brands, and its partnership with Watsons stores across the city, over 600,000 empty beauty bottles have already been collected from consumers for recycling. To further reduce packaging waste, the company is introducing more refillable beauty products to the Hong Kong market. Refillable products use less packaging, thus providing more sustainable options for environmentally conscious consumers.

L’Oréal Hong Kong continues to lead the beauty industry in sustainability efforts, proving that environmental responsibility and business success can go hand in hand.

For high-res photos, please see it here.

About L’Oréal

For 115 years, L’Oréal, the world’s leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines our approach to beauty as essential, inclusive, ethical, generous and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 37 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L’Oréal for the Future programme, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality. With more than 90,000 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, perfumeries, hair salons, branded and travel retail), in 2023 the Group generated sales amounting to 41.18 billion euros. With 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world and a dedicated Research and Innovation team of over 4,000 scientists and 6,400 Digital talents, L’Oréal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a Beauty Tech powerhouse. More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom

About L’Oréal For the Future

“L’Oréal For the Future” is L’Oréal’s global sustainability programme that outlines the company’s vision and commitments for 2030. The initiative focuses on transforming L’Oréal’s operations to respect planetary boundaries by addressing key environmental challenges. Commitments include achieving 100% renewable energy for all operated sites by 2025, ensuring that by 2030 all water used in industrial processes will be recycled and reused, and that 100% of biobased ingredients for formulas and packaging materials will be traceable and sourced sustainably, with none linked to deforestation. L’Oréal also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes by 50% per finished product by 2030.

For more information on “L’Oréal For the Future,” please visit: www.loreal.com/en/commitments-and-responsibilities/for-the-planet/    

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SOURCE L’Oréal Hong Kong

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Pollo AI Releases Multi-Model Support, Offering All-in-One Video Generation Capabilities

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SINGAPORE, Jan. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Pollo AI, an innovative leader in AI-powered video generation, today announced the launch of a new feature that allows users to select from a range of well-known AI video models, making it an all-in-one AI video generation platform.

With the introduction of multi-model support, users can now choose from popular AI video models on Pollo AI, including Kling AI, Hailuo AI, Runway, Vidu AI, Luma AI, and PixVerse. The multi-model support is available on Pollo AI’s text to video and image to video generators. These model options enhance the versatility and customization of the Pollo AI platform, empowering creators to experience different technologies to produce their videos.

Camille Sawyer, CEO of HIX.AI, the parent company of Pollo AI, expressed her enthusiasm for the new feature, stating, “At Pollo AI, we believe in fostering creativity without limits. By integrating multiple AI models, Pollo AI has become an all-in-one platform enabling our users to explore diverse cutting-edge video generation technologies at one place.”

Each model offers distinct customization options that cater to various creative needs, such as output video style, video length, resolution, motion range, aspect ratio, and camera movement. This feature is designed to provide users with the flexibility to bring their visions to life in ways that best suit their projects on Pollo A.

It is seamless and intuitive to access and use the different models offered in this all-in-one AI video generator. After log in to your Pollo AI account, on the UI of the generators, you’ll find the option to select from the various available AI models. After choosing your preferred model, you can customize the settings it comes with and start your generation.

“We believe the multi-model support will ultimately enhance their storytelling capabilities,” Camille added. “This update is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our dedication to supporting creators in their artistic journeys.”

This multi-model support feature is now available to all users. For more information about this feature and to start creating with any of the models, visit https://pollo.ai/text-to-video or https://pollo.ai/image-to-video.

MEDIA CONTACT
Camille Sawyer
CEO, HIX.AI
support@pollo.ai 

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SOURCE Pollo AI

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SUS ENVIRONMENT, Global Leading WtE Corporation, Launches New Brand Identity

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SHANGHAI, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As the world’s population grows and industrialization accelerates, the conflict between energy and the environment is intensifying. The search for a balance between energy supply and environmental protection has become a crucial issue for global sustainable development.

In January 2025, SUS ENVIRONMENT launches new global brand identity. This renewal improves the brand image and enriches the brand connotation, bolstering its commitment to global sustainable development.

PART 1: Logo Renewal

The abbreviation “SUS”,” which is derived from “sustainable”,” emphasizes the company’s mission to create a cleaner and more friendly living environment through waste-to-energy solutions. Inspired by the traditional Chinese Tai Chi diagram, the graphic incorporates the concept of cyclic generation, shows the characteristics of energy recycling and expresses the brand endless vitality.

PART 2: Mission Connotation Expansion  

The refreshed brand highlights SUS ENVIRONMENT’S unwavering focus on stakeholder benefits:

Environmental Impact: Solving waste disposal challenges to create cleaner environments.Employee Well-Being: Promoting diversity, equity and inclusiveness to enhance employee satisfaction.Community Engagement: Building supportive environments to improve community living standards.Business Integrity: Establishing fair and transparent practices to strengthen partnerships.

PART 3: Brand Colors

The primary colors of SUS ENVIRONMENT are blue and green to symbolize technological innovation and environmental protection. They are complemented by metallic gold and technical silver to convey high quality and stability. Together, these colors embody the core values of the brand: Professionalism, Innovation, Vitality, and Trustworthiness.

The new global brand identity heralds the next chapter for SUS ENVIRONMENT. In the future, SUS ENVIRONMENT will leverage its strength to make the world a better place.

About SUS ENVIRONMENT

SUS ENVIRONMENT is the world’s largest provider of waste incineration equipment and technology, as well as one of the top three investors and operators of waste-to-energy projects (low-carbon Eco-industrial parks) globally. 

As of June 2024, SUS ENVIRONMENT has established 10 management centers worldwide, providing environmental and energy services to over 100 million people. It has invested in and constructed 84 waste-to-energy projects (low-carbon Eco-industrial parks), with a daily processing capacity 110,000 tons of municipal solid waste and annual green power generation of approximately 18,000 GWh. Its equipment and technology are applied in 277 waste-to-energy plants across the world, comprising 518 incineration lines, with a daily capacity 290,000 tons of municipal solid waste. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sus-environment-global-leading-wte-corporation-launches-new-brand-identity-302348819.html

SOURCE Shanghai SUS ENVIRONMENT Co.,Ltd.

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