Last November we reported on musicians Lauv and Kevin Woo releasing a Korean-language version of the former’s single ‘Love U Like That’ using AI. The technology came from a startup called Hooky, and now it is officially launching its service.
It’s the latest example of a startup providing a platform to help artists create their own AI voice-clones, and for other musicians to license those models. Jay Sean, Eric Bellinger, Bonny x Clyde, Chase Paves and Sarah Phillips are among those with models available at launch, alongside some of Hooky’s own virtual artists.
“What the music industry actually needs now is a way to control how our voices are used. Hooky allows that to happen in a safe way that protects us as artists,” said founder Jordan ‘DJ Swivel’ Young, a Grammy-winning producer, mixer and songwriter in his own right.
The business model is subscription, with plans ranging from $10-$50 a month or $100-$500 a year, although it is free for non-commercial use. Anyone using one of the ‘premium’ models based on known artists has to get tracks approved before they can be released.
Hooky enters an increasingly-crowded field though: Voice-Swap, CreateSafe, Myvox, Vocalist AI and Moises are exploring the same space.
