Roland Corporation & Universal Music Group Announces their 7 Principles For Music Creation With AI as they Confirm New Strategic Partnership


Roland and Universal Music Group, two of the world leader in music making and “music-based entertainment” respectively, have announced a strategic partnership as they seek “clarity of direction and intention to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in music creation”.

Obviously, both companies have significant skin in the game, and we’re told that the partnership involves “the exploration of innovation sitting at the cross-section of music and technology.”

Roland is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of piano, synth, guitar, bass and electronic drum products, while Universal Music Group’s roster of artists includes Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Olivia Rodrigo and many more.

As a first step, Roland and UMG have laid out their seven Principles for Music Creation with AI, and will advocate for their adoption across the music industry and creative community. These are designed to highlight the opportunities for innovation that AI offers in the areas of music production, composition and songwriting, while underscoring the need for transparency, equity, and community involvement.

The Principles for Music Creation with AI are as follows:

  • We believe music is central to humanity.
  • We believe humanity and music are inseparable.
  • We believe that technology has long supported human artistic expression, and applied sustainably, AI will amplify human creativity.
  • We believe that human-created works must be respected and protected.
  • We believe that transparency is essential to responsible and trustworthy AI.
  • We believe the perspectives of music artists, songwriters, and other creators must be sought after and respected.
  • We are proud to help bring music to life.

If these principles can take root, Roland and UMG believe that they can help to create “an ethical framework for musical creativity to flourish and be protected for generations to come.” The two companies are planning further initiatives, too, including a joint research and development hub, a collaborative research project focused on developing methods for confirming the origin and ownership of music, and – on a more practical level – the integration of Roland products and services in select Universal-owned music production facilities around the world.

“As companies who share a mutual history of technology innovation, both Roland and UMG believe that AI can play an important role in the creative process of producing music,” says Masahiro Minowa, Chief Innovation Officer at Roland. “We also have a deep belief that human creativity is irreplaceable, and it is our responsibility to protect artists’ rights. The Principles for Music Creation with AI establishes a framework for our ongoing collaboration to explore opportunities that converge at the intersection of technology and human creativity.”

Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer, EVP at Universal Music Group adds, “At UMG, we have long recognised 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. This can only happen if it is applied ethically and responsibly across the entire industry. We are delighted to collaborate with Roland, to explore new opportunities in this area together, while helping to galvanize consensus among key stakeholders across music’s creative community to promote adoption of these core principles with the goal of ensuring human creativity continues to thrive alongside the evolution of new technology.”

Companies and organisations who are interested in supporting the Principles for Music Creation with AI can do so via aiformusic.info website.

Roland Launches Latest Stage Piano To The RD Stage Piano Range


Roland launches the RD-08, a compact stage piano that comes with built-in speakers, SuperNATURAL and ZEN-Core sound engines, and Roland Cloud expansion support.

Roland has announced the latest addition to its RD stage piano range, the RD-08, and the good news is that it’s the most affordable model yet.

At first glance, this looks like an even more simplified version of the RD-88, which was released in 2020, and promises “no-compromise” sound in a portable package. There are built-in speakers for home and low-volume rehearsal/performance use, and Roland Cloud compatibility means that the RD-08 is expandable with more sounds.

This is an 88-note instrument that uses Roland’s PHA-4 Standard Keyboard tech, which offers a hammer action, Escapement and Ivory Feel. There are three sound generators – SuperNATURAL Piano, SuperNATURAL E Piano and Roland’s ZEN-Core synth engine – and three parts.

The RD-08 offers 100 scenes and more than 3,000 tones, along with a comprehensive roster of effects. Hands-on control comes courtesy of assignable pitchbend and modulation wheels and four control knobs, and there are inputs for a damper pedal and two further assignable pedals.

Other features include the option to favourite sounds, a song player and a metronome, while audio I/O compromises a 1/4-inch headphone jack, stereo 1/4-inch output jacks, a 1/4-inch mic input and a line input minijack, presumably so you can play music through the speakers. There’s no mention of Bluetooth, either for MIDI or audio, but you do get MIDI Out and USB ports.

The Roland Cloud compatibility enables you to install the Acoustic Piano 3, among other expansions (we’re guessing these will come at a cost), and for live performers, there’s also Apple MainStage support.

The RD-08 is available now priced at $1,000. Find out more on the Roland website.

Roland Adds New Premium Upright Digital Pianos To The LX Series


Roland’s new premium digital pianos look like uprights, but are designed to sound and play like acoustic grands. The LX-9, LX-6 and LX-5 use a range of technologies to make them feel mighty real.

They look like uprights, but Roland says that its new LX-9, LX-6 and LX-5 digital pianos give you the “sound and playability” of a grand, which could be the ideal combination if space is at a premium but you don’t want to compromise on tone or touch.

These are the latest additions to the long-running LX series and feature the Piano Reality Modelling tech that was debuted in the GP digital grand piano range. This is designed to emulate every part of the acoustic piano tone generation process, the hope being that the end result is as close to the real thing as possible.

The same could be said of the new LX pianos’ 88-note keyboards, which have a hammer action with escapement and a hybrid wood/molded key construction. The LX-9 and LX-6 have the extended key length that you’d get on an acoustic grand, and in the case of the LX-9, you also get haptic feedback that promises to emulate the subtle vibrations that occur when playing said instrument.

In the case of each piano, the keyboard is designed to work with the three-pedal setup that supports all traditional pedalling techniques, while the multi-channel sound systems promise to emulate the sound characteristics of an acoustic piano (string/cabinet resonance, hammer noise and more). You can also choose from a variety of virtual environments, so you can feel like you’re playing in everything from a concert hall to a cosy studio space.

Other handy features include Bluetooth MIDI and audio, a twin mode for teaching and same-range duets, a built-in recorder and a metronome.

Each piano is available in multiple finishes, and if you want to see what it would look like in your room, you can get a ‘virtual installation’ from Roland’s Piano AR tool. Prices range from $3,800 to $7,200, and you can find out more on the Roland website.