The Deals: Tony Bennett Estate Pacts With AI Platform; Pat Metheny Rides the Primary Wave

Another day, another flood of music industry deals. How does one keep track? In an effort to provide an overview of the latest acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, licensing agreements and more, Billboard publishes a list of all of the latest pacts that have hit our radar every other Thursday.

Legacy management and creative development company Iconoclast struck a partnership with AI licensing and protection platform Vermillio applicable to the name, image and likeness (NIL) rights for Tony Bennett. Through the deal, Iconoclast will protect Bennett’s legacy from unauthorized use and license his voice and image in generative AI applications using Vermilion’s TraceID platform. TraceID will monitor the web and generative AI models for unauthorized uses of Benett’s NIL data.

“Partnering with Vermillio allows us to navigate the evolving technological landscape, preserving Tony’s artistic identity while embracing new, responsible and creative ways to extend his reach,” said Olivier Chastan, founder of Iconoclast, in a statement. “This collaboration sets a precedent for how we can protect and cultivate historically important artists in the digital age.”

Primary Wave Music partnered with guitarist, composer and bandleader Pat Metheny. Under the deal, Primary Wave will partner with Metheny on his music publishing catalog and recordings. Additionally, Metheny will launch his own label, Uniquity Music, in partnership with Green Hill Music, which falls under Primary Wave’s Sun Label Group umbrella. The deal encompasses Metheny’s more than 50 studio albums, including Still Life (Talking), Letter From Home and Secret Story, as well as songs including “Last Train Home,” “Always & Forever,” “Bright Size Life” and “Better Days Ahead.” All of Metheny’s future releases will go through Green Hill Music, which will provide marketing support and more. Metheny’s first release under the deal, Side-Eye, is slated for release next year.

See below for more of the latest music business deals.