Music rights management technology company Orfium has secured funding from the European Union to lead research into detecting copyrighted material in AI-generated music.
Orfium will lead a EUR €7.5 million (approx. USD $8.7 million) project called AIXPERT, funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe program. Orfium was selected from 135 applications, making it one of only three projects to receive grants under the Explainable and Robust AI initiative, the company announced Wednesday (July 16).
The research effort will run for three years starting on June 1. It aims to develop AI systems that can identify “when and how AI-generated music incorporates elements of existing human-made compositions.”
This technology could enable proper attribution and compensation for original songwriters, composers and rightsholders, Orfium said. The project comes as the Gen AI music and audiovisual content is expected to grow to €64 billion in 2028 from the current €3 billion, according to data from CISAC.
Orfium says its AI-powered platform currently helps identify and monetize music usage across media platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer.
“this project is hugely significant for the music industry and fits closely with our mission to apply AI for the good of the sector… As generative AI reshapes the entertainment landscape, we are building the infrastructure to ensure creators remain at the center of that evolution.”
Rob Wells, Orfium
The company will be the only consortium member focusing specifically on music applications, working alongside other European institutions including Sorbonne University, Athens Research Centre, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, the University of Barcelona, Novelcore, Furhat Robotics, Kyklos Ltd., Workable, and Infinitivity Design Labs, among many others.
Orfium CEO Rob Wells said: “Coming at a crucial time in the development process of AI, this project is hugely significant for the music industry and fits closely with our mission to apply AI for the good of the sector.”
“As generative AI reshapes the entertainment landscape, we are building the infrastructure to ensure creators remain at the center of that evolution. To be selected by the European Commission is a strong validation of Orfium’s position at the forefront of innovation in music rights management. It aligns with our commitment to leverage AI to tackle the entertainment industry’s most complex challenges.”
Pantelis Vikatos, Senior Director of Research and Innovation at Orfium, added: “We are proud to be recognized by the European Commission as an innovator in this space and to be selected following a competitive process for such a vital project.”
“Explainable AI systems could bring groundbreaking progress across numerous industries, none more so than music – there has never been a more important time to support songwriters, composers and rightsholders to be recognized and compensated for their work.”
Pantelis Vikatos, Orfium
“Explainable AI systems could bring groundbreaking progress across numerous industries, none more so than music – there has never been a more important time to support songwriters, composers and rightsholders to be recognized and compensated for their work.”
Vikatos continued: “We continue to lead the way in developing and applying AI for the benefit of the music industry, and we are excited to work with some of the most prestigious institutions in Europe to take on this challenge.”
AIXPERT Coordinator Haris Papageorgiou said: “We are at a critical inflection point where AI’s tremendous potential can only be fully realized if we get the fundamentals right from the ground up. This isn’t just about building more powerful systems – it’s about building AI that people can actually trust and understand. When an AI system makes a recommendation about someone’s medical treatment or hiring decision, that person deserves to know not just what the decision was, but why it was made and whether it was fair.”
“AIXPERT with its framework embeds these FATE principles directly into the architecture itself, so transparency and accountability are not afterthoughts – they are the foundation. We are essentially creating AI that can explain itself in human terms while maintaining the rigor and performance that makes it valuable in the first place.”
“This isn’t just about building more powerful systems – it’s about building AI that people can actually trust and understand.”
Haris Papageorgiou, aixpert
Orfium says the technology could establish frameworks for AI-era copyright regulation, licensing and monetization to protect songwriters, composers and publishers.
Orfium has also built partnerships with companies including Japanese record label Pony Canyon, Avex, Bandai Namco, Warner Music Japan, and JASRAC in Japan, and with BROMIS, a consortium of major broadcasters and music rights holders in South Korea.
Its expanded presence in Asia follows its acquisition of Tokyo-based promotional, marketing and content company Breaker, which then became Orfium Japan.
Orfium has also struck an alliance with PRS for Music for licensing across Africa.
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