Connect Music Uses AI for Black Music Wealth

In the booming multi-billion dollar music industry, many Black artists still grapple with retaining ownership of their work and fully capitalizing on its value. Enter Connect Music, a Memphis-based company founded in 2020, aiming to close this gap. They’re not just distributing music; they’re using technology, particularly AI, to redefine ownership and foster Black music wealth.

A Closed Platform for Equitable Monetization

Connect Music operates as a curated, closed platform, meaning artists can’t just sign up publicly. This selective approach allows them to focus on helping independent artists and labels monetize their work effectively, secure crucial funding, and, most importantly, retain 100% ownership. Their catalog boasts successes like Dee Mula’s viral hit “Blow My High” and collaborations with Grammy-nominated producers and notable artists.

Led by President and CEO George Monger and CTO Ivan Walker, Connect Music sits at the intersection of finance, data, analytics, and culture. Monger highlights the disparity: “When you recognize the leading genre is made more than likely by Black folks… it became, ‘How do we build a closed platform where we’re not trying to serve everybody?’” This strategy ensures artists receive equitable terms, especially those transitioning from major labels who’ve built value for others.

AI: Accelerating Execution and Ensuring Compensation

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the music industry, Connect Music sees it not as a replacement for creativity, but as a powerful tool for enhancement. CTO Ivan Walker emphasizes the dual challenge: ensuring creators are properly licensed and compensated, while also preventing AI from producing repetitive, uniform output based on existing data. Walker views AI as a “thought partner” that can “accelerate execution.”

Monger views music as an asset class that AI can significantly improve. Through data modeling and analytics, AI helps predict audience behavior, enabling artists and rights holders to make smarter decisions. “I think it’s important for companies like ours… to be sure that we create agreements with those companies that maximize tracking and collection of every dollar,” Monger stated, anticipating more opportunities as generative AI evolves.

A Shared Mission: Empowering Creators

Walker, a seasoned tech executive, found his path to the music industry through a belief in empowering the right people, seeing that “grit” in Monger. He emphasizes that his success isn’t about personal milestones but about “raising the ceiling for others.” Monger shares this vision, stating the company’s true fulfillment comes from making a “meaningful difference in the lives of these creators” and helping them build generational wealth.

Together, Monger and Walker are leveraging AI to restore value to historically underserved artists. Connect Music is creating pathways toward greater transparency, ownership, and lasting impact, proving that technology and a commitment to equity can indeed redefine success in the music industry.