New Startup 'Artist Included' Uses AI to Help Legacy Musicians Reclaim Their Master Recordings

For the past two years, the music industry has viewed artificial intelligence primarily as an existential threat—a technology capable of cloning voices and diluting royalties. But a newly launched Los Angeles startup is attempting to flip that narrative, using AI not to replace musicians, but to help legacy artists reclaim control of their most valuable assets. The company, named Artist Included, officially launched this week with a mission to help legendary musicians re-record their classic hits using AI-assisted vocal technology, creating new master recordings that the artists actually own.[2][4]

The startup’s flagship release is a newly minted version of Culture Club’s 1983 global smash "Karma Chameleon," featuring original frontman Boy George. Timed to coincide with the singer’s 65th birthday, the release serves as a proof-of-concept for the company’s broader business model. Artist Included was co-founded by entrepreneur Paul "PK" Kemsley, who manages Boy George, alongside entertainment attorney and film producer Jeremy Rosen.[1][2]

The financial mechanics driving the startup address a decades-old grievance in the music business: predatory legacy contracts. Many artists from the 1960s through the 2000s signed deals that granted their record labels perpetual ownership of their master recordings. As a result, when those classic tracks are licensed for films, television shows, or lucrative commercials, the original creators often see little to no financial return.[1][3]

Kemsley highlighted the stark reality of this dynamic, noting that the original "Karma Chameleon" master—owned by Virgin Records—recently secured a massive licensing placement. "Four million dollars changed hands," Kemsley explained. "George didn't get anything at all." By creating a new, sonically identical master recording, Artist Included allows musicians to bypass their old labels and directly monetize their own history.[3]

Re-recording back catalogs is not a new strategy—Taylor Swift famously popularized the tactic to regain control of her music. However, most legacy artists struggle to perfectly recreate the distinct vocal tone and youthful energy of a track they recorded decades ago, making the new versions less appealing to music supervisors and fans. This is where Artist Included’s technological intervention comes into play.[2][3][6]

The company is adamant that its process does not rely on fully synthetic, generative AI—a crucial distinction in an industry currently battling unauthorized voice cloning. Instead, Boy George went into a physical recording studio and performed entirely new vocal takes for the track. The startup’s technology partner, Syntiant, then applied a specialized, artist-approved vocal AI platform to process the new human recording.[1][2]

Syntiant’s AI was trained on the original 1983 demos and isolated vocal stems, which were provided with the consent of the song’s original producer, Steve Levine. The software gently nudged Boy George’s modern performance back toward the precise tonal qualities and emotional resonance of the 1983 master, bridging the 40-year gap in vocal aging while keeping every note authentically human.[1][4]

"The goal was never to replace the original—it was to celebrate it and let the song keep evolving for new audiences," Boy George stated regarding the project. The startup emphasizes that its model is built entirely on consent, transparency, and rights clearance, positioning itself as an ethical alternative to the unauthorized deepfakes that have plagued the industry.[2][3]

The venture has already attracted significant institutional backing. Seed investors include Red Light Management—one of the world’s largest independent artist management firms—as well as Mike Walsh, an early investor in Uber and Salesforce, and Doug Raetz of Cresset Sports and Entertainment. Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl has also joined as Chairman of the Board, signaling serious commercial ambitions.[2][3]

For advertising agencies and film studios, licensing a classic track often involves navigating a labyrinth of approvals from multiple rightsholders, sometimes facing exorbitant fees. Artist Included offers a streamlined alternative: a one-stop shop for a sonically faithful master, with the added public relations benefit of directly compensating the original artist. Robert Earl noted that when a track is placed in a sync deal under this new model, the artist feels personally involved and motivated to promote it, rather than watching it drift by as lost income.[1][2]

Looking ahead, Artist Included plans to roll out a deep slate of releases featuring legendary artists spanning four decades, from the 1960s through the 2000s. The company aims to unlock fresh commercial opportunities for these newly minted masters across streaming platforms, sync licensing, brand partnerships, and even foreign-language versions and video game integrations, creating a sprawling new ecosystem of artist-owned media.[2][5]

The launch arrives at a critical inflection point for the music business, as rightsholders and technologists battle over the future economics of the medium. While traditional record labels are likely to view the startup as a direct threat to their lucrative catalog revenues, Artist Included is betting that fans and brands will eagerly support a model that finally puts the original creators back in the driver's seat.[2][3]

As the music industry continues to litigate the boundaries of artificial intelligence, Artist Included offers a compelling counter-narrative. By transforming AI from a tool of extraction into an instrument of empowerment, the startup is providing legacy musicians with a high-tech pathway to finally reclaim the soundtracks of our lives.[1][4]