Yu Sung Yeh

KT Genie Music launches the first conversational AI music platform in South Korea, powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, with a patent pending. #MusicTech #TechNews #AI #TechNews Link: https://lnkd.in/gHwQcbav 

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Ludon Lee, a veteran of the digital entertainment field, is launching High Score, a specialized arcade in San Francisco that focuses on a "Play-2-Earn" model. Unlike traditional venues, this establishment allows patrons to engage in skill-based competitions and tournaments to win actual currency. The project aims to help revitalize the downtown district by attracting both residents and tourists to a competitive gaming environment. To fund this venture, the company is utilizing equity crowdfunding, offering various tiers of investment to both accredited and non-accredited individuals. Supporters can gain passive income returns or exclusive gaming perks as the business taps into a rapidly expanding global market. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to merge professional gaming talent with a unique physical destination for social entertainment. https://lnkd.in/gJjmFHz2

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Jensen on how SEGA saved NVIDIA by converting the final $5M payment from a failed contract to develop a graphics chip for the Sega Dreamcast console in 1996. Sega 3x'd that investment when Nvidia IPO'd three years later (in the often annoying 'hindsight is 20/20' category, that investment would be worth about $1 trillion today. Sega made the right call at the time though to sell). Great story, and shows the importance of being honest and humble in business.

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Japanese startup UTAITE secures JPY 7.7B ($55M) Series B funding led by Tencent for its "2.5D IP" entertainment format expansion globally. #DigitalEntertainment #Startup #Funding #Japan Link: https://lnkd.in/g3Tc4iSE

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Universal Music Group just signed a multi year licensing deal with China’s NetEase Cloud Music. That means artists like Taylor Swift are now officially available on one of China’s biggest streaming platforms. On paper, this looks like a big win. More reach. More listeners. More revenue. Access to one of the largest music markets in the world. But I keep wondering who really wins here. Is this about empowering artists with global distribution, or is it about labels locking in market share while platforms tighten their grip on music catalogs? China is not just another territory. It has a very different approach to data, content control, and technology. When Western music giants rush into these deals, are they thinking long term about artist rights and transparency, or short term about growth numbers? UMG also highlighted “responsible use of AI” as part of the agreement. That sounds good. But let’s be honest. Every major licensing deal now comes with AI language. Is that real protection for creators, or just a legal cushion while platforms train, analyze, and monetize music data at scale? Fans in China finally get official access to huge catalogs. That part is great. But does wider access automatically mean fairer value for artists? Curious what others think. Is this a smart expansion move for the industry, or another step toward platforms and tech companies gaining more control over music than the creators themselves? Would love to hear different viewpoints.

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California Steps Up for Indie Film Fantastic news for creators—especially independent ones! So encouraging to see real investment in reviving California’s film, TV, and animation industry. It would be even better to see a built-in incentive specifically designed to support lower-budget films. Those stories often carry the most grit and heart—and with the right boost, they can go far. #IndieFilm #FilmIncentives #CaliforniaFilm #CreativeEconomy #SupportIndieVoices #Filmmaking #StorytellingMatters #WomenInFilm #NarrativeNonfiction #ContentThatMatters #GetInTheBoat

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Universal Music Group (#UMG) and #NVIDIA announced a partnership (January 6, 2026) that signals where the music business is headed next: AI that’s licensed, “responsible,” 🤔🧐and built to reshape discovery and fan engagement. Most don’t even know NVDIA is even IN the music sector! Let’s catch up: At the center is NVIDIA’s Music Flamingo—an audio-language model designed for deeper music understanding. In plain terms: it’s meant to recognize more than genre or tempo. It can interpret song structure, harmony, emotional progression, and context so music can be found by meaning, not just tags. Why this matters for independent artists and labels (even if you’re not signed to a major): 1. Discovery is becoming more “meaning-based.” Search and recommendation are moving toward language like: “songs that feel like late-night confidence,” “healing after loss,” or “romantic bilingual summer energy.” Artists who can clearly communicate the feeling, story, and intent of their music will benefit. (We spoke about how EMOTIONS and FEELINGS would be the currency in 2020 over the summer!) 2. Tool terms are about to get more aggressive. As majors normalize licensed AI, more platforms will ask for broader rights in the fine print—training permissions, “product improvement,” derivative outputs, and sublicensing. 3. Your uploads are ASSETS! Treat them that way. Before uploading stems, isolated vocals, demos, or catalog files into any tool, you should be able to answer: • Are they training on my uploads? • Is it opt-in? • Can I opt out later? • Can they create derivatives? • What happens when I delete my files? My takeaway: this isn’t a “panic” moment. It’s a “get organized” moment. Strong rights hygiene + clear narrative metadata is going to matter more than ever. #JaiYokoEnt

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Fun fact - these "robots" can do this "blind folded". Which is a testament to their extremely good AI powered adaptive inverse kinematics models and very accurate IMUs and clocks, but does not reflect them having any world model - they quite literally ignore each other and any humans near by. I have been present at smaller demos where this is 100% clear. This is recorded puppetry-scaled-to-a-grid, but extremely impressive puppetry - notice how the humans show some interesting variation, but the "robots" do not ?

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California Film Credit Expansion in Flux as Lawmakers Delete References to $750 Million - article: https://lnkd.in/gvVitFYD - plus California’s Tax Credits May Soon Offer a Lifeline to Halt Animation’s Exodus - article: https://lnkd.in/g9dhnGea. - As currently written, the legislation would increase the amount of the tax credit from 20% of qualified expenses to 35% - That would increase to 40% for productions outside of the Los Angeles area, or in economically depressed areas of Los Angeles - The number of film & TV animation projects commissioned worldwide rose from 558 in 2019 to 860 in 2024, an increase of 54% - The bottom line: The desire for animation is rising, but California is not partaking in that increased business

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