Universal Music Group has officially inked an exclusive, multi-year text-entry pact with William Stiteler, the non-musician behind the A.I.-generated TikTok hit "First Time in San Juan."
Following a fierce overnight bidding war that saw aggressive plays from both Sony Music and Warner Records, UMG has emerged victorious, securing first-look rights to any future sentences Stiteler decides to type into a generative audio interface. The overall deal, rumored to be in the low seven figures, explicitly guarantees the studio that Stiteler will continue to possess absolutely no musical talent, ensuring a frictionless production pipeline devoid of artist pushback, tempo disputes, or demands for studio time.
The unprecedented agreement underscores a massive industry shift toward creators who can reliably outsource their imagination to large language models. Insiders familiar with the negotiations note that Stiteler’s complete lack of instrumental proficiency was the primary driver of his valuation. In an era of shrinking margins, executives are reportedly exhausted by legacy musicians who insist on playing physical instruments, understanding music theory, or expecting royalties for physical labor.
William's ability to briefly conceptualize a goofy vacation anthem, hit 'generate,' and then step completely out of the way of the software is exactly the kind of visionary restraint we are aggressively acquiring.
Stiteler, who maintains he never expected the goofy anthem to blow up on Instagram, is already fielding offers to expand his text-inputting empire beyond the audio space. Sources indicate Netflix is currently circling the non-musician to type "make a teen drama but with vampires in Ohio" into a generative video terminal for an upcoming fourth-quarter rollout.
Meanwhile, boutique distributor A24 is reportedly developing a prestige indie project based entirely on Stiteler accidentally hitting the spacebar twice on an open ChatGPT tab, which is already generating early awards chatter.