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- AI Music is Dead
Inflammatory headline? Maybe a little, but hear me out:
The phrase “AI Music” has acquired a stigma as quickly as it became a buzzword. As AI continues to weave itself into the fabric of everyday life, we may witness a trend where the tool-makers of the music industry abandon the fashionable catchphrases like “leading-edge AI technology”, “AI-Generated…”, “AI-infused”, and the like.
This shift can be attributed to two main reasons…
The Inevitability of Ubiquity
The consensus is that AI will permeate every sphere of our existence—from professional to personal, software to hardware, guitars to synthesizers. Keep your ears tuned for a nuanced rendition of Apple’s iconic catchphrase, “There’s an app for that.” The emerging version: “There’s an AI for that.”
But as AI technology becomes common it will sound silly to point it out.
Compare it to the ubiquity of electricity.
“Hey Dave, would you like some coffee? Just made it on my brand new electric coffee maker.”
Talking like that sends out serious “Cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation” vibes. And that’s how people will sound when they add the “AI-powered” label.
The Emerging Stigma
The use of “AI-powered” music tools isn't a novelty. Popular examples include Landr’s AI mastering tool and Logic Pro’s Virtual Drummer. People have been using “AI-powered” music tools for quite some time. But as the AI hype wave hit the mainstream, courtesy of the astounding success of ChatGPT, a backlash ensued against artists exploring AI-generated imagery. A similar reaction followed in the AI-generated music sphere. 2023 even saw the launch of The Human Artistry Campaign which detailed seven principles for how to “responsibly use artificial intelligence – to support human creativity and accomplishment with respect to the inimitable value of human artistry and expression.”
Just over a week ago at WWDC 2023, Apple unveiled several product updates and the highly-anticipated XR headset, Apple Vision Pro. What was conspicuously missing? Any mention of AI, despite the fact that numerous tech tools they presented indeed leverage AI technologies.
It's likely we'll see mainstream fully AI-generated music, where distinguishing it from human-made music will be critical. However, as AI becomes increasingly embedded in music industry tools, it might cease to be meaningful to highlight its involvement.
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The Beatles, but robots
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The so called “last” Beatles song? …
🔶 Random Links A handful of thoughtfully curated Links to recent AI rumblings from throughout the Music Industry
Meta announces its Text-to-music generator called, wait for it, MusicGen (Link to TechCrunch article)
“Regulate it before We’re All Finished” Musicians React to AI Songs Flooding the Internet (News Article)
AI Could Usher in a New Era of Music. Will It Suck? (Wired Article)
Grimes thinks Spotify should have a section for AI music (NME Article)
Itoka wants to license AI-generated music via the blockchain (TechCrunch Article)
What Happens When A.I. Enters the Concert Hall (NY Times Article)
PODCAST What Does AI Mean for the Future of Music? (Pitchfork and Wired)
🔶 A little something to make you think
A great thread on Deezer’s announcement about a forthcoming “AI Content ID” system…
Deezer says they can detect AI music.
..and create an AI Content ID system for the music industry.
Tag → for transparency
Flag → reduce fraud
Bag → let copied artists monetize itHere's the details:
— Rob Abelow (@AbelowRob)
Jun 13, 2023
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