What are your thoughts on AI in the music creative process? Is it good or bad?

[peter]

AI-generated music is becoming normalized. Google just announced that they’re entering the AI music generation tool market. Now, we’re not talking about AI based or enhanced mixing tools like Izotope and Sonible make but AI services that actually create music. Of course, to do that, AI has to take from existing music created by humans, so, it’s not truly original.

A lot of musicians have very passionate feelings on the topic. AI-generated music, no doubt, has huge implications for music sync licensing.

What are your thoughts? Beyond answering the poll, share your comments.

LinkedMusicians Founder. Your friend who keeps the beat.

Check out my music. 

[thesteven]

Lol, my post has disappeared.

Anyway check out Rick Beato video where he talks about AI in music

 

1

[fossile]

long term – if you’re in the business for a livelihood – you’re doomed. the entertainment business has been looking for a way to exploit all the previous works and generate “new” content for as low cost as possible including no commissions, no royalties etc. for, oh, 60 year or so. AI with all the content available to harvest, and some creative prompt writing, will render paid services (besides the prompt writers) to artists and production teams essentially null and void.

short term – become a really good prompt writer.

hobbyist – feel free to use AI. i do (mainly generating performances, not composition – still mainly do composition the hard way).

2

[peter]

For me, I use AI in mixing and mastering, and I bought SoundID for background vocals and used it very low in one song. I’m just a hobbyist. But my take is that I wouldn’t ever want to use it for songwriting or playing. Gosh, I quit the most popular band I played in — funny enough, at the college my son now attends — because they went from using backing tracks to full pre-recorded performances. I wanted no part of that. Prior to my repetitive stress injury and resulting tendinitis, I loved to perform / play music. I loved to write songs. I think using AI in composition is worse than using steroids in sports. It’s the difference between being a creator and being a prompt writer. Even if no one knows you cheated, you’re no longer a songwriter or musician, you’re a prompt writer. And for hobbyists just having fun, it’s not really such a big deal, as long as people are honest about it. But for me personally, I still continue to play music because I love doing it. Prompt writing isn’t the same thing. There is a craft and art to creating music. That to me is magic.

LinkedMusicians Founder. Your friend who keeps the beat.

Check out my music. 

1

[Doug O]

For me, I’d use it if it were a tool to augment what I already enjoy doing as a hobbyist. But going around and recording sounds on my phone and dropping them into the GranulatorII (not digging 3 lol) and messing around with unique sounds and textures is so much more satisfying than having a computer do it for me. But using an algorithm to help master a track I’m okay with so long as I have an understanding of the process in the first place (which I do, just not good at it lol).

With us being in the thick of full-blown AI generated art, music, and culture, and the consumption thereof, I sometimes think human-generated content might actually take on a more “precious” aspect that people would be willing to pay for. It could actually have the reverse effect–instead of being technowashed out, it becomes more sacred and saught-after.

2

[fretman]

I routinely use AI to generate graphics for my music – attaching it in the metadata file. Kinda like the art for an album cover,  but it’s a single cover. I use Night Cafe which has a number of AI models to choose from, all for free. There’s no way I make enough money to pay for a person to do art for me. The art isn’t integral to the work I do. It’s just another way to help me stand out. Not really sure if it helps. But it’s fun to play around with. My favorite is what it generated for my piece The Devil’s Next Deal.

Studio One, Windows, RME UFX, Yamaha MSP7

3

[peter]

On fretman said

I routinely use AI to generate graphics for my music – attaching it in the metadata file. Kinda like the art for an album cover,  but it’s a single cover. I use Night Cafe which has a number of AI models to choose from, all for free. There’s no way I make enough money to pay for a person to do art for me. The art isn’t integral to the work I do. It’s just another way to help me stand out. Not really sure if it helps. But it’s fun to play around with. My favorite is what it generated for my piece The Devil’s Next Deal.

I think I shared it earlier, but I use AI in EQing and mastering. But I suppose there is another point beyond the original question with regards to using AI in the creative songwriting/composition/performance process — using AI at any point to create art. Undoubtely, it is changing the game and it is a disruptor. I do see posts from my music industry pro friends that have deep concerns about what the AI revolution means for songwriters and composers. I think those are very legitmate concerns. This week a label signed an AI music creator to a record deal. I think for sync licensing and all sorts of pop, it’s going to have huge implications. I think the marginal players will have an even harder time finding paid work. As always, the industry is always going to be about connections and influence (if someone can get 100 million views on YouTube, they’re going to get attention), not merely talent.  But it is disheartening from an artistic standpoint, because it does diminish the value of real art, real artists. IMO, it does devalue real musicians, real songwriters, and real composers and also, often steals their work without compensation.

LinkedMusicians Founder. Your friend who keeps the beat.

Check out my music. 

[fossile]

software giant Atlassian company just laid off 150 workers and replaced them AI (Thompson reporting). not sure what their roles were, but i should expect that as less skilled people learn to write decent-enough prompts and accept the (generally poor) quality of the output (and then put that into production) then more skilled people will become rare creatures… (until the bosses have to endure the customer complaints (or in the world of music loss of sales and plays) or, as trends suggest, ignore the peasants)

[William Heins]

I have no use for AI in music, I’m able to do everything I want to do, I play guitar, keys, and drums…I mix my own material, etc….and sometimes a little south of perfect sounds more human 🙂 I don’t see the difference between people using loops and AI, either way YOU are not creating, just processing someone elses work! Using AI during processing I’m more open to…it’s just not for me.

But to be a complete hypocrite I do use AI in art…I have some 2d and 3d skills but AI is just a faster way to get something almost finished 🙂 I used to use Maya but have been trying to make the switch to Blender and I’ve had Photoshop for ages!

A lot of demo stuff here- https://www.reverbnation.com/daylight

1

[Author]

Posts