AI is the talk of the town now-The topic in so many industries right now, but in music or the arts in general, it’s an especially sensitive conversation. Some feel human creativity is going to be diminished even more than it already has been, and many are concerned that they’ll be left behind as technology once again makes entire business models obsolete. It’s clearly inevitable that AI is going to have an impact on the future of music, but what does that look like? Let’s take a look.
BeatCurry Team
AI is becoming an increasingly disruptive technology for the music industry, with the potential to significantly impact the creative process and business models. Already in 2023, multiple music AI models have been developed by both independent researchers and large tech companies such as Google and ByteDance. These tools allow users to quickly generate custom tracks using a simple text prompt, resulting in hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs being listed on streaming services.
The core concept behind creative AI is that it reduces the friction between having an idea and manifesting that idea in the form of a creative work. The ease with which music can now be distributed online, combined with the increasing accessibility of AI-generated music creation tools, means that the playing field for artists and active participants in the music economy is expanding rapidly.
Despite the growing popularity of generative AI tools, the legal and regulatory landscape around them remains unpredictable, making it difficult to predict the future of this technology. This means breaking down information databases and developing a shared understanding of industry issues.
The best music AI developers are already building collaboration and feedback cycles with artists into their workflows, prioritizing direct artist consent and ethical considerations around licensing, monetization, and brand protection. As the use of AI in music continues to grow, it will be essential for all stakeholders to work together to navigate the complex landscape and develop innovative solutions that benefit both creators and consumers.
As these music AI models continue to mature rapidly and enter the hands of mainstream consumers, its time for music professionals to jump in, start experimenting, and have their say on how these tools can grow and evolve.
The Impacts Of Generative Ai On The Music Industry
–A flood of even mediocre music joining the existing ones: With the rise of generative AI in the music industry, there will be an influx of indistinguishable, unoriginal music flooding the market. The emphasis on context and mood-based music, such as ambient, sleep, lo-fi, and instrumental, will lead to a proliferation of “good enough” music, which has already been increasing over the last few years.
–Changes in Music Production: The introduction of generative AI will have a significant impact on music libraries, audio and video stock footage and production houses. Mass music-as-a-service companies will transition almost entirely to AI, which will eliminate a large area for 9-5 musicians to earn a living. Brands which used to get their music done by agencies, who indirectly work with musicians, recording artists and studios, will more or less have a so-called one stop solution with AI. The point where human intelligence would be required would be purely to judge the generative idea and make it sound and look better. Indeed a point that needs to be highlighted would be that expertise, knowledge and experience can never be replaced by tech, and probably that’s the greatest asset we humans have. That’s our USP!
–Authenticity and Originality is your USP: In the future, artists must prioritize authenticity and originality over producing hit songs. The ability to stand out and connect with listeners will become a premium skill. The artists who can create music that resonates with audiences on a deeper level will thrive.
–The Rise of AI-Enabled Artists: The artists who can most effectively use AI as part of their creative stack will ride a new wave of success in music, video, art, and more. However, the era of “creating for the algorithm” may come to an end, and artists must continue to learn and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of the music industry.
Artistry, Tech And Everything In Between With Ai
AI may hinder creativity in the music industry. While AI can be a useful tool in expanding ideas and connecting with others, relying on it too heavily can remove the human touch and the inevitable errors that come with it. This may lead to a loss of the sacred elements of creativity. The key to promoting creativity is through effort and exploration, rather than relying on technology as a crutch.
AI is a tool and it’s supposed to be able to help you get from point A to point Z more efficiently. Creatively, AI can allow us to expand on ideas and even connect with people that can take it to a different space. Well, the bit of human errors, imperfections, judgements and critical thinking needed shall be something that we could hope to see in the coming years.
There’s a huge potential of AI in community building. As more people gain access to the internet, communities will become increasingly fragmented and niche-focused. Building a community from a niche perspective will be the only sustainable way forward. There is no limit to how big a niche can become, for example of Mr. Beast, whose international niche has amassed millions of followers. While it may be possible to grow a community, the days of the entire world stopping to watch a single music video are long gone.
While there’s no doubt that short-form content has gained significant traction in recent years, some people still appreciate long-form content, including black and white movies and short films. Although the audience for long-form content might not be as massive, it could still be significant, especially if the quality of the content is excellent. If you can train your niche audience to appreciate your work, you might build more quality fans who understand and value the effort and time you’ve put into creating that content. It’s all about patience and building a loyal audience that appreciates your work.
Songwriting is often a deeply personal and introspective process that can be hindered by writer’s block. In such cases, AI-generated prompts can serve as useful aids to help songwriters overcome creative hurdles and stimulate new ideas. However, if AI is solely responsible for generating lyrics, the resulting music may be perceived as lacking in emotional depth and authenticity. While some argue that AI-generated lyrics may result in more formulaic and emotionless music, others contend that AI can help songwriters more accurately express their intended feelings and emotions, which they may have struggled to find the right wording for. Indeed, what we can say AI does is, ‘creating a first-cut level playing field’.
Interestingly, Soundraw’s AI engine has been trained exclusively on music generated in-house by their music producers, so the music generated by Soundraw is free from any copyright infringements. On the other hand, it’s terrible that some companies are trying to make money on the back of artists by using their work to train an AI model and then sell works created by that AI.
Ai As The Music Industry’s Toolbox
AI technology provides many helpful applications, such as systems being used for composition through machine learning which can generate musical ideas or fragments that can then be refined by a human touch. There are also tools like LANDR which use AI to provide mastering services at affordable rates, a much more cost-efficient alternative to purchasing the necessary recording hardware and mastering software. AI algorithms are being used to create playlists on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora.
AI tools are also being used by artists to create music, sounds, and references, as well as content. Content is vital for an artist to promote themselves, and AI content and art generators like Jasper.ai and Open.ai’s Dall-E are efficient and accurate systems. These programs are beneficial to artists and creatives as they save time, money, and keep the vision moving forward. Although AI technology has been used for many things in the music industry.
AI will enable artists to share a much higher quantity of songs, and then have an increased chance to win in the sea/avalanche of mass UGC and AGC music that is about to flood the gates. As we see with video and entertainment, Hollywood, YouTube creator videos and now AI-curated content can co-exist, giving lots of people different tastes that are changing generationally. Similarly, professional music, creator music, and now AI-generated music will co-exist. The timeline to move from PGC to AGC has been accelerated compared to video, where we almost skip the TikTok phase. When you flood the world with new stories and voices, now anyone can find stories that represent them, which wasn’t possible before for literally any niche.
Conclusion
While AI music technology may assist in enhancing the workflow of musicians, it will not replace them. Rather, it will allow musicians to focus on the most important and creative aspects of song creation such as the core idea and feeling of the song. AI-assisted technology enables artists to publish a greater quantity of songs to social media and increases their chances of succeeding in the massive wave of user-generated and AI-generated music that is yet to come. However, the essence of music creation remains in the best creative spark and relatable ideas, which will continue to reign supreme. Therefore, more artists now have more opportunities to create music and increase their chances of success.
Related reviews and articles you’d like to see:
Subscribe to BeatCurry’s YouTube Channel here
Check out our Web Stories: Interesting scoops, trivia, stories, industry news delivered at your fingertips.
Watch: Exclusive interview with World’s Fastest Guitarist Davide Lo Surdo
Watch: Exclusive interview with GRAMMY awardee, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Exclusive Music Review: Mali Delivers An Ode To Each Broken, Hurt Heart Through ‘Ashes’
Exclusive Music Reviews: Mame Khan’s ‘Desert Rose’ Recites The Heartfelt Journey Of Life
Explore: #BeatCurryShorts NOW!
Explore: Check out the BeatCurry Podcast HERE!
If you’d like to know about the unique and versatile forms and flavors of music, follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, subscribe to BeatCurry.com and never miss another update from us.