Technology is an inevitable wind that has been blowing toward all corners of the world. We are at an age where almost everything we do is somehow powered by Technology, the media world cannot live without it, and just like any element on planet Earth, technology evolves. Music production has moved from live instruments to computerized ones, making recording music easier than it was 60 years ago. The same applies to the visual world, the use of VFX has made editing an essential component in the world of cinema.
The latest breakthrough in the music world is the rise of Artificial Intelligence, for some time, it’s been in the works, but its recent activities have divided the world with what is next and how to go about it. A.I music is any track or composition created by using artificial intelligence. This just means A.I programs use clever algorithms to produce parts of a track or even an entire piece of music. A.I can do this by taking existing samples to create something new, or it can learn how to compose an entirely unique piece of music from scratch created through a process called deep learning. This basically means A.I is fed huge databases of music and learns how to create something new from them. Music-generating technology like Amper Music and Google’s MusicLM have the ability to read and interpret audio samples. You can not only tell the software what type of music you want, but you can easily instruct A.I models to alter specific attributes like volume, pitch, tone, accent, and instrument selections to achieve the desired outcome, crafting music that you want off your instructions.
Now that is a game changer, a win for technology and for fans who can now personalize their own features. We are reaching a point where A.I-generated music could be taking over, it’s amazing to think it can create a Hans Zimmer soundtrack or a pop hit without the gargantuan costs of hiring massive stars, cutting costs in the process, and speeding up processes, but the one question no one seems to be asking, where does A.I’s new capabilities leave the talented musicians in a world where technology seems to be taking over with time and ease? What next for them? In a field that pays these creatives, how do they survive if replaced? For investors and executives, it’s almost a risk-free business, not hiring the required personnel for making music and all, computerizing everything.
With the demand for music to be made in multiple genres and countless elements that can be combined, it’s no wonder the industry is looking to A.I to help create new music that could revolutionize the music we listen to and unlock potentially new combinations that we have never thought of. But the legality of A.I-produced music is a key factor. Whether A.I is creating music by mixing together samples or using deep learning to generate new tracks, it’s still essentially copying human works of art since it draws elements from actual records, meaning there’s a real risk of copyright infringement.
Major record labels are already taking action against A.I-generated songs, an example is UMG’s requests to takedown A.I-generated songs from streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple. The firm called A.I fraud in a statement, saying “The company has a moral and commercial responsibility to our artists to work to prevent the unauthorized use of their music and to stop platforms from ingesting content that violates the rights of artists and other creators,” a spokesperson from Universal Music Group, “We expect our platform partners will want to prevent their services from being used in ways that harm artists”. This comes after an A.I version of Drake and The Weekend went viral, shattering streaming numbers, Drake himself reacted to it by saying “A.I, this is your last straw”.
Though Drake doesn’t speak for all artists, it’s still safe to say most artists don’t like the new initiative, as it looks like most artists will be out of favor if A.I takes over, other artists are in line with, Timbaland’s recent post proved he was down for the use of A.I, after it brought his wildest dream true, producing for the late Notorious B.I.G, claiming it has been his lifetime wish, and grateful that an A.I model made it happen. That’s one of the positive sides of A.I.
Not to sound technophobic, nature has its weird ways of working, some of the greatest moments in songs have come by mistakes, and that is what A.I can’t give you, that authenticity. In the guitar lead-in to the first chorus of “Find Your Way Back” by Jefferson Starship, you hear a clicking that’s presumably a drummer counting off with sticks. It is not; it is the click track bleeding through Craig Chaquico’s headphones, also In the very beginning of “I Feel Fine” by the Beatles, the sound you hear is a clip that was preserved of a moment when John Lennon left his acoustic/electric guitar leaning against an amp and it fell back, making it a monumental part of the song. A.I won’t give you that, alongside original writing skills from these artists.
There are many pros and cons to A.I in the music industry. One may argue that we are inventing a new art form by reducing the time or expenses to create music, others too would want the exclusivity that human-made songs come with, the emotions and sweat of a dedicated musician. Ideally, both can co-exist, artists/lawyers can create guardrails around how A.I is used for music production and sharing. This can allow both forces to thrive equally, without any party feeling any form of unfair deals. The last thing music lovers would want is for commercial music becoming like a brown food product; able to sustain life, but never truly satisfy. There is great potential in A.I as a resource, as long as artists are paid properly and not kicked off the front, till then, the human imaginative horizon is always up to us, humans.
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