Over 20,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify daily. Artificial intelligence (AI) helps sort the music and delivers recommendations to users based on their previous played songs. AI is impacting the music industry, but it does not only recommend you music. Artists like Ariana Grande have used AI to adjust their autotune in real-time. AI discovers and analysis patterns from large data sets, and helps create efficiencies. By analyzing these large datasets AI is now able to take it a step further, AI can create music.
Ai uses deep learning and reinforcement techniques on past compositions to create original pieces of music. Through ‘deep learning’ an algorithm learns the style, patterns, instruments, and characteristics of a certain artist or genre based on data. Through ‘reinforcement learning’, an AI learns how to compose like a certain artist or genre, by trial and error. Based on these inputs the AI composes a unique musical piece combining what it has learned.
Large tech firms are currently exploring the possibilities of AI and music. Google is investing in the ‘Magenta project’, an open-source platform where you can make music using machine learning. Sony is investing in ‘Flow Machines’, an AI system that created the song “Daddy’s Car”. Daddy’s car is a song in the style of the Beatles, it is composed of AI and performed by a French composer. The song has already accumulated over 2,5M views on YouTube.
Jukebox, an open platform, uses machine learning to generate music. Not only raw audio but basic vocals as well. The results are impressive and show where the future of music could be headed. It covers a variety of genres and artist styles. It could help the artists of the future write and compose their songs. Samples of songs created by Jukebox will be provided down below.
Artists in the music industry will have work together with AI tools that will help them further in the creation of their songs. What do you think about AI entering the music industry? Will it take away from the soul feeling of future songs?
https://jukebox.openai.com/ à Sample explorer of jukebox, here you can find multiple songs created by AI
https://soundcloud.com/openai_audio/rock-in-the-style-of-elvis-4#t=0:17 à rock in the style of Elvis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa6h6wZpE30&feature=emb_title à Ariana Grande adjusts autotune in real time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSHZ_b05W7o à Daddy’s Car: Song composed by AI – in the style of the Beatles
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/07/05/the-amazing-ways-artificial-intelligence-is-transforming-the-music-industry/#66a966e85072
https://openai.com/blog/jukebox/
Hi Dave, interesting read! Since my interest in AI most often focused on the medical side of the technology its been refreshing to read about it in another setting, namely music. You wrote that AI has been recommending music throughout the last years, but also that AI could eventually create it’s own music (although with the help of a musician). I agree with you that eventually AI will play an important role in the creation of music, however I argue that AI alone will never completely “enter” the music industry in the role of an musician. The reason why is because for a lot of people, music is a form of emotional expression. And I’m skeptical that an AI could ever translate its calculations into a feeling that appeals to people’s sentiment.
Overall I didn’t know they’ve already started to use AI to generate music, and it definitely got me more curious. Thanks!
Dear Dave,
This is a very interesting article. It Is crazy to think how every single aspect of our lives is now influenced by technology. Some people would argue and believe this is not “real” music anymore. And to be honest I kind of agree! It is not as real anymore if you know that the artist was helped in every way by technology. Could everyone become artist then?
Music industry could also change due to AI if we think about how it could also be used in the video industry. If some artists aren’t available to shoot one video or interview one day, AI could be used to pretend the artist was present and said specific things. This could also lead to fake news being spread about artists. This also makes me think of a video we saw in class of how AI was used to make Obama deliver a speech. People that are not aware of this could actually think it is true. This is why I believe that awareness and education is primordial in our constantly changing world.