Over the years a lot of studies have been conducted on the different effects of music on human beings in different settings. For example the study from Linek et al. In. 2011 showed the impact of background music on the learning progress of the user of an educational game. Another example is the research Grimshaw et al. did, that illustrated music as an essential component (2013) in the gaming experience. Thus, it is a well-established fact that music has an effect on us. However, with the advancement and further development of Artificial Intelligence, the research around the implementation of AI in music generation has emerged. For this blog I will combine the two fields and I will be focusing on the implementation of AI-generated music in games.
As GenAI is implemented in many sectors, it is quite recently possible to implement AI in the music sector too. The AI technology is now able to generate music of high quality, without human intervention. If we dive deeper in the music generating AI technology, the technology is also able to recommend music according to the setting. This in combination with the important role, music can play in affecting the gamer, the study of Yang & Nazir shows that this function of AI can be used to select the most effective music according to the goal of the game developer. The genre of the music would affect the performance and the interactivity of the gamer, as well as that the match of the music with the atmosphere of the game would increase addiction to the game (Yang & Nazir, 2022).
In my opinion, there are significant benefits in utilising AI for music generation and selection in the game development sector, as it enables the game developers to create sounds that help achieve the aimed effects on the gamers by selecting the accurate sounds. Beathoven.ai is an real-world example of an AI music generator recommended for games among other things (videos and podcasts), that already makes it possible for the gaming industry to benefit from the advanced technology. It is a platform that enables users to develop sounds with the use of AI technologies by selecting a genre and mood. Once the platform provides a sound according to the preferences, the user can choose the tempo, intensity and instrumentation (Beatoven.ai: Royalty Free AI Music Generator, z.d.).
Moreover, I am curious about the future developments of the AI music generating technologies such as Beaathoven.ai and the limitations on these effects. In addition, I can conclude that there is still room for improvement on the platform, in developing a function that automatically selects the optimal tempo and intensity.
More importantly, I suggest further research on the potential benefits of AI-generated music beyond gaming, such as in the restaurant industry or other hospitality industries, where it could be used to enhance customer experiences and increase spending.
References
Beatoven.ai: Royalty free AI music generator. (z.d.). https://www.beatoven.ai/
Grimshaw, M., Tan, S., & Lipscomb, S. D. (2013). Playing with sound: The role of music and sound effects in gaming. In Oxford University Press eBooks (pp. 289–314).
Linek, S.B., Marte, B., Albert, D. (2011) Background music in educational games: Motivational appeal and cognitive impact. Int J Game-Based Learn 1(3):53–64
Yang, T., & Nazir, S. (2022). A comprehensive overview of AI-enabled music classification and its influence in games. Soft Computing, 26(16), 7679–7693.
Ot course, the young people are open to developments and not risk-dominated