AI-Powered Tools For The Creative Process In The Music Industry
With the rise of AI seeping its way into our everyday lives, the music industry is facing a significant transformation. Musicians now have access to a plethora of AI tools that can help with everything from music creation to marketing and promotion. But should AI have a place within the music industry? In this blog, we’ll address concerns around the use of this technology, share best practices for artists, and suggest some helpful AI-powered music production tools.
What Is AI In Music?
AI involves creating intelligent systems that can analyze information, make decisions, and perform tasks without being explicitly programmed for each specific action. AI uses algorithms and data to recognize patterns and solve problems, as well as simulate human intelligence and capabilities.
You’re already interacting with AI on a daily basis, from Netflix suggesting what you should watch next to Amazon making product recommendations. In the music world, Shazam uses machine learning to identify a song in real-time. Spotify's algorithm helps emerging artists secure spots on curated playlists such as “Discover Weekly.” AI is all around us, and it's impossible to ignore its impact on the creative process.
The Concerns of AI in Music: Should You Use It?
AI is rapidly transforming the music industry by enabling artists to create music and content in new ways and at a much faster pace. AI-powered tools are making it easier to compose music, brainstorm lyrics, mix and master productions, and supercharge individuals' power to articulate their stories through more. However, many people have anxieties and concerns that combining AI and Art is a slippery oil-and-water-like slope.
Authenticity
There is no question that AI lacks the depth, intention, and originality that human creativity brings to the table. AI-generated content tends to be robotic, without the nuanced emotions that makes consuming any form of art a personal experience.
Job displacement
With companies like Microsoft, BuzzFeed, and CNET laying off staff in favor of AI software, the fear of job displacement is very real. Musicians and artists worry that as technology advances, it will lead to fewer opportunities and financial instability.
Ethical implications
The use of AI in art raises ethical questions around copyright, intellectual property rights, and fair compensation for creators if their work is used or modified by AI systems.
Bias and discrimination
As AI systems are trained on existing data and human input, there is a risk of perpetuating biases and discrimination and artists worry that AI-generated content may unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or discriminatory patterns.
Loss of creative control
Relying too heavily on AI could lead to loss of creative control. Artists are concerned that the technology will compromise their artistic vision and personal expression.
The impact and implications of AI in creative fields are still being explored, but considering all of this—should artists leverage AI in creating a career around music?
Yes, but with caution.
Obviously AI should NEVER replace your creativity or become the sole source of how you create and produce music. It can be used as a tool to augment your unique creative process, generate ideas, and improve your workflows. Always ensure that you’re using AI tools ethically and not ripping off anyone else or infringing on intellectual property rights. This will definitely catch up to you in the long run (especially if something you steal outright pops off…)
Musician Holly Herndon circumvented the issue of IP rights by doing it herself. She trained AI on recordings of herself and her band, creating her vocal clone Holly+. She sees AI as an opportunity to open new doors for music composition and to go beyond the limitations of her own vocal capabilities. Her work is a great example of how AI can be used to enhance your own voice and create new possibilities for music production.
What if You Could Sing in Your Favorite Musician's Voice? | Holly Herndon | TED
AI technology can be used to harness your creative expression in new ways and even invent entirely new forms of music. It's also a great tool to help you overcome writer’s block when you’re stuck on a lyric or section. It can even generate an initial outline of a fully-formed song within minutes, thus serving up structural prompts to keep you in that coveted flow state.
For more on all the ways you can use AI to improve your workflows, check out this podcast about AI and music. The conversation touches on the key benefits of AI for musicians, and describes examples of how these tools can help musicians with booking tours, designing cover art, writing email pitches, composing lyrics, and more.
AI-Powered Music Tools:
Concerns about bland, cookie-cutter songs and copyright infringement aside, let’s look at some of the types of tools you can use to generate new music, improve your creative process, and build your career.
Composition and Generation
MuseNet generates 4-minute songs with as many as 10 different instruments. It can create music in a range of styles, from classical composers to pop artists. You can provide the AI with a short segment of music to prompt it and it will imitate that style, or have it start from scratch.
Amper is one of the easiest AI music generators to use, as it doesn’t require any understanding
of music theory or composition. It creates musical tracks from pre-recorded samples which can be modified with music keys, tempo, individual instruments, and more. There are millions of samples and tons of instruments to choose from and you can quickly create music for projects like podcasts, movies, and video games.
AIVA generates original music tracks in various genres and styles, and it uses deep learning to make music that lines up with your vibe. You can also produce variations of existing songs without having to worry about music licensing processes.
Both Amper Music and AIVA can help musicians identify patterns in their music, such as chord progressions, melody, and structure, and provide feedback on improving it.
Songwriting
Amadeus Code can serve as a songwriting assistant, providing chord progressions, melody ideas, and exportable MIDI files to build beats.
Production
Google Magenta provides a plethora of free plugins designed to generate melodies and rhythms, as well as virtual instruments and vocal synthesis models.
The Orb Producer Suite plugin enables producers to generate melodies, basslines, and wavetable synthesizer sounds.
Mixing and Mastering
Izotope offers audio software and plug-ins for mixing, mastering, restoration, and more.
Maastr.io is an AI-powered audio platform suite that enhances the ability of producers, mixers, and musicians to master, iterate, and collaborate on mixes. Created by seasoned musicians and world class audio engineers to ensure a focus on creativity and high-quality functionality.
LANDR helps enhance audio quality and production using machine learning. It can master tracks in minutes and offers real-time feedback.
Music Promotion
Music Gateway allows you to distribute, publish and promote your music for free. It delivers to all major digital storefronts and lets you keep 100% of your sales royalties. The company will also run marketing campaigns, provide access to a network of curators, radio stations and press contacts, and will even handle Spotify promotion through playlist pitching for you.
RepostExchange connects artists with music bloggers, influencers, and playlist curators. The algorithm matches musicians with the right promotion partners based on their music style and target audience.
Music Videos
Video creation tools like Wibbitz and Adobe Premiere Rush use machine learning algorithms to analyze tracks and create a video synchronized with the song’s beat and melody.
So what’s the final word on AI for the music industry?
The way we create and consume music is being undoubtedly changed by innovations in technology. AI isn’t going anywhere, so why not make the most of it? For independent musicians, it's easier and more accessible than ever to create higher-quality and professional-sounding music. Instead of looking at it as a competition, see it as an artistic collaboration—just another tool in your toolbox. It’s ultimately up to you as the human to decide how that tool can best fit into your process. Remember that your relationship with AI technology does not have to be all-or-nothing. In fact, you’re probably already relying on its benefits more than you realize in your daily life. So instead of trying to avoid it completely, figure out your own individual limitations first - whether they be artistic, organizational, or functional. Then see what kind of help these new AI tools can provide in those specific areas.