The role of AI in the music industry is indeed transformative, bringing enhancements to creativity, personalized experiences, production workflows, and expanding opportunities for artists and listeners. However, along with these advancements, the evolving presence of AI raises significant legal and ethical concerns that warrant thorough attention. There is immense potential for AI as a resource. Tomorrow.events strongly believes AI generative music is the future and it is inevitable. T.e believes that by leveraging the vast computational power and data analysis capabilities of AI, we will witness groundbreaking compositions that will challenge traditional norms, redefine genres, and consequently introduce entirely new sonic landscapes.
AI Generative Music – To Do or Not To Do
Embracing change is often a challenging journey. Take the example of auto-tune. When it was first introduced, there was initial resistance towards it before people eventually embraced its capabilities. Similarly, the emergence of AI generative music is facing a similar pattern. While major record labels like Universal have adopted the technology themselves, they are cautious about its use by others, especially when it involves their artists’ voices. However, embracing AI-generative music has the potential to revolutionize the creative process. It is empowering individuals with limited musical expertise to actively participate and contribute to the artistic realm. By democratizing music creation, AI is opening doors for a more inclusive and diverse creative landscape.
Benefits
AI is transforming various aspects of music creation, production, distribution, and consumption. Here are some key areas where AI is making an impact:
Music Composition
AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of music data to identify patterns and generate new compositions. AI-powered tools and software can assist musicians and composers in creating melodies, harmonies, and even entire songs.
Production and Mixing
AI tools are used in music production and mixing to automate repetitive tasks and enhance the quality of recordings. AI can assist with tasks such as audio editing, noise reduction, vocal tuning, and even mastering.
Sample and Sound Design
AI can help musicians and producers create new sounds and samples by analyzing existing audio samples and generating unique variations. This allows artists to explore new sonic possibilities and expand their creative options. An example of how this technology is used (even by amateurs) is in this video:
Virtual Artists
AI is also being used to create virtual artists and performers, such as virtual singers, virtual bands and virtual concerts. Last year Sir Paul McCartney did a duet with (virtual) John Lennon. They performed ‘I’ve Got a Feeling” at the Glastonbury festival.
Remixing and Mashup Creation
AI algorithms can analyze multiple songs and generate new remixes or mashups by combining different elements. This provides DJs and producers with innovative ways to create new music from existing material.Similarly AI can also be used to add the voices of certain artists to DJ mixes.
The most recent example is the set played by DJ David Guetta in February featuring Eminem’s voice. As reported by BBC, he said “Probably there would be no rock ‘n’ roll if there was no electric guitar. There would be no acid house without the Roland TB-303 [bass synthesiser] or the Roland TR-909 drum machine. There would be no hip-hop without the sampler. However, the DJ will not release the song commercially. He shared this video on Twitter with the caption: “Let me introduce you to… Emin-AI-em,”
New opportunities
AI can create new opportunities for musicians, such as the ability to create music without any musical training. With this technology and some creativity, anyone can create their own music now. Want a demo? Here you go!
Challenges of AI Generative Music
However, the evolving role of AI in the music industry raises several legal and ethical concerns that need careful consideration.
Copyright and Plagiarism
AI’s ability to generate music raises questions about copyright and plagiarism. If an AI algorithm generates a composition that closely resembles an existing song, who owns the rights to that new piece? Determining the originality and ownership of AI-generative music can be challenging and will require rethinking existing copyright laws. One such example is a recent AI generative version of Beyonce’s famous song Cuff It featuring Rihanna’s AI generated voice. Another example is the song Munch (Feeling U) by rapper Ice Spice that got a Drake remake without his permission. In response to this song, Drake took to Instagram in a now deleted story and wrote “This is the final straw AI.”
Creative Authenticity
AI-generative music challenges the notion of human creativity and expression. Some argue that music created solely by AI lacks the depth, emotion, and personal experiences that come from human artists. There is a concern that relying too heavily on AI-generative music may lead to a loss of authenticity and individual artistic expression.
Musician and songwriter Sting, last month, was awarded UK’s prestigious Ivor Academy Fellowship. In a recent interview he mentioned his concern over the use of AI for songwriting by stating how “we can’t be complacent.”
In another interview to BBC, Sting said “That’s going to be a battle we all have to fight in the next couple of years: Defending our human capital against AI.” He further added, “Maybe for electronic dance music, it works. But for songs, you know, expressing emotions, I don’t think I will be moved by it.”
Transparency and Attribution
AI-generated music raises challenges in terms of transparency and attribution. If an AI algorithm contributes to the creation of a song, should it be credited as a co-creator? Ensuring transparency in disclosing the involvement of AI systems in the music creation process is crucial to maintaining ethical standards.
Copyright Registration Guidance
According to the U.S Copyrights Office’s Copyright Registration Guidance: Works Containing Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence published on March 16, “copyright can protect only material that is the product of human creativity. Most fundamentally, the term “author,” which is used in both the Constitution and the Copyright Act, excludes non-humans.”
However, it still is not clear how much ‘human creativity’ is the acceptable amount. How does one determine if the work produced by a human being using AI as a tool can be copyrighted?
New Guidelines for AI Generated Music by Grammys
Recording Academy, the organization behind the prestigious Grammy Awards has deemed songs that feature AI generated music eligible for nominations. This eligibility, however, has a few limitations.
According to NPR, “If there’s an AI voice singing the song or AI instrumentation, we’ll consider it,” Harvey Mason Jr. the CEO of the Recording Academy, told Grammy.com. “But in a songwriting-based category, it has to have been written mostly by a human.”
Drake and The Weeknd Song Controversy
The new rules by the Recording Company come just weeks after the controversy of the new Drake and Weeknd song. ‘Heart on my Sleeve’ featuring the two artists was released by ghostwriter97 on platforms like Youtube, TikTok and Spotify, to name a few. The song immediately became viral with over 9 million views on Tik Tok in just a few days. The song however, was not real.
The World’s leading record label Universal Music Group (UMG), represents Drake, Weeknd, Tylor Swift and billie Eilish, to name a few. Even though UMG invoked copyright violations to get the song down from platforms. It is no longer available on Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and Tidal. Prior to this, UMG took legal action and ordered removal of another AI generated song featuring Eminem’s voice and style.
Musicians and AI
Music distribution company DittoMusic conducted a survey of 1200 of its users. According to the results 66% of participants would use AI for mixing and mastering, while 62% would use the technology for music production. The survey findings are available here. Lee Parsons, CEO Ditto Music said in a statement, “It’s encouraging to see so many musicians embracing advancements in technology and utilising AI as a creative aid. At Ditto, we pride ourselves on being ahead of the curve and remain dedicated to providing artists with the latest tools, resources, and support they need to succeed on their own terms.”
First AI Produced Album
In 2018, a groundbreaking moment occurred when artist Tarun Southern released her album “I AM AI,” marking the first-ever solo artist album composed and produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence. This innovative project utilized a range of AI tools such as Amper Music, IBM Watson, and Google DeepDream. One of the album’s notable tracks, “Break Free,” has amassed over 4 million streams and even reached the #48 spot on the Mediabase Indicator radio charts in August 2018. Critics widely praised the album, with The New York Times describing it as “a captivating exploration of artificial creativity.” However, the release of “I AM AI” also ignited discussions and debates surrounding the role of human involvement, authorship, and ownership in the realm of AI-generated music.
Artist Holly Herndon and Her Clone Holly +
American Artist Holly Herndon has created an AI clone of her voice that can sing in any language and in any tone. She has named this tool Holly+, and it is free for anyone to use. Holly has also created a solution to tackle the ongoing issue of attribution in the music industry. She created a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) where blockchain users make decisions like a co-op. Artists submit work to the DAO, which mints the best pieces into NFTs for auction. Sales proceeds are shared among the creator, DAO members, and Herndon. She demonstrated and explained the potential of Holly+ in a TED talk.
Grimes Welcomes AI Generative Music
Pop star Grimes, on the other hand, has recently welcomed the use of her voice in AI generative music. Sharing the announcement she also tweeted “- we can distribute it for you and you can earn royalties from your work.” Furthermore she offered 50% royalty on the master records.
Following her announcement, Zach Wener, CEO of Uberduck announced a competition with $10,000 in prize money. Uberuck is a free AI based celebrity voice generator.
On the question regarding the legal aspects of other celebrity voices being used, NPR reported Wener as saying, “Things will go best if people experiment and kind of get a sense of what this new world should look like and then write the rules, rather than writing the rules when nobody actually understands what’s going on.” Many submissions were made and thousands of people voted. Earlier this month the winners were announced. ‘Born to Destroy’ by Max Weisel and Juliana Ronderos won the first prize of $7000. Check it out and decide for yourself!
AI Music and The Beatles Final Song
One of the most anticipated recent examples of the use of AI in music production is the upcoming release of the ‘final’ Beatles song. Using AI, John Lennon’s voice from an older demo of the unreleased song was revived. In an interview to BBC’s Radio 4 Sir Paul McCartney said, “He [Jackson] was able to extricate John’s voice from a ropey little bit of cassette.”
After some speculations regarding the use of AI in the ‘final song’ McCartney took to Twitter to clear the air.
AI-generative music holds the potential to break through creative barriers and push the boundaries of artistic expression, revolutionizing the way we perceive and experience music. It is revolutionizing the music industry by enhancing creativity, improving production workflows, and unlocking new possibilities for both artists and listeners. Tomorrow.events believes it will foster a culture of collaborative creation and empower a diverse range of voices to shape the future of music. Embracing AI-generated music opens doors to democratizing the creative process, enabling individuals with limited musical expertise to participate and contribute to the artistic realm. As AI algorithms become more accessible and user-friendly, aspiring musicians and enthusiasts can harness the power of AI tools to compose, remix, and experiment with music. So, no nee to wonder what could have been…let your creative juices flow and make your own music to find out if you have what it takes!
