AI and the future of music

[marvcus]

What are your thoughts on AI with respect to what it may mean for the future of music and recording?

For the most part, I don’t like it. I think AI song generation has the potential to make learning an instrument even more of a rare skill and kill creativity and talent that could have been cultivated.

Can you imagine being able to prompt a new song on the spot about whatever you want? -Give me a song about (whatever) in the style of say, Metallica, but with a guitar solo with hints of Petrucci and George Lynch. Poof—here’s your song. That is kind of crazy to think about, but it is here and up and coming.

Recording-wise, however, I can see a benefit for home recorders that say, need a drum track in the style of (insert here) by a simple prompt command. Then laying down your own stuff on top of that.

For the most part though, it feels inevitable and I knee-jerk want to reject it.

 

[Inearthed]

If we're talking like from a music industry standpoint if it is a free for all record companies will love it, eliminates the need for writers / musicians / recording studios / etc --- all the money goes directly to them. Just had it happen on the country music digital sales chart apparently

From a skills standpoint (musicianship/recording) we'll run into the same issues that they're starting to run into at the workplace --- skill regression (or at the very least stagnation), information retention, and whereas in the workplace we're talking about critical thinking it'll be creative thinking... Sure people will utilize the tools to compliment their abilities but for every one person that is using it for a track to jam over in Eminor for practice, placeholder drums on a demo, or a quick mix/master, there will be 10 that are just using it to create an entire song (like you indicated in your example) and then trying to pass it off as their own.

 

[BABMusic]

Some programs like Sibelius have already been creating music idea suggestions for composing for many years now. They are not always very helpful, but sometimes the random ideas are useful to borrow something from. As long as the voice leading is careful and your final product is wisely written, it doesn't matter really where your inspiration comes from.

Honestly, a lot of the "popular" music these days, might as well be AI. There's very little difference it seems.

 

[stephen sawall]

 

[buddachile]

My fear is that drum machines will replace drummers

 

[RaceU4her]

as a musician who records, its terrible. as a listener though, its great, i cant wait to tell the generator give me an album with these musicians. some of the stuff ive heard already is amazing

 

[rsm]

As long as AI is not trained on any Neil Young as "rock music", it's fine with me.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

Dumbest band name I've heard in a while. LOL

 

[cobrahead1030]

The potential as a tool could be really great.

Say you’ve written & recorded a few songs, and want to put a band together. How cool would it be to have some great sounding AI drums or vocals, just to give other local musicians an idea of what you’re ultimately looking for?

Unfortunately, I don’t see it trending that direction.

 

[chris lykins]

That is some sad shit that that many people would knowingly listen to that when it's essentially just a bunch of prompts fed into a program. What it demonstrates is that a large number of people simply don't give a shit and just want something playing in the background. Its insane how many streams some of these AI sites generate when bands that bust their ass get nothing and fewer and fewer people are motivated to try to make new music and make a career of it (if that's even possible anymore). So all we get are legacy acts and a continuing downward spiral.