AI, procedural generation and other new music technologies - What does the future of music hold?

[Archon]

It seems to me that the evolution of AI music will benefit listeners in the first place. Since all the garbage that can now be heard on the beatport will be generated without mediocre boring musicians. And it will contribute to the development of the musicians themselves, since it will not be possible to create another template track that would interest at least someone, maybe they will achieve some kind of their own individual distinctive sound so that no one has any questions this track was created with the help of AI or a real musician. BTW, I generated this track and I liked it so much that I've been playing it every day for a week now Udio | Fading Future (Hypnotic Trance) by BigBoss228 | AI Music Generator - Official Website

Sounds like a very good track from a newcomer. Still needs some polish regarding the arrangement and sound levels. I bet a good producer could make a phenomenal track out of this. Has all the elements for it.

 

[Ruya]

When people watched Neil Armstrong in 1969, they said we'd be living on the moon by the year 2000. You guys are getting way too carried away based on "it's going to get better" without any real evidence.

Some tabloids making predictions in the space age is not the same as the conversation with AI today, where the brightest minds in technology all unanimously agree that AI will be a significant force and influence on our lives. What do you know that they don’t, to make you so sure this will all amount to nothing?

 

[Archon]

I've seen too many sales/marketing pitches regarding AI to completely believe in the statement above (even though I would still partially agree).

 

[facade1984]

i try not to treat the whole AI in music thing as to much of a nuanced debate, probably because I only ever wanted to make music as a hobby and on my own terms and don't really care about "success". i also try to just take it for what it is, an assistive tool that is useful for people who are already talented/musicaly inclined. as some of you probably know i am however very critical of lazy template producers who only make music out of a lego box, so i'm hoping that a tool that has the ability to compile all of the world's collective music theory will actually help them make some interesting melodies for a change

 

[EnigmaState]

i try not to treat the whole AI in music thing as to much of a nuanced debate, probably because I only ever wanted to make music as a hobby and on my own terms and don't really care about "success". i also try to just take it for what it is, an assistive tool that is useful for people who are already talented/musicaly inclined. as some of you probably know i am however very critical of lazy template producers who only make music out of a lego box, so i'm hoping that a tool that has the ability to compile all of the world's collective music theory will actually help them make some interesting melodies for a change

Im actually hoping that AI becomes embedded within DAW's but more on an assisted AI feature rather than a lazy approach of "make this for me".
Assisted could be used to analyse areas of the track and provide suggestions to improve and direct. It would in turn make your music better and people will learn.

 

[Progrez]

Here's a track i found on YouTube today, I also tried to create something through this AI generator, my first attempt: Udio | Ethereal Odyssey by BiboranTV second try: Udio | Probspot by BiboranTV
Maybe someone will be able to generate something cool

I made this track Udio | Ethereal Odyssey ext v1 by Progrez | AI Music Generator - Official Website

 

[Julian Del Agranda]

I made this track

No, you did not.

 

[nightslapper]

I made this track

No, you did not.

ladies and gentlemen, a sneak preview of the future music discussions

 

[Progrez]

No, you did not.

Then who did? Yeah, sorry I should have added a tongue cheek emoji after I made that comment. I have to say that it's not a bad effort.

 

[Hensmon]

I made this track Udio | Ethereal Odyssey ext v1 by Progrez | AI Music Generator - Official Website

Wow that actually sounds really nice. The overall quality is low and some off tune vocal is there at points, but the general vibe and idea is lovely.

Even if AI is not making the finished package (yet), this is a powerful tool for spurring on ideas or creating reference material to go off.

Edit - just listened to your track @Pokkryshkin. Love it haha, little touches of Sultan & The Greek. I am listening through my laptop speakers so it is hiding some of the sound quality issues and probably i would not be able to determine this AI version from a real one.

How can you listen to these and think AI's capabilities have hit the ceiling? The sound quality is going to improve and the finesse of the prompts to interpret the creators vision is only going to improve too. Chat GBT was the first public AI tool and a year has passed and the leaps have been wild. This time next year we'll probably have AI music that cannot be identified as such (my prediction).

 

[Progrez]

Wow that actually sounds really nice. The overall quality is low and some off tune vocal is there at points, but the general vibe and idea is lovely.

Even if AI is not making the finished package (yet), this is a powerful tool for spurring on ideas or creating reference material to go off.

Edit - just listened to your track @Pokkryshkin. Love it haha, little touches of Sultan & The Greek. I am listening through my laptop speakers so it is hiding some of the sound quality issues and probably i would not be able to determine this AI version from a real one.

How can you listen to these and think AI's capabilities have hit the ceiling? The sound quality is going to improve and the finesse of the prompts to interpret the creators vision is only going to improve too. Chat GBT was the first public AI tool and a year has passed and the leaps have been wild. This time next year we'll probably have AI music that cannot be identified as such (my prediction).

Does anyone know if we can edits these? I want to put my own spin in the outro I have to make it more interesting. I wish we could add more subtly towards the end.

Udio | Ethereal Odyssey ext v2.1.1.1 by Progrez | AI Music Generator - Official Website

Listen to Ethereal Odyssey ext v2.1.1.1 by Progrez on Udio. Discover, create, and share music with the world. Use the latest technology to create AI music in seconds.

www.udio.com

 

[TwinSilo]

How do people here feel about AI music? Will they listen to it, even buy it? Does it matter if there’s no artist behind the music? Difficult to think about at this point in time.

 

[EnigmaState]

How do people here feel about AI music? Will they listen to it, even buy it? Does it matter if there’s no artist behind the music? Difficult to think about at this point in time.

theres a lot of music out there that you listen to already that was produced by someone else. No difference.

 

[Jetflag]

It seems to me that the evolution of AI music will benefit listeners in the first place. Since all the garbage that can now be heard on the beatport will be generated without mediocre boring musicians. And it will contribute to the development of the musicians themselves, since it will not be possible to create another template track that would interest at least someone, maybe they will achieve some kind of their own individual distinctive sound so that no one has any questions this track was created with the help of AI or a real musician. BTW, I generated this track and I liked it so much that I've been playing it every day for a week now Udio | Fading Future (Hypnotic Trance) by BigBoss228 | AI Music Generator - Official Website

Nice, reminds me of sister bliss early works.

I think it’s a bit like how vst and torrented software changed the whole music production scene from the skill set to operate a console/ hardware synth to being able to craft a piece of music on a daw alone.

Producers of the near future will, (or will have to be) instead more proficient and creative in prompting . And/or combining various AI for the end result.

 

[Jetflag]

How do people here feel about AI music? Will they listen to it, even buy it? Does it matter if there’s no artist behind the music? Difficult to think about at this point in time.

There is.

It’s the artist that “steers” the AI via prompting and making alterations along the way

 

[nightslapper]

There is.

It’s the artist that “steers” the AI via prompting and making alterations along the way

same way you can call a fake guy who hired a ghost producer an 'artist' bc he gave him some instructions and references like 'hey I want a track like that'. Just how minimal should be one's input in the final product to be responsible for it?

 

[Jetflag]

same way you can call a fake guy who hired a ghost producer an 'artist' bc he gave him some instructions and references like 'hey I want a track like that'. Just how minimal should be one's input in the final product to be responsible for it?

I don't know how often you've worked with AI and/or AI art generators but believe me, there is no comparing the two.

to get exactly what it is you want you need to put in a hell of a lot more work and know-how of the tool compared to "just paying a guy"

 

[nightslapper]

I don't know how often you've worked with AI and/or AI art generators but believe me, there is no comparing the two.

to get exactly what it is you want you need to put in a hell of a lot more work and know-how of the tool compared to "just paying a guy"

I have some experience and honestly it's all chaotic, you don't have much controls and mostly try some requests and see the output, they try request some adjustments and hope it's gonna be what you expect but most of the times it just gets randomly screwed up. calling making just enough efforts until it's something decent a skill is an exaggerattion.

to make something really good you need to be in control of every aspect, like a decay length to the kickdrum, the amount of transients to a certain synth, the amount of stereo to the reverb etc. I don't see AI being able to give this amount of control over the details and even if it gives it - at this point it's much easier to twist a knob instead of putting such request.

so yeah basically it's a wannabe simulation

 

[erickUO]

Mellow Sonic posted this experiment

And the answer

My guesses aren't all correct. But when listening to it again, somehow the AI version feels more generic (even though still sounding good).

 

[Jetflag]

I have some experience and honestly it's all chaotic, you don't have much controls and mostly try some requests and see the output, they try request some adjustments and hope it's gonna be what you expect but most of the times it just gets randomly screwed up. calling making just enough efforts until it's something decent a skill is an exaggerattion.

to make something really good you need to be in control of every aspect, like a decay length to the kickdrum, the amount of transients to a certain synth, the amount of stereo to the reverb etc. I don't see AI being able to give this amount of control over the details and even if it gives it - at this point it's much easier to twist a knob instead of putting such request.

so yeah basically it's a wannabe simulation

Sure, or at the very least generate a template output, get the components and work that out yourself. But that kind off proves my point doesn't it? to genuinly make something non generic/chaotic and to your (and/or everyelse's liking) you have to be damn well good at prompting and/or "steering" said AI.

So I agree that for now AI won't be replacing a producer any time soon but by the time it does, the skillsets needed to get a piece of work out of it, especially like you mentioned on the detail level, will be what cuts the weed from the chaff, artist wise.