AI in Music: A New Sound and Infrastructure

Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating a significant dilemma for musicians. On one hand, it offers powerful tools for artistic development; on the other, it poses a threat to their livelihoods. Martin Clancy, founder of AI:OK, an Irish initiative promoting ethical AI use in music, highlights both the challenges and opportunities this technology presents.

AI tools are broadly categorized into generative and complementary. Generative tools, such as Suno and Udio, can create lyrics, melodies, vocals, and even complete songs almost instantly. These applications are driven by user-suggested themes and music styles. Complementary tools, on the other hand, enhance musicians' work through advanced mixing, mastering, session-player emulation, and stem separation.

These tools are now standard in the creative workflow, particularly for younger or independent artists. Apple’s Logic Pro, for instance, comes with AI-powered session players and stem separation, and is free on all new Mac computers. BandLab, used by over 100 million people, includes a 'Create a Song with AI' button. Another tool, Voice-Swap, allows producers to re-sing demos using approved, royalty-sharing artist voice models.

Suno and Udio have gained tens of millions of users in the past 18 months, thanks to their affordable subscription model. For about $10 per month, Suno users can create 500 complete songs. This democratization of music creation has led to notable examples like Carolina-O, an AI-generated homage to Ernest Hemingway, and Verknallt in einen Talahon, the first AI-generated hit in Germany.

AI systems create music by extracting vast amounts of musical data from online sources, a process known as scraping, and then analyzing and emulating it. Ethically, they should only emulate music with consent from licensed or self-owned material. The artist or rights holder should be credited and paid, and AI use should be disclosed to listeners.

Artists like Holly Herndon, Taryn Southern, and Brian Eno are using generative AI in principled and intelligent ways. Herndon, a Berlin-based American composer, creates music using Max, a visual programming language. Southern’s album I Am AI was created using several AI-based tools. Eno’s approach is driven by curiosity and a commitment to experimentation.

However, there is a noticeable gap in Irish artists exploring these possibilities. Clancy suggests this could be a 1975 moment, similar to the pre-punk rock era, where a significant shift is yet to occur.

Eno coined the term 'generative music,' though not in the context of AI systems. He views the recording studio as a musical instrument, rather than a technological processing plant. Eno, Herndon, and Southern use AI ethically, valuing consent, creativity, and copyright.

Other creations have taken a different route. Heart on My Sleeve, an AI-generated song from April 2023, features vocals that sound remarkably similar to Drake and The Weeknd. Universal Music Group, which represents both artists, filed a takedown notice within two weeks of the song’s release, by which time it had already gained significant traction on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok.

For every use of technology that prompts a moral or legal dilemma, there is another with a more welcome outcome. The 'Abbatars' at the ABBA Voyage show in London are a playful and transparent development of the live-concert experience. Created using motion-capture and machine-learning processes by Industrial Light & Magic, these 3D projections of the band members perform in their 1979 heyday, accompanied by a live band.

Virtual concerts by late artists like Tupac Shakur, Roy Orbison, Whitney Houston, and Elvis Presley are further examples of AI establishing itself in popular culture. AI is quickly becoming part of our daily lives, from smartphones with AI assistants to in-car entertainment systems that remix tunes based on driving behavior.

Clancy emphasizes the importance of viewing AI as a tool for creative exploration, not just a threat. He hopes that AI:OK’s literacy program will help create accelerator programs to support AI startups with funding, resources, and mentoring. While some may be apprehensive about AI, Clancy believes the key is to embrace its potential for innovation.