AI-generated music has gained popularity, but its use has faced criticism. Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group sued Uncharted Labs and Suno over software that allows users to create music from text prompts, alleging copyrighted songs were used without permission to train the AI. Universal Music Group has no connection to NBCUniversal, which operates NBC News.
Record labels have removed music featuring AI versions of Drake and The Weeknd’s voices, while over 200 artists, including Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, and Nicki Minaj, signed an open letter urging AI companies to protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.
AI music companies have continued to grow
Despite the criticism, AI music companies have expanded, and they are leveraging accessibility as a creative selling point for their ventures. Users can easily compose music with AI utilizing various inputs by visiting websites such as Boomy, AIVA, Musicfy, and Sound Draw. Users have the option to choose from a variety of musical genres and then modify the speed, mood, and instruments that are used in the song.
According to AI music firms, people who would not have been able to compose music before can now simply create their own content.
Cassie Speer, director of “creative success” at Boomy, said “You don’t need to purchase fancy gear. You don’t have to have music lessons, There’s a lot of things that you need to do to be able to make music, and Boomy’s goal is just to allow anyone who wants to experiment with being creative to come on our site and easily try it out.”
Speer expressed her hope that AI technology will open up new avenues for low-income children to access music. Speer has been touring the nation teaching students about generative AI technology and Boomy.
She added “Marginalized people are often left behind in tech, and they’re not given the same access, If we can partner with people that want to do it right and bring resources to students and have a symbiotic relationship within the music industry and with schools, we’ll be able to do so much more.”
Access to music education in the U.S. is decreasing, with 8% of students lacking access during school days, according to the Arts Education Data Project. AI technology, like Musicfy, has been suggested as a solution to this issue, reducing the learning curve and allowing beginners to focus on creativity rather than technical challenges, according to a blog post by the company.
Grimes, a Canadian musician, has further emphasized the notion by encouraging her followers to compose music with her AI-generated voice and by posting on X “If u register music with us we can collect & pay out royalties direct to anyone who uses A.I. Grimes vocals using smart contracts!? The future rly is now! this is so cool.”
Speer taught a course on AI music tools for young artists using Boomy in Denver. A few of the regional musicians that took part in Youth on Record’s festival are in favor of using AI in music production and instruction.
“I really feel like nobody should feel stopped from following their dreams”
Regi Worles, a member of the band Dog Tags said “Think about how much more vibrant the Denver scene even could be if the every-person who is sitting at home with a song idea in their head but no keyboard skills or no guitar skills or something to really get it out had a tool that could start it for them,”
Worles and a few bandmates went to the AI workshop where Boomy’s software was on display.
He said “I really feel like nobody should feel stopped from following their dreams because they don’t know how to use a software that costs, like, $400 or more to have in the first place, If AI is a way to start influencing that in a different direction, then I’m pretty open to it.”
Boomy is a free software that allows artists to create and distribute songs, with a 20% profit share. The software becomes the sole property of Boomy.
Bassist and vocalist Michael Merola uses AI tools like ChatGPT to aid in his creative process, such as finding synonyms in song lyrics.
Worles claimed the pair has also drawn inspiration from AI systems designed specifically for music
He said “Even just showing Michael like, ‘Oh, hey, here’s this thing I was thinking about, mostly listen to it for the melody but some chord ideas in the background.’ And then he’s like, ‘Oh, I could do that better, watch.’ And then we are now writing the song. So it’s like always a jumping-off point.”
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