Artificial intelligence has grown rapidly over the past 70 years and now, technology that can replicate aspects of human behavior is just a part of everyday life. The very first successful AI program was written in 1951 which allowed a computer to play a game of checkers. AI has grown rapidly and disrupted the music industry ever since. Assisting musicians with songwriting, composing, promoting, and more, there are many ways musicians can use AI to their advantage. Let’s take a look.
An artificial personal assistant
Having an assistant was traditionally a privilege for those in higher positions of work. Now, the majority of the population carries advanced tech in their pockets, uses it at work, and is even greeted by them when they get home. This is thanks to systems like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.
While these popular forms of AI can respond to questions and perform tasks, a recently released chatbot, ChatGPT, can perform more complicated and creative tasks. ChatGPT has made a name for itself recently for its advanced language processing abilities. The interactive tool can help users complete a variety of tasks, from answering simple questions, much like a standard Google search, to composing entire novels.
Many critics are adamant that the technology is quite far from perfect, but for musicians, AI tools can offer a particularly appealing service: songwriting.
A one-of-a-kind songwriter
AI can be a valuable tool for those in the creative industry. For musicians, AI can be used for writing songs and composing scores. All they have to do is ask the chatbot to write a song about a topic and voila, a lyrical composition stands before you. It doesn’t just write songs, it can help you promote them too. When prompted, ChatGPT can write a bio or a social media post based on a topic that you ask for.
Results include snappy social media content with emojis to accompany copy. Editing and creativity are often required to achieve the desired outcome, but it comes in handy when inspiration may be a little lacking. For that reason, it’s important to remember that it is called an assistant for a reason – the artist still needs to put in the leg work and ensure the output is good quality.
While chatbots can assist with songwriting, there are apps specifically designed for this type of guidance. After all, everyone experiences writer’s block every now and again. The pressure of writing a top-selling single or next big studio album can lead to serious writer’s block, and while an AI tool might not write the next global hit, it can be a source of inspiration to get you started.
Composing
Music composition has been on the AI scene for a long time and dates back to 1951 when it was first pioneered by Alan Turing. As one of the earliest categories of artificial intelligence tools, music composition has come a long way and allows users to explore new sounds.
Popular apps include Amper which is one of the easiest AI music generators to use. Perfect for beginners wanting to explore composition for the first time, or for experienced musicians looking for inspiration, the app allows users to mix and match instruments. From there, users are able to adapt the AI-generated composition to their liking.
On the whole, AI serves as a great tool for musicians and can provide inspiration, speed up music production and reduce costs for studio time. Though, while it serves as a useful tool, that’s all it is – a tool. AI isn’t a musician so an artist is still required to make the magic happen with authentic tunes.
