There’s a lot of arguments going on as to the relative merit and value of AI-generated art in any form. Not least in music. The arguments range from it being a complete takeover of new content creation to the arguments that ultimately true art is only capable of being generated by humans.
Mmm…. It is fair to say that when Joni Mitchell wrote about stoking the star-maker machinery, she was thinking of the human interaction with the artist rather than a piece of technology. And yet this is where we are with the current reality with AI being part of the engine of creation for mass market products being sold to an unsuspecting fan.
So where do we think we have got to so far?
AI, like it or not, is a growing force in most walks of life including the arts. There are plenty of examples of music that has been created entirely through the use of AI, down to actual mimicking of other artists; Drake et al. Now I suppose I feel that this is not art really, more of a deception or a parody to please a perceived audience.
As a musician/writer myself, I am full of creative frailties and missteps which in their own way help create the pieces that I write. There is no doubt that AI could well be technically better in terms of conventional composition and accuracy when generating a new piece of music. However, it will lack surprise and certainly personality. Now this is a matter of degree I appreciate. A lot of musicians and composers rely on a level of technology in the creation of a new piece of music. Their DAW, samples and beats, quantisers, autotuners, etc may play a part in the final creation of the new content.
My argument is that, yes technology is a tool to be used but how it is used and interpreted is a very human experience for many artists. In this way, creators may well embrace the use of AI within the wider parameters of their writing in so far it does not become entirely AI-driven which will tend to blunt the edge of their creativity.
So is that it? Actually, no. AI can be seen as very much a future partner in stoking that machinery away from the actual creation of the music/content itself. A lot of this revolves around the business activities attached to commercialising a new piece of music. It also begins for us at Springer, with the ability to help creators get going. Springer’s RevShare model is a game-changer in terms of getting artists together with professionals within a legally binding agreement. Artists pay less upfront while professionals are properly rewarded for any future success.
Our platform already offers the ability to make these types of deals. However, for many early-stage creators with limited commercial experience, this can still be daunting and not a little confusing.
This is why we are currently working as a team on how best AI can work within the legal system to make it easier and quicker to make deals without compromising the standing of any agreements made.
How to make the best deal, terms etc, and the tricky one, how much to pay? Can AI help? Well let’s see
Turning back to the question of artists and AI, I think it can be best summarised for many by “I seem to lean on old familiar ways”. Will AI be their partner in creation or their foe?
Until next time..
