AI in music ex:Steven Wilson

[TheRich13]

Hey All Knowing Forumers,
Can anyone explain what this AI is in music? For example, Steven Wilson’s, new Christmas song, December Skies. Did he play on it? It sure sounds like his acoustic work. It sounds like his voice singing. I think Randy played that lead on it. Did he just submit lyrics into a website or database? And it spits out a song? Or did he write it ? I’m totally lost and confused with what this is. Everybody seems to be talking about it. I am also totally confused with that KISS avatar thing, but that’s another story…Any info on this is greatly appreciated.

[jammindude]

From Steven Wilson’s own explanation…it started off as an experiment, just to see what it would spit out on the other end. He was very much against AI at first, but reasoned that since it’s not going away, perhaps there was a way to utilize it as a tool.

So they “directed” the AI (if they didn’t like the initial response, they would give AI more direction i.e. “don’t actually mention Christmas”…”make it more bleak”…etc etc) until they had something they actually liked. Then SW added his own personal touches and *actually* recorded the song using the lyrics and elements he had gotten from AI.

It’s very much like what I’ve told people at my job. AI is just a tool. And I get why artists are worried. Because it’s feasible that someone with no scruples whatsoever could just have AI do all the work for them. But on the other hand, someone who is actually utilizing it as a creative tool can mold and shape the ideas coming from AI into something unique. In that way, how different is it than just “brainstorming” with other people to get the creative juices flowing? Maybe AI just gives you a new idea and you do all the rest.

To quote the professor: “All this machinery making modern music can still be openhearted. Not so boldly charted, it’s really just a question of your honesty.”

[nobloodyname]

Hey All Knowing Forumers,
Can anyone explain what this AI is in music? For example, Steven Wilson’s, new Christmas song, December Skies. Did he play on it? It sure sounds like his acoustic work. It sounds like his voice singing. I think Randy played that lead on it. Did he just submit lyrics into a website or database? And it spits out a song? Or did he write it ? I’m totally lost and confused with what this is. Everybody seems to be talking about it. I am also totally confused with that KISS avatar thing, but that’s another story…Any info on this is greatly appreciated.

Sign up for a free ChatGPT account and ask it to write you some lyrics in the style of a band you really like. Within about 10 seconds, you'll have fully-fledged lyrics. No, really. And you'll be all... "whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!" Then you can say to it, like Steven did, "hmm... don't mention Christmas", or, "I don't like the rhyme at the end of verse two, can you change that?" And it will. And you can even ask it to suggest chords. I got Microsoft's version of AI to write me some tab for a DT-style riff a couple of weeks ago.

Actually, I did my own ChatGPT music thing. My partner's really into HIM so I got it to write some lyrics in their style and a couple of months later, I sung (I am using the term very loosely) it over some chords and uploaded it. It's in the link below if you're interested, song is called Where the Roses Weep (because of course it is )

[MinistroRaven]

Not the type of music I listen to:

Bad Bunny Slams Viral AI-Generated Song
The Puerto Rican rapper says fans who enjoyed the artificially generated track should not attend his upcoming tour.
https://www.complex.com/music/a/alex-ocho/bad-bunny-slams-viral-ai-generated-song

But there are AI where you can feed voice or songs of someone and it will replicate it, then you do something like the above and it can be... unethical?

[Lonk]

Not the type of music I listen to:

Bad Bunny Slams Viral AI-Generated Song
The Puerto Rican rapper says fans who enjoyed the artificially generated track should not attend his upcoming tour.
https://www.complex.com/music/a/alex-ocho/bad-bunny-slams-viral-ai-generated-song

But there are AI where you can feed voice or songs of someone and it will replicate it, then you do something like the above and it can be... unethical?

To be fair, based on what I heard about it, Bad Bunny had it coming with his comments and actions towards his fans  (My sister listens to his music)

This type of technology like ChatGPT is going to become common place for a lot of industries. It's a way to automate a lot of mundane activities. I don't have an issue with artists using it, if the final product is something I enjoy.

[Skeever]

I don't like it, that said, it was not much worse than most of THC.

[MinistroRaven]

Not the type of music I listen to:

Bad Bunny Slams Viral AI-Generated Song
The Puerto Rican rapper says fans who enjoyed the artificially generated track should not attend his upcoming tour.
https://www.complex.com/music/a/alex-ocho/bad-bunny-slams-viral-ai-generated-song

But there are AI where you can feed voice or songs of someone and it will replicate it, then you do something like the above and it can be... unethical?

To be fair, based on what I heard about it, Bad Bunny had it coming with his comments and actions towards his fans  (My sister listens to his music)

This type of technology like ChatGPT is going to become common place for a lot of industries. It's a way to automate a lot of mundane activities. I don't have an issue with artists using it, if the final product is something I enjoy.

Oh for sure he had it coming, he was really mean towards his fans

[The Great Ape]

AI in music is a great development and I'm very interested to see where it goes...

[Stadler]

Hey All Knowing Forumers,
Can anyone explain what this AI is in music? For example, Steven Wilson’s, new Christmas song, December Skies. Did he play on it? It sure sounds like his acoustic work. It sounds like his voice singing. I think Randy played that lead on it. Did he just submit lyrics into a website or database? And it spits out a song? Or did he write it ? I’m totally lost and confused with what this is. Everybody seems to be talking about it. I am also totally confused with that KISS avatar thing, but that’s another story…Any info on this is greatly appreciated.

Sign up for a free ChatGPT account and ask it to write you some lyrics in the style of a band you really like. Within about 10 seconds, you'll have fully-fledged lyrics. No, really. And you'll be all... "whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!" Then you can say to it, like Steven did, "hmm... don't mention Christmas", or, "I don't like the rhyme at the end of verse two, can you change that?" And it will. And you can even ask it to suggest chords. I got Microsoft's version of AI to write me some tab for a DT-style riff a couple of weeks ago.

Actually, I did my own ChatGPT music thing. My partner's really into HIM so I got it to write some lyrics in their style and a couple of months later, I sung (I am using the term very loosely) it over some chords and uploaded it. It's in the link below if you're interested, song is called Where the Roses Weep (because of course it is )

I think all this is good in theory.   I think there will come a day when a band has six songs and a deadline, and to make the album release there is a lot of AI on the last three songs.  "See what the generator spits out, and worst case, I'll throw a guitar solo on the end."  and that's what you get.

[HOF]

One of the more interesting applications of AI that I could see being adopted similar to auto-tune:

Here is an AI generated Peter Gabriel covering Phil Collins' Against All Odds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3PNDAcWEzk

And here's one of Phil Collins singing Solsbury Hill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bo-XYhUADk

Now these don't sound all that great yet, but what I imagine they are doing is training an AI with how one voice sounds, and then altering another vocal track to make it sound like the other singer.

Let's say you have an older singer who's having a hard time hitting the higher notes he used sing, or who's voice has just sort of settled to where it has a different character than it used to. What I could see is a singer maybe training an AI on how his voice used to sound, and then applying that correction to his current vocal tracks to give them more of the quality of their younger voice.

[hefdaddy42]

AI in music is a great development and I'm very interested to see where it goes...

Figures

[PMSummer]

Thinking back to the early days of computer-generated music, remember how some folks were skeptical? Now it's a standard part of popular music. Wonder if AI in music will follow a similar trajectory.

[Zantera]

Thinking back to the early days of computer-generated music, remember how some folks were skeptical? Now it's a standard part of popular music. Wonder if AI in music will follow a similar trajectory.

I have more faith in AI writing a good song than Taylor Swift

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

AI in art is not really art but sure. I think SW was doing it somewhat tongue in cheek but i agree with Stadler that there is gonna be a point in the future where bands are using AI to finish albums. sad

[jammindude]

If ChatGPT just gives you a good idea, and you take it and alter it until it becomes your own, how is that different from your cowriter giving you an idea that you twist and turn and alter until it becomes your own?

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

because a cowriter is a human lol

if you've ever watched a band or someone play along to a drum machine i feel like that is a fair analogy here. it's obviously "good" because it's keeping time impeccably, but there is always something that feels missing, inhuman, soulless.

i get the same vibe from the SW song. those words are not his, just because the mood and style is copied decently doesn't make it more believable

[jammindude]

because a cowriter is a human lol

if you've ever watched a band or someone play along to a drum machine i feel like that is a fair analogy here. it's obviously "good" because it's keeping time impeccably, but there is always something that feels missing, inhuman, soulless.

i get the same vibe from the SW song. those words are not his, just because the mood and style is copied decently doesn't make it more believable

Yes, but that’s only where the idea came from. You’re creating an inaccurate scenario where SW just says, “write a Xmas song in the style of SW” and then releases exactly what comes out the other end. That’s not what happened.

Another example:

I’m at work and I have to write a letter to a difficult customer.  So I give ChatGPT the details of the scenario and say I need a professional letter to the customer.  ChatGPT gives me a sample that I ask it to alter slightly. Then after 3 or 4 tries (with guidance from my personal creativity) I get the basic structure that I’m happy with. But even then, I change the way X sentence is structured because it sounds too stiff and I want something more like me. Then I reword Y sentence because it doesn’t quite accurately convey the seriousness of the situation. Then I change the order that some of the thoughts come in.

By the time I finish, I have taken the half-formed lump of clay that AI gave me and turned it into something that is uniquely my own. Then I sign it.

That is now MY letter. And CEOs have been doing this with secretaries for a century.

COULD AI be abused to the point where the person is no longer actually creating? Sure. But I repeat “…it’s really just a question of your honesty…” Neil Peart had it right all along and this is no different. A person who is actually creative won’t be satisfied with letting AI do it for them.  They will get ideas that will spark a genesis of their own creativity.

[nobloodyname]

That's exactly where I'm at with it, too, JD.

And I'd add that I find it all tremendously exciting. But as with all things technological, I lament the fact that I won't see what happens after I die... or - PLOT TWIST - will I?

[HOF]

Homer Simpson sings Iris by Goo Goo Dolls.

https://x.com/mia11112233/status/1741019715986928068?s=20

[XJDenton]

AI could be an ethical and powerful tool, but currently it isn't.