AI and Music-Making Part 1: The State of Play

Dec 18, 2023 ·

AI and music making have seen a surge in interest in recent years. While the technology is still in its infancy, it has already been used to create everything from pop songs to jazz improvisations. AI-generated music can range from simple melodies to complex arrangements that involve computers understanding the creative process better than humans.

The current state of AI and music making lies somewhere between the two extremes of automation and creativity. Automation refers to algorithms that are capable of automatically generating music and AI models that are capable of recognizing patterns in existing music. These algorithms can be trained on large datasets and used to generate new music based on existing compositions or extract unique sounds from existing audio recordings.

Creativity on the other hand involves using machine learning algorithms to recognize patterns in musical data and then use these patterns to generate new music. For example, an AI model could be trained to recognize the structure of a certain jazz solo and then generate a different one based on the same musical structure.

There are many applications for AI and music making. For instance, AI models can be used to generate personalized music playlists, generate soundtracks for movies or games, or generate sound effects for virtual reality environments. AI-based tools can also help musicians improve their compositions by providing feedback on pitch accuracy, timing, and harmony.

Overall, AI and music making are still at the beginning stages of development. Yet, the technology is advancing rapidly and is expected to continue to grow in the near future. As the technology improves, more complex musical structures can be generated and more personalized experiences can be created. With continued research and development, the possibilities for AI and music making are endless.