#16: Humans as Curators of Artificial Creativity, Gaming Industry Lessons, Bandcamp $uccess, YouTube is the New Google+
Greetings from Berlin everyone!
I’m hacking away at blockchain concepts for the music business at Music Tech Fest this week. I hope to share some things through my Instagram and Twitter accounts during the week, as well as in next week’s mailing.
I’m conducting a poll to hear more from you about what topics I should cover… Since new tech took the lead, this week’s article looks at how AI will make musicians will shift from the role of creator to curator. Enjoy!
Love,
Bas
Humans as curators of artificial creativity: the implications of algorithm guided music creation
Developments in machine learning and AI will make it possible for bedroom producers to use algorithms to guide music creation. Not 10 years from now, but in the next 2 or 3 years - at the most.
We’re slowly going to shift from a remix culture of sampling, to a more generative culture. Instead of sampling that perfect bassline, and risking a takedown, you can have AI generate one with the click of a button and have something decent.
To many, this sounds like a terrible prospect. One argument is that music with less human input is ‘worse’. I think it depends on the application of technology and how you look at music.
Music as a means to communicate ideas
Most bedroom producers’ music will not be heard by more than a few thousand people. They engage in online communities where music is created and spread like memes. Their music exists to communicate ideas. Sampling and remixing are tolerated practices, because they are legitimate means of reinterpreting someone else’s idea and taking it in a different direction. Algorithms will speed up the creation process and the communication of ideas. Humans will increasingly become curators of the AI’s output. The curator will take the ‘artificial creative output’, filter, and remix it.
It further democratizes music creation for people who don’t know how to ‘make music’. For example, communicating remix ideas: “this song would work really well as dubstep” no longer has to be limited to the imagination. You can go home (or just grab your mobile device), generate a bunch of remixes until something good comes out, and send it to your friend.
Participative culture paradox
Through advanced music creation algorithms, like the dubstep example above, it will be easier for more people to participate in our culture. Instead of being a listener, people will be able to touch and taste the creative process, at least as a type of curator or director.
While AI could put some people in the music creation process out of work, it can ultimately make music more inclusive, involving more people in a participative way.
Examples
Reflexive Looper: interactive AI assisted music jamming
Ditty: a ‘text to song’ engine + messenger for iOS & Android
MusicMixer: a computer-aided DJ system
#NeuralBeats: generative techno with recurrent neural networks
Many more examples over at CreativeAI. (Thanks for the tip, Jelle - who’s about to launch a great newsletter on UI programming)
Gaming industry lessons for the music biz #1: Season Pass subscriptions
If you want to know the future of music, look at the gaming business. They got into the same mess at the same time, but have found incredible ways to deal with today’s networked reality. I’ll be exploring successful concepts from the gaming industry and explaining how they can be applied to music. Starting off with the Season Pass.
Applying the Season Pass to the music business (click image for article)
Top stories this week
Bandcamp grew by 35% last year: fans pay artists $4.3 million dollars every month using the site, and they buy about 25,000 records a day >>>
Universal Music makes nearly $4 million a day in streaming revenue >>>
The problematic past and promising future of how we hear sound on the internet >>>
Music, technology & the future: the carousel of modern culture >>>
Forget Google+: YouTube is Google’s social medium >>>
7 dead ‘90s music formats >>>
The digital apocalypse: how the games industry is rising again >>>
How Viacom Lab intends to rethink fan engagement and experiences >>>
Thanks for reading!
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Love,
Bas
@basgras - linkedin - musicxtechxfuture.com
Regular insights about the future of music, media & tech. Written & composed by @basgras.
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