Recent Report on AI Music
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thereport ISSUE 425 | 25 NOVEMBER 2019 AIs on the prize What will AI-generated music and machine-learning tools for creators really mean for our industry? 1 ISSUE 425 25.11.19 AI REPORT ive years ago, music:)ally encountered “There is a growing realisation that our first startup creating music with one: this is inevitable. Two: that this can artificial-intelligence (AI) technology, be used positively. And three: that if this is when British firm Jukedeck won a inevitable, and if it can be used positively, Fpitch contest at the Le Web conference in then there’s almost an onus on potential Paris. partners to lean in and get involved, so that Drawing on decades of academic they have a seat at the table, and influence research into both machine-intelligence on where this goes,” says Drew Silverstein, and musicology, the company’s aims were CEO of Amper Music. initially modest: to help people create music “If I were a larger business focused on for use in YouTube videos and other digital- content creation – musical or non-musical media projects. – I would have at the top of my priority list Since then, Jukedeck has been joined ‘How do we engage with AI music?’ You can by a host of other startups exploring the partner, build, buy or do nothing. But the role that AI might play in music creation, worst thing you can do is to do nothing.” from fully ‘AI-created’ music to tools for One important point, before you read this human artists driven by machine-learning report: music-creation is just one aspect of and neural networks. Bigger technology how artificial-intelligence technology can be companies like Google, OpenAI and even used by the music industry. Facebook have also published research Machine-learning, for example, is and tools. well established as a tech that can Any kind of automation in music-making power better, more personalised music has historically been controversial. Past recommendations. Meanwhile startups like arguments about whether synthesizers or Musiio and FeedForward are deploying it for drum machines would put human musicians the purposes of analysing and tagging big out of work (or whether tracks using these catalogues of music, to solve the problem of tools even counted as ‘proper’ music) reflect AIs on the prize un-futureproofed metadata. current sensitivities around AI. What will AI-generated music and machine-learning music:)ally will continue to cover these Yet in 2019, music:)ally has spotted and other uses for AI technologies within our some constructive engagement with these tools for creators really mean for our industry? industry, but for this report, we’re isolating technologies. Artists like Holly Herndon the music creation part of the puzzle. and Yacht have talked about how they used robots somehow replacing us,” says Lydia from industry-backed accelerators and “Like all new things, people AI as a creative collaborator on their latest Gregory, CEO of FeedForward AI, and incubators (Techstars Music and Abbey overestimate its impact in the short term, albums – finally providing evidence for the previously head of growth at Jukedeck. Road Red in particular). and underestimate its impact in the long ‘AI won’t replace artists, it’ll be a creative “But in the generative-music space, artists “I would be surprised if there are term,” says Stephen Phillips, CEO of tool for them’ theory that the startups have are working with it, exploring how we can any executives at any significant music startup Popgun. always expounded. work with this technology to do new things, companies that are not aware of what’s This report is our attempt to address “There’s this connotation of ‘robots rather than just focusing on the existential, happening in this space. And I think there’s an some of those imbalances and spark more- report making music’, with the stock images – nihilistic questions.” effort, in some cases, to turn that awareness constructive discussions about what this there’s one of a robot playing a trumpet! The industry is leaning in, too, nudged into action,” says Alex Mitchell, CEO of one of technology is capable of, by focusing in on They play in to these deep-rooted fears of by the engagement with AI startups the newest startups in this field, Boomy. eight talking points. :) the 2 ISSUE 425 25.11.19 AI REPORT the BPI, Jukedeck’s CEO reveals that Amper Music – whose product is similar to its software has already been used to Jukedeck’s – raises $4m of funding from a The timeline of compose more than 500,000 tracks. group of VC firms. Jan 2017 Apr 2017 A veteran of generative music, Brian Eno, British startup AI Music joins the Abbey Road releases his new album ‘Reflection’ as an Red accelerator in London. Its technology app that “creates an endless and endlessly uses AI not to create original music, but to modern AI music changing version”. ‘shapeshift’ existing songs. e say ‘modern’ deliberately: May 2017 the theoretical work behind Google shows off another new project: AI-created music and NSynth. It’s a ‘neural synthesizer’ capable music-making tools goes of creating new sounds and instruments for Wback decades, while Brian Eno coined musicians to play with. the related term ‘generative’ music in the 1990s, when he was making it, not just Jun 2017 talking about the idea of it. Australian startup Popgun comes out of Still, the recent history of AI music and stealth mode in a music:)ally interview its engagement with the music industry revealing its Alice AI, which like Google’s A.I. kicks off five years ago, and a music:)ally Duet can play piano with humans. bulletin story about the latest intriguing- sounding music-tech startup... Jul 2017 It emerges that the head of Sony CSL in Dec 2014 Paris (of ‘Daddy’s Car’ fame), Francois British startup Jukedeck wins the startup Jukedeck Pachet, has quietly joined Spotify to focus on contest at the high-profile Le Web ‘creator tools’. conference in Paris, although its service is still in ‘early-access’ mode. Sep 2016 Feb 2017 Aug 2017 Sony’s Computer Science Laboratories Google shows off a project called A.I. Duet, Musician Taryn Southern reveals an album Dec 2015 (CSL) in Paris unveils two songs – Daddy’s which gets people playing piano duets with called ‘I AM AI’ for which she used several Jukedeck officially launches, having raised Car and Mr Shadow – created by a an AI. It’s part of the tech giant’s Magenta different AI-music tools to create the seeds $2.6m of funding. People can use its collaboration of AI and humans. initiative. for songs. software to make five tracks a month for free before they have to pay. Oct 2016 Feb 2017 Feb 2018 A Twitter bot called LnH AI makes headlines AI-music startups Amper Music and Popgun music:)ally spots a new AI-music startup, Sep 2016 in the tech press by composing metal, blues are among the participants in the first Mubert, which has launched a mood- Google’s DeepMind AI subsidiary reveals or jazz songs on demand for people who Techstars Music accelerator, along with music iOS app based on an algorithm that that it’s been working on a technology called tweet it requests. adaptive-music firm Weav. “composes infinite music that never stops”. report WaveNet, with capabilities including music creation. Nov 2016 Mar 2017 Feb 2018 At an event hosted by music:)ally and Hot on the heels of its Techstars news, Jukedeck collaborates with Korean music the 3 ISSUE 425 25.11.19 AI REPORT company Enterarts on some tracks and a Sep 2018 with Amadeus Code: a tool to write songs for Feb 2019 live concert, which sees K-Pop songwriters Amazon’s startups investment program, musicians and non-musicians alike. AI Music (the company) releases its first and producers using its technology. Alexa Accelerator, adds startup Endel, which consumer app, Ossia, which shows off creates “personalised sound environments Jan 2019 how its technology works by creating new Feb 2018 to help you focus and relax”. We find out what Amper Music meant remixes of songs on the fly for listeners. Popgun announces a seed-round of funding by ‘enterprise’ – it strikes a deal for from Silicon Valley VC firm Khosla Ventures, Nov 2018 Tencent Music to deploy its B2B AI-music Mar 2019 as well as Techstars Ventures, promising to Popgun reveals that its tech has progressed composition technology for users of its QQ Another new startup, Boomy, opens up its “create awesome original pop songs”. a lot: it can now play guitar, bass and piano Music service. private beta. It’s a tool for people to have “and each one of those AIs can listen to one original music created for them, by inputting Mar 2018 another and play together” Feb 2019 certain parameters. Amper Music announces another $4m Abbey Road Red adds another AI-music funding round, led by Horizons Ventures – Nov 2018 startup, LifeScore, whose co-founder and Mar 2019 whose previous investments include Spotify German startup Melodrive launches the CTO is Tom Gruber – previously co-founder Google reveals its latest AI-music project: an and DeepMind. beta version of its AI-generating music of the startup that created Apple’s Siri voice AI-powered ‘doodle’ for its search homepage engine for games developers, capable assistant. celebrating Johann Sebastian Bach. Mar 2018 of creating music in real-time to match Japanese startup Amadeus Code launches gameplay. Feb 2019 Mar 2019 an ‘AI songwriting assistant’ app that’s Startup Ecrett Music launches its service Endel makes headlines for becoming the designed to create seeds of songs for Jan 2019 for video creators, using AI to create first AI ‘signed to a label deal’ – although songwriters, or just nudge them out of Startup WaveAI launches a mobile app background-music tracks – the same model that’s quickly rowed back on, since the writer’s block.