AI TECHNOLOGY COULD CHANGE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS WE KNOW IT
The entertainment industry never seizes to do just that: entertain. The constant breakthrough of new artists mixed with steady innovation through sound and technology make for great fun for fans, artists and executives. The latest trend to step on the scene is AI music. Most people had no idea what AI, also known as "artificial intelligence", technology was before its latest infusion into the music space. But one thing's for sure: the popularity of AI technology is growing faster than anyone could've anticipated. With AI voice generating technology, users are creating their dream musical collabs and covers from superstars like Drake, Rihanna, Kanye West and more. Will this burst of creativity help or hinder the music business, forever?
Remember when Capitol Records signed that AI rapper FN Meka back in 2022? FN Meka was backed by the company Factory New, which described itself as a “first of its kind, next-generation music company, specializing in virtual beings.” The industry was distributed and disturbed at the idea that a machine, was in fact, inking a real record deal. Though voiced by a human, FN Meka and his music — “lyrical content, chords, melody, tempo, sounds” — was derived in part from artificial intelligence, the industry publication Music Business Worldwide reported last year. After the activist nonprofit known as Industry Blackout, which formed in 2020 to pursue equity in the music business, had called for a public apology, Capitol Records agreed to drop FN Meka as an artist. The record company apologized to “the Black community” for insensitivity in promoting an AI-backed artist that critics said was “appropriative” and included “slurs infused in lyrics.” But it seems that Capitol Records was ahead of its time as now AI and music is slowly creeping its way into the industry. What started off as jokes, memes and social media "what ifs" could actually become the future of the music business.
Through AI technology fans have been able to hear what Kanye West would sound like if he made "Rich Flex", if Kendrick Lamar made "Touch the Sky", if Rihanna covered "Controlla and so much more. Label executives including EVP of Columbia Records Bu
Thiam said that "we should embrace the new technology" as TMZ caught up with him recently. "The game is changing and we're going into a new phase in music in general. A lot of things are happening, it's new and it can be scary at times but some things are uncontrollable," Thiam says. Bu, who is also Kanye West manager also went on on to say, "Swizz (Beats) sent me some the other day, and they sound just like the artists, some of them, they sound better than the artists." Underground artists are worried labels will slow down on signing new artists and just beginning pumping money into this AI machines. Others are capitalizing on how easy it is to create their "dream feature" using AI voice generating programs to replicate and collab with digital Jay-Z, Drake and even Ice Spice!
AI technology isn't just impacting the music industry. Everything from labor services and policing to food delivery, customer service and art are all experiencing a shift in their systems. While some believe that the use of AI could create a more efficent world, many worry that the us of such technology could replace the need for people. This could impact jobs, socialization and in this case, creativity. Artificial intelligence is only getting better day by day and soon it may be hard to distinguish any artist's vocals from real or fake. We'll have to wait to see if mainstream artists and record labels will promote the use of AI or if this is just another craze in entertainment.
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