Special Report: AI and Music

This special report explores some of the most exciting and perhaps controversial advancements in AI and music.

As a reminder, the name of this newsletter is Helping Our Music Industry Evolve.

My intention is to help you leverage these advancements. I want to make sure that the Homies don’t get left behind, and instead are leading the charge into the future of music creation 🚀

Suno AI: Major Fundraising News

AI music generation platform, Suno, just announced that it raised a staggering $125 million investment!

According to Cherie Hu of Water and Music, Suno's $125M round is:

• the 11th biggest music-tech funding round of all time

• the biggest music-tech round since March 2021

• the biggest round so far in music/audio AI (runner-up is ElevenLabs at $80M)

Suno's vision is clear: make music creation accessible to everyone.

Suno allows you to generate music through simple prompts, kind of like ChatGPT. Describe the style, mood, instruments, lyrical content, and any other musical parameters, and Suno generates original compositions based off of your prompt.

This platform drastically lowers the barriers for newbies to start making music, but it also enables more experienced creators (like YOU) to experiment with composing new and different types of music.

I predict that such platforms will enable wildly creative and innovative approaches to music style and genre.

When you no longer have to use your creative energy on the basics, it opens up that capacity to focus on new possibilities!

Why Suno AI Matters to You

Accessibility: Suno's platform empowers you to explore your musical potential even if you lack formal training or resources to create within a certain genre.

You’re a guitar player but you want to write to a piano composition? No problem!

You’re a classically trained pianist, but you want to make EDM? Have at it!

In all honesty, as someone who has spent thousands of hours learning to play 5 different instruments, it does sting a bit that this advancement in technology lowers the incentive to really learn an instrument.

However, as more people try their hand at creating, and less humans are actually proficient at real instruments, perhaps it will raise the premium on real instrumentation.

Perhaps that human expression and natural dynamic will become sought after and more highly valued.

Who knows?

Potential for New Talent: AI democratization could uncover hidden talents within you and foster your growth as an artist.

Imagine being able to experiment with different genres, styles, and instruments without the need for expensive equipment or extensive training. Imagine being able to hear your song expressed in endless sonic variations.

Imagine being able to capitalize off of all of those variations as new master recordings!

Industry Disruption: Traditional music production could see significant changes, with AI-generated music finding its way into various media like films, commercials, and video games.

I do know that a lot of people in the sync world are fighting to keep AI generated music out of that industry.

• But how long can the resistance last when the obvious fact is that the supervisors could save a ton of money on sync fees?

• Or perhaps it plays out so that the sync reps and music libraries start introducing AI generated music?

• Or eventually AI could take over the music supervision/sync process entirely by generating a custom music bed to go along with every picture.

All bets are off. But remember: with every major disruption comes unprecedented opportunities.

Let’s stay vigilant and be prepared for those opportunities to emerge!

To learn more about Suno and hear some of the music people are creating, visit https://www.suno.ai

Udio: Speed and Control for Modern Musicians

As Suno makes headlines, a new contender, Udio, has emerged with a $10 million seed funding round.

Udio aims to simplify song production for musicians and creators, emphasizing user control and rapid turnaround times.

Udio's technology promises a fully mastered track within 40 seconds based on your input, providing a powerful tool for you to generate backing tracks or experiment with new ideas quickly.

Udio's Potential Impact on You

Efficiency for Producers: Udio streamlines your creative process, saving valuable time. Instead of spending hours on production, you can focus on refining the artistic vision and experimenting with new sounds.

Better Results with More Control: Udio claims to give you more control over the creative process compared to prompt-based systems.

Udio's interface allows you to tweak and refine every aspect of your track, ensuring that the final product turns out the way that you want it to.

To learn more about Udio and hear some of the music people are creating, visit https://www.udio.com/

What’s Next for Music Creators?

The advancements by platforms like Suno and Udio are causing massive changes across the music industry. Here are some key implications:

Evolving Role of Musicians: AI can handle basic composition tasks, allowing you to focus on lyrics, vocals, and performance, potentially leading to richer and more complex musical pieces.

This evolution enables you to push creative boundaries and explore new artistic directions.

There’s no shame in the game… remember the notorious interview with Anderson Cooper and Rick Rubin last year:

Watch the video below for a clip of the interview and to learn more about Rick Rubin (widely considered one of the greatest music producers of all time).

The point is this:

You don’t have to understand how it all works in order to make music that people love. You can get compensated according to your taste… well as soon as they figure out all of the copyright stuff 🙃 

Copyright Issues: The ownership and copyright of AI-generated music remain a very fuzzy gray area and will require new legal frameworks, impacting how you protect your work. As AI-generated music becomes more prevalent, it's crucial to stay informed about these developments and understand how they affect your rights as a creator.

Moral and Ethical Concerns: One of the biggest objections to these generative AI models is that they are trained on copyrighted data. They are trained on music that others have worked so hard to create. But in reality, the same could be said for every human artist. They are influenced by the art that they perceive as beautiful and meaningful.

Supposedly, Picasso used the following saying:

In other words, when you have studied an artist so much that you fully understand their style and become proficient in their technique, you theoretically become able to surpass what they did.

You steal their contribution to create your own.

I know this is controversial. What are your thoughts?

Respond to this email and let me know!

Renaissance of Music Creation: AI tools make music creation accessible to a broader audience, potentially leading to a more diverse and innovative music scene.

The love of music is universal.

Let’s believe that these tech advancements make the world a more musical place and raise the perceived value of music in our lives!

Another One to Keep an Eye On: Voice Cloning with ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs offers advanced AI voice cloning technology, allowing you to generate synthetic speech and singing from a voice sample.

This technology can replicate your voice or any other voice you choose, creating endless possibilities for vocal production.

How ElevenLabs Can Benefit You

Creative Flexibility: With ElevenLabs, you can experiment with different vocal styles and performances without the need for multiple takes. Simply input your lyrics and desired vocal style, and the AI generates a (supposedly) high-quality vocal track.

Efficiency in Production: This technology streamlines the vocal recording process, saving you time and resources. Devote that time and those resources to innovation and experimentation in your music creation.

Raise your personal bar, and set your creativity free!

Personalization: You can clone your voice and use it across multiple projects, maintaining a consistent sound and identity. This could open up all kinds of possibilities and multiply your potential output as an artist.

To learn more and hear the voices that the platform is making, visit https://www.elevenlabs.io

Final Thoughts

The fundraising success of Suno and the emergence of its competitor Udio signal a new era in music creation.

While the full impact remains to be seen, AI is absolutely reshaping the industry.

This creates both challenges and new opportunities for you as a musician, songwriter, producer, and music lover.

The landscape of AI-powered music creation is constantly evolving, and as the technology continues to develop, we can expect even more innovative tools and platforms to emerge, transforming the way you make and experience music.

But don’t live in fear of the unknown.

Leveraging these AI tools can dramatically increase productivity, inspire creativity, and open up new avenues for collaboration. I encourage you to embrace these advancements to unlock the potential they hold for your creative journey.

The future of music is here, and it's not slowing down.