Google has recently published research on MusicLM, a system that creates music in any genre with a text description. This is not the first AI music generator, however, MusicLM’s model and vast training database (280,000 hours of music) help it produce music with surprising variety and depth.
Google’s MusicLM: A Revolutionary AI Music Generator
Capabilities
The AI can combine genres and instruments and write tracks using abstract concepts that are normally difficult for computers to grasp. If you want a hybrid of dance music and reggaeton with a “spacey, otherworldly” tune that evokes a “sense of wonder and awe,” MusicLM can make it happen.
The technology can even craft melodies based on humming, whistling, or the description of a painting. A story mode can stitch several reports together to produce a DJ set or soundtrack.
Limitations
MusicLM has its problems, as with many AI generators. Some compositions sound strange, and vocals tend to be incomprehensible.
And while the performances themselves are better than you’d expect, they can be repetitive in ways human works might not. Don’t expect an EDM-style drop or the verse-chorus-verse pattern of a typical song.
Availability
Just don’t plan on using the tech any time soon. As with other Google AI generators, the researchers aren’t releasing MusicLM to the public over copyright concerns. Roughly one percent of the music produced at the time of publication was copied directly from the training songs.
Licensing
While questions regarding licensing for AI music haven’t been settled, a 2021 whitepaper from Eric Sunray (now working for the Music Publishers Association) suggested that there are enough “coherent” traces of the original sounds that AI music can violate reproduction rights.
You may have to get clearance to release AI-created songs, much like musicians who rely on samples.
Future of AI in Music
AI already has a place in music. Artists like Holly Herndon and Arca have used algorithms to produce albums and museum soundtracks.
However, those are either collaborative (as with Herndon) or intentionally unpredictable (like Arca’s). MusicLM may not be ready for prime time, but it hints at a future where AI could play a more significant role in the studio.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Google’s MusicLM is a revolutionary AI music composition technology that can create music in any genre from a text description. This technology utilizes a vast training database of 280,000 hours of music to produce music with surprising variety and depth.
However, the technology is not yet available for public use due to copyright concerns and the need for clearances to release AI-created songs. Despite this, MusicLM hints at a future where AI could play a larger role in the music industry.
