· By Will Harken
Will Creative Jobs in the Music Industry Survive AI? š¤
Letās be realāAI is shaking things up in the music scene. But hereās the kicker: thereās still a spot for human creativity. Sure, making a living might be tougher now, but hopefully, artists will eventually earn when their work gets a spotlight in new content.
Even if that doesnāt come to pass, creative souls should hang in there. Hereās the scoop...
Outline
- The Current State of Music
- Humans vs AI in Creativity
- The Role of Hallucination
- Future Vision: AI and Human Coexistence
The Current State of Music
Surprise, surpriseāmost popular music these days isnāt exactly groundbreaking.
Music Is Pretty Much on Repeat
Letās face itāthereās little motivation to be truly creative.
āCreativeā here means doing something fresh, not the same olā stuff weāve heard a million times.
Itās a labor of love, and often, people wonāt invest in your experimental creations.
Why? Because most folks want to hear whatās familiar.
If youāre in it for popularity and cash, youāll probably just grab a trap template and have someone mumble catchy lines over it.
Even better? Just remix something.
People crave the same thing over and over. Think about those dads who say, "Music hasnāt been the same since the Beatles." In their minds, "If it doesnāt sound like the Beatles, why bother?"
AĀ New Hope
Maybe AI will help folks appreciate original work.
AI could open eyes to the beauty of unique and experimental sounds.
But for now, everyone seems to want covers and rehashed hits.
šš My main gig is the lyric swap. Itās proof that many prefer tweaking a popular tune rather than diving into something brand new.
Itās just how it is.
Humans vs AI in Creativity
Now, letās ponder the human brain. Itās wild and often random. AI music from tools like Suno and Udio might sound slick, but is it really creative? Probably not.
Why? Because computers follow a set path. You might not see the steps the AI took to generate music, but itās all tied to a seed value that churns out similar results every time. š¤
This is not the way people create.
Humans have moods, dreams, and unpredictable thoughtsāsomething AI hasnāt quite figured out yet.
Creativity & Hallucination
AI canāt experience substances. Yet, āhallucinationā refers to the weird outputs that sometimes pop up in AI work.
From IBM:
AI hallucination is when a large language model (LLM) perceives patterns or objects that don't exist, creating nonsensical or inaccurate outputs.
AI pros want to eliminate those oddities because the results can feel useless. But remember, many creative human ideas can seem unusable at first, too.
The hard part isnāt dreaming up ideas; itās refining them into something the world wants. In music, mixing and producing can strip away the original magic that artists put in.
What your brain looks like on LSD according to Midjourney
The Role of Hallucination
Speaking of hallucinogens, do they fuel creativity? Quick answer: Yes, but theyāre not essential.
Before anyone gets mad, thereās solid research pointing to how psilocybin (magic mushrooms) can improve mental well-being.
One of the funniest comments I saw on a Reddit music production thread went like this:
A person asked: āIf I had $5k to kickstart my music career, what should I buy?ā
Top response: ā$5k in LSD and a bunch of pirated software.ā
Sure, substances can help clear mental blocks, but too much can just have you binge-watching Netflix while time slips away... or worse.
So, tread carefully.
Hereās your friendly reminder: "Always follow local laws when it comes to substances. And check in with the right people before diving into anything creative."
Using substances for creativity can be hit or miss. But experimenting and pushing your limits? Thatās the heart of being an artist.
Check this page if youād rather leave the heavy lifting of creativity to someone else.
Future Vision: AI and Human Coexistence
AI will eventually produce unique tunes and even craft new genres. But it will always be limited to what algorithms define as popular.
You'll find plenty of background music for workouts, tutorials, or gaming that doesnāt need much creativity.
Sure, some listeners may resist this shift, but theyāll likely be in the minority for a while.
Niche communities dedicated to pure, raw music without AI will probably pop up. And those groups might just support original artists financially.
Itās Usually About The Money
Most artists who moan about AI are worried about their wallets.
FACT: True artistry is a tough roadāAI or not.
For many, being an artist means juggling innovation with what the audience actually wants.
Ultimately, itās up to the artist to decide their path and the tools they want to wield!
For now, AI will be just another tool in the shed, maybe even forever.
AI might put creatives out of a job here and there, but diving deep into art always has its rewards. Itās a journey worth taking.