Composing : AI in composing? by Keon Wu

I personally do not agree with the use of AI in music, to generate any part of a song. I do, however, agree with the use of algorithms to take care of menial and repetitive tasks. I reckon the most important part of a piece of music is the human element and the experiences and stories behind it.

I agree with you too, For me, it should never be 100% AI. I personally never use those apps to generate music, I always loved the process of creating from scratch. And like you said - the human element is the most important part of any music.

Apparently Adobe is touting Firefly to gen soundtrack now. I'll throw a few credits at it, take it for a spin and post the results. I'm kinda interested in the results. Taking a WAG, I'd hypothesize it'll gen YouTuber background, beige wallpaper. It might be okay as placeholder material, but I'll eat my socks if it raises an eyebrow. If it's actually good, I'll eat my M. Mus with a side of fries.

I think sometimes AI can be helpful as a way to just check in on something lyrical, however, often it can cause us to be lazy if we're not careful.

Eu acho que as vezes o projeto quando é feito por IA ele fica estranho, e as vezes pobre, pois a IA geralmente tem respostas mas genéricas, e as vezes sem graça, então principalmente na composição de música para filmes musicais ela vai compor músicas que não condiz o que a cena e que a narrativa já vem mostrando, mas quando a IA é usada só para perguntar palavra que rima com outra, ou até só para perguntar se ficou boa, eu não vejo problema, já fiz isso também.

I am totally opposed to employing AI in any of the creative arts--composing music, playwriting, painting, sculpture, literature, photography, etc.--It's only for lazy, illiterate people.

I majorly agree with you, Robert D. Carver ! Listen to the short tracks I posted in this lounge that I generated from prompts using Adobe Firefly's soundtrack AI beta. They pretty much prove your point. But, and there's always a 'but', what I found is that from the spew the AI cranked out, there were little motifs that kind of made me wonder. I guess it's kind of like Jackson Pollock throwing cans of paint at a canvas, and deciding what dribbles inspired him. Or maybe it's just hurling paint and convincing someone to pay for it. Either way, AI, like flinging paint, is a tool, a technique, and maybe a way to find a spark of inspiration. Where it sucks, is when it's used as a crutch, or a cheap way to throw music, or words onto screens just to get the content out there.

João Pimentel I've used my iPad to rough-translate your comment into English. What you say is interesting and worth sharing. I hate to ask, but it would help the Portuguese challenged people here - I am one of them - if you use Google, or Siri, or ChatGPT, or anything, online to post in English. Like it or not, that's the language we're pretty much stuck with in an international forum based in USA.

Here's your comment, and I agree with you, wholeheartedly!

I think that sometimes the project when it is done by AI it gets strange, and sometimes poor, because AI usually has more generic answers, and sometimes dull, so especially in the composition of music for musical films it will compose songs that do not match what the scene and that the narrative has already been showing, but when the AI is used only to ask a word that rhymes with another, or even just to ask if it was good, I see no problem, I've already done that too.

IMO, AI generated music will regrettably become the new normal for the average listener. I relate this to drum machines replacing human drummers, and processed foods replacing whole. As a media composer, I care about the vision of my collaborators, and in a trusted artistic relationship, am prepared to agree and disagree with my partners. I do not believe AI cares about an artistic point of view, especially if it contains contradictory elements. AI will lead the user down a singular rabbit hole, programmed to please.

Nico, I agree wholeheartedly with you!

Morgan, I research the pre-existing music most closely associated with the historical period and location in which my script is set. For example, If the musical takes place in the High Medieval (14th-15th centuries) period, I'd listen to "Douce Dame' Jolie'" composed by Guillame de Machaut, studying how the words sit on the music. Or, alternatively, I'd listen to Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," depending on the general mood of the libretto. This process occurs for my benefit, searching for authenticity before even seeking out a composer with whom to collaborate.

To echo, Robert D. Carver's point, researching pre-existing historical music might well enhance a period script. A trained ear can pair styles beautifully. On the other hand, a historical contrast might also be effective. A recent example that comes to mind is "Peaky Blinders" where more contemporary music vies with the historical script. I would not trust AI to perform these nuanced decisions.

Nico, AI is only a tool and should be used with discretion, if at all. Composers--or songwriters--should rely on their own talent and training.

I definitely second your view.

I would no more trust AI to write lyrics than the man in the moon!