w TRENDS technology
HOW IS
back to CONTENTS
AI
WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS
REVOLUTIONISING
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? A rtificial Intelligence (AI) is an important part of our daily lives, with approximately 91 per cent of leading businesses having ongoing investment in this technology. AI can improve work productivity, create more jobs than it destroys, and boost human safety (for instance, in the realm of selfdriving cars). AI is also being used in the creative arts – including architecture, science, the fine arts, and music. Such is its importance in this realm that Ramón López de Mántaras of the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute in Bellaterra, says, “Rather than just seeing the computer as a tool to help human creators, we could see it as a creative entity in its
124 / MAY 2022 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE
own right.” For Bellaterra and many others, the concept of ‘computational creativity’ indicates that a creative idea does not have to arise from ‘inspiration’ or ‘intuition’. There is no reason why a creative work cannot arise from a scientific procedure. Let’s take a look at just a few ways AI is making musical composition and enjoyment more accessible, fun, and practical.
COMPOSING MUSIC WITH AIVA When it comes to AI-based music composition, one of the top applications is AIVA, which allows you to choose a predefined style (for instance, Old School Rap, Jazz, or Fantasy) or upload inspirations in MIDI
or MP3 formats for use as the basis of a new musical composition. Creators usually start by choosing a style then customising their tracks, clicking on their chosen duration, pacing, instrumentation, and more. The Instrumentation button alone is one that merits serious experimentation. For instance, if you choose the Modern Cinematic style, the range of instrumentation offered is wide. It includes Epic Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, String Ensemble, Piano & Strings, and many more options. You then press ‘Create Track’ to generate a composition, and add the result to your tracks list. The app also allows you to file your different compositions in an organised fashion.
