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BPI report puts the spotlight on AI in music

By | Published on Thursday 24 November 2016

BPI

Artificial intelligence is set to revolutionise the world and enhance the lives of everyone. Either that or it will render humanity entirely redundant and the species will eventually die out. Though given recent world events, perhaps that’ll be for the best.

But what about all this bloody AI gubbins and the world of music making? That’s what a new report launched last night by record industry trade group BPI, and produced by Music Ally, sets out to explore.

Investigating uses of different kinds of AI technology by established musicians and music companies, and start-ups dabbling in the space, the report considers developments in AI-driven music composition and video creation, the ongoing evolution of machine-driven music recommendation tools, how artists and music firms are employing increasingly sophisticated ‘chat bots’, and how smart voice assistants like Siri and Alexa are set to become “our de facto musical concierges around the home and in the car”.

Launching the report, BPI boss Geoff Taylor said: “Artificial intelligence is no longer the province of science fiction. This fast-emerging technology is beginning to transform how music is created, discovered, shared and enjoyed”.

He went on: “AI is enabling the creation of hyper-personalised playlists using contextual data and deep analysis of the relationship between songs, while artists and labels are now using chatbots to engage fan-bases in campaigns. Algorithms are also beginning to influence the composition of music, as artists embrace the technology to enhance their own creativity. This raises profound questions about the nature of music and humans’ connection to it”.

Bigging up initiatives already being pursued by record companies in this domain, some of which were showcased last night, Taylor concluded: “Music’s DNA is closely entwined with technology and record labels are already exploring how AI can help to bring artists and fans closer together”.

You can download the new report here.

AI will also be under the spotlight at next week’s Music 4.5 event, which will also consider how the music industry is utilising other fast developing technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D audio and content recognition software.

Reps from MelodyVR, BBC, Audio Network, IBM and Sonalytic are among those set to present at the event, tickets for which can be bought here. Premium CMU subscribers will also get an overview of each of those technologies from a music perspective in next week’s CMU Trends.



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