Can AI hit the right notes with music industry?

Published on 19, June, 2024

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in the past year, especially in the creative industries – now, a University of Sunderland academic is bringing musicians together to explore how they could use this technology to positively enhance their practice.

The next chart topper might not have to be composed by a human musician. Using AI, musicians and songwriters are able to generate content in seconds, synthesize sound-alike vocals, separate elements on the same track and much more.

The move has prompted conversations of what role AI can and should play in music and other creative industries.

The potential impact of AI on musicians and listeners was recently discussed at an AI in Music event organised by University of Sunderland Computer Science (Data Science) Lecturer Dr Becky Allen at community music venue Pop Recs in Sunderland.

A number of north-east musicians attended – including two who travelled from Stockton-on-Tees.

Topics included AI-generated music, personalised playlists and the future of music creation.

Dr Allen, whose research focuses on applications of AI within music, said: "The event went really well with lots of in-depth discussion around views of AI in music including how it is currently being used and what the future of AI /human interaction may look like within creative domains.

“Hopefully attendees left with a greater level of AI literacy as we discussed how current generative AI models work and understanding of how they may use this technology for beneficial purposes within their own practice." 

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Dr Allen was joined at the event by fellow Computer Science Lecturer, Dr Ronald Mo.

Before joining the University of Sunderland, Dr Mo worked as a Senior Researcher at Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) and Huawei 2012 Lab. He developed AI-driven Singing Voice Evaluation algorithms and Music Generation systems.

In addition to his research and teaching roles, Dr Mo is also a professional musician and music producer.

Dr Mo said: “It was wonderful to see musicians and music enthusiasts come together for this event. We shared many valuable insights into how AI can influence music production, consumption, and the ethics of music and AI.

“For me, AI makes music creation a lot easier. On the other hand, it also imposes some potential issues, such as copyright infringement, that should be handled carefully. After all, I believe musicians can boost their creativity and efficiency by incorporating AI into their journey of music.”

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