In 1999, we didnt think computers could compute into the 2000's. Now? Computers are generating music based off the most popular bands you know and love.
Creating music can be very challenging, so much time and planning goes into your favorites artists songs. From the late night riffs, to the endless re-writing to get the lyrical feels just right. So why is it that we have allowed ourselves as a collective whole to let Ai bands get the attention they want? Well, let me explain.
When you hear your favorite song come on the radio, spotify or wherever you hear music, you're having a neurological response. When we hear music, our entire brain responds. The Limbic System in the Temporal Lobe reacts the most and when we have an emotional response, that is the Amygdala & Nucleus Accumbens working in overtime to give us pain or pleasure (sometimes both).
So why do we care about the science behind it?
The songs we hear coming from Ai generated bands have bits and pieces of your favorite bands tied into them. Bands like Bad Omens, Dayseeker, Jutes & Sleep Token have a certain appeal to them and if you've been catching my drift, its an emotional appeal. Whether its a breakup, a death or even just that you miss a feeling, these bands are writing and composing music that is directly feeding off of those emotions.
Photo Credit: Bryan Kirks
You may be asking yourself why they do it and the answer is simple - they're human beings that write about their expeirences. Unlike their cheap immitators, these bands have lived lives beyond the curtains of fame and virtue. They have had real experiences, just like you. The raw power and feel that they can deliver is often real emotion tied to a very real experience that they wrote the song about.
So when you hear an Ai band play through your speakers, that means some asshole is generating music by ripping off every band you love. Don't believe me? Go into ChatGPT and give it your top 5 favorite bands, then tell it to make you a custom song based off of those bands top songs. The result would probably surprise you.
So now we know how these bands can catch our attention and sometimes keep it. But who is to blame for the Ai shit-hole bands? The Opportunists.
Photo Credit: Alex Bemis
The sole purpose of these bands is to make money off of streams and views on social media. Top social media sites like TikTok and instagram will give you money for views / interactions. So making a song that will get people to talk about it, make videos for it and share with all their friends is the goal - thats what gets the money coming. Even top streaming services give these leeches a payday.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has stated that they're not going to ban Ai generated music off of their platform because he views it as "a tool like autotune".
So with the CEO of one of the titans of music streaming saying that basically its a tool and he doesn't care about banning it in its entirety, that leads us to believe that its all about the money. Even Apple Music has allowed Ai Generated music to flourish on its platform. If the two most popular streaming services wont do anything about this issue, who will?
Bandcamp has taken a stand against the use of Ai generated music or bands and while their approach isnt perfect, its miles and miles better than the rest. Read their Ai policy here.
So in a world full of creativity and passion for the arts, don't support artificially created slop - even if it does sound good. Go to a local show and support real artists, real people with real emotions and stories to tell.