A.I. Sampling and how the Music Industry will change forever

Nobody & The Computer
6 Sept 202319:54

TLDRThe script introduces a futuristic party scene where music is created by artificial intelligence, highlighting the evolution of music from concrete music to digital sampling. It explores the use of A.I. tools like AudioGen by Meta, SUNO's Chirp model, and Google's MusicLM to generate unique beats and vocals, creating a new form of music that is both experimental and high-quality, accompanied by A.I.-generated visuals.

Takeaways

  • 🎶 Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is being used to create music, moving beyond traditional deejays and musicians.
  • 🤖 The concept of A.I. in music is not entirely new, but recent advancements have made it more accessible and sophisticated.
  • 🎧 Concrete music, or musique concrète, laid the foundation for using recorded sounds to create new compositions, dating back to the mid-twentieth century.
  • 🎹 Instruments like the Mellotron and the Fairlight CMI were early examples of using pre-recorded sounds in music.
  • 🔊 The rise of samplers in the 1980s and 1990s revolutionized music production, allowing for precise looping and transformation of sounds.
  • 🎵 Turntablism, popularized by DJs like Grandmaster Flash, was an early form of sampling that contributed to the development of hip hop.
  • 🚨 Legal issues around copyright and sampling have influenced the way music is produced, with artists needing to be more cautious about using samples.
  • 🌐 Generative A.I. tools, such as AudioGen by Meta and MusicLM by Google, enable the creation of unique sounds and beats without the legal complexities of traditional sampling.
  • 🎤 A.I. can also generate lyrics and vocal tracks, as demonstrated by the use of SUNO's chirp model and voice conversion tools.
  • 📖 The script highlights the potential of A.I. in music for both creative expression and the exploration of new soundscapes.
  • 🎥 A.I. is not limited to audio; it can also generate accompanying visuals, creating a fully immersive multimedia experience.

Q & A

  • What is the main theme of the transcript?

    -The main theme of the transcript is the exploration of artificial intelligence in music creation, highlighting the use of A.I. tools to generate beats, vocals, and overall music composition.

  • What does the term 'concrete music' refer to?

    -Concrete music, or musique concrète, is a type of music composition that utilizes recorded sounds as raw material, manipulating sounds from the real world such as spoken words, musical instruments, and environmental noise.

  • Who is mentioned as a pioneer in the field of concrete music?

    -Pierre Schafer is mentioned as a pioneer in the field of concrete music, known for his experiments with manipulating real-world sounds.

  • What is the significance of the Mellotron in music history?

    -The Mellotron, introduced in the 1960s, was a unique keyboard instrument that used a series of tape strips, each containing a prerecorded instrument sound. When a key was pressed, it triggered the tape playback for that specific sound, allowing it to be played at the intended pitch. Notable bands like the Beatles and King Crimson incorporated the Mellotron into their music.

  • What instrument was pivotal in the 1980s for music sampling?

    -The Fairlight CMI, unveiled in 1979, was the first synthesizer to bring digital sampling to music. Despite its high price and complex operation, it paved the way for the digital music revolution of the 1980s.

  • How does the transcript describe the evolution of music sampling?

    -The transcript describes the evolution of music sampling from the use of concrete music techniques, the introduction of the Mellotron and Fairlight CMI, the rise of samplers like EMU, ESP 1200, and Akai MPC, to the current era of generative A.I. in music creation.

  • What legal issues arose with the widespread use of music sampling?

    -The widespread use of music sampling led to legal issues related to copyright infringement. Artists faced legal challenges for using samples without proper permissions or licensing, leading to a more cautious approach to sampling in mainstream music.

  • What is the role of A.I. in modern music creation?

    -A.I. plays a significant role in modern music creation by generating unique beats, melodies, and vocals. It uses machine learning models to create original music and can even mimic the style of famous artists, offering new possibilities for music production.

  • Which A.I. tools are mentioned in the transcript for creating music?

    -The transcript mentions several A.I. tools for creating music, including AudioGen by Meta for textually guided audio generation, SUNO's chirp model for generating rap verses, Google's MusicLM for creating beats, and MusicGEN for exploring various music styles.

  • How does the transcript illustrate the use of A.I. in music sampling?

    -The transcript illustrates the use of A.I. in music sampling by describing the process of generating sounds, beats, and vocals using various A.I. models. It provides examples of creating a music concrete beat with AudioGen, generating rap lyrics with SUNO, and producing unique beats with MusicLM.

  • What is the significance of the phrase 'prompt digging' in the context of the transcript?

    -The phrase 'prompt digging' is used to describe the process of searching for and selecting specific prompts or descriptions to guide A.I. tools in generating particular types of music or sounds. It's a play on 'record digging,' where musicians and DJs would search for rare vinyl records for samples.

  • How does the transcript suggest A.I. is changing the music landscape?

    -The transcript suggests that A.I. is changing the music landscape by enabling the creation of experimental and high-quality music without the need for traditional instruments or samples. It allows for the exploration of new sounds, the imitation of iconic voices, and the generation of visuals, thus offering a vast array of creative possibilities.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 The Rise of A.I. in Music Production

This paragraph introduces the concept of A.I.-generated music, highlighting the absence of a traditional DJ and the use of artificial intelligence to create and play music. It discusses the excitement and novelty of the crowd as they dance to computer-generated tracks, and the speaker's eagerness to obtain a mixtape from 'Nobody and the Computer.' The paragraph also delves into the history of music, from concrete music and musique concrète to the evolution of samplers and digital music tools, emphasizing the shift from physical to digital sound manipulation.

05:02

🚀 Sampling and Legalities in Music

The second paragraph discusses the legal challenges and copyright issues surrounding music sampling. It touches on the history of sampling, from the use of the Mellotron and the Fairlight CMI to the rise of samplers like the EMU, ESP 1200, and Akai MPC. The paragraph highlights the impact of copyright laws on the sampling culture and the transition from a free-form approach to one that requires permission. It then introduces generative A.I. as a new frontier in music sampling, mentioning tools like AudioGen by Meta for textually guided audio generation and the potential legal grey areas surrounding A.I.-trained music.

10:08

🎧 A.I.-Powered Music Creation and Collaboration

This paragraph showcases the practical application of A.I. in music creation, detailing the process of using A.I. tools to generate beats, vocals, and lyrics. It describes the use of MusicLM by Google for creating loops, the Chirp model by Suno for vocal generation, and the process of combining these elements to produce a unique track. The paragraph also touches on the use of voice conversion A.I. to mimic the voice of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur and the integration of A.I.-generated visuals to enhance the overall experience.

15:25

🌟 A.I. in Diverse Music Styles and Visuals

The final paragraph explores the versatility of A.I. in generating diverse music styles and accompanying visuals. It introduces MusicGEN by META, which allows for the exploration of various music styles through prompt-based audio generation. The paragraph discusses the creation of beats using A.I.-generated samples and the tasking of GPT to produce inventive lyrics. It also mentions the use of A.I. to generate voices of famous artists like Lauryn Hill, MF Doom, and Quasimoto, and the integration of A.I.-generated breakdancing videos. The speaker expresses awe at the quality and creativity of A.I.-generated music and visuals, emphasizing the remarkable era of technological advancements in music production.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, learn, and problem-solve like humans. In the context of the video, A.I. is used to create music and audio content autonomously, without the need for a human deejay, showcasing the advanced capabilities of A.I. in generating complex and creative works.

💡Concrete Music

Concrete music, or musique concrète, is a type of music composition that utilizes recorded sounds as raw material, often manipulating these sounds to create new audio experiences. It is a key concept in the video, as it represents an early form of sound manipulation that has evolved into modern A.I.-generated music.

💡Sampling

Sampling in music is the process of reusing a portion or 'sample' of a sound recording in a new piece of music. It is a fundamental aspect of many genres, especially electronic and hip-hop music. The video highlights the evolution of sampling from physical manipulation of sounds to digital and now A.I.-based methods.

💡Turntablism

Turntablism is the art of using the turntable as a musical instrument, manipulating vinyl records to create sounds, beats, and rhythms. This technique played a crucial role in the development of hip-hop and electronic music. In the video, turntablism is mentioned as a precursor to modern sampling and A.I. music creation.

💡Digital Sampling

Digital sampling involves the recording of sounds or music, typically in a digital format, which can then be manipulated, looped, or layered to create new sounds or music tracks. The video discusses the evolution of digital sampling from early keyboard instruments like the Mellotron to advanced A.I. tools that can generate music autonomously.

💡MusicLM

MusicLM, presumably a tool or model mentioned in the script, is likely a generative A.I. model that specializes in creating music and audio content. It represents the cutting-edge of A.I. in music, capable of producing intricate and stylistically diverse beats and melodies.

💡SUNO

SUNO appears to be a platform or tool in the video that specializes in generating music, particularly rap lyrics and vocal tracks, using A.I. It exemplifies the current trend of leveraging A.I. to assist in creative processes, such as writing lyrics or producing beats.

💡Meta

In the context of the video, 'Meta' likely refers to a company or platform that provides A.I. tools for audio generation, such as AudioGen and MusicGEN. These tools enable users to create music and sounds based on textual descriptions or prompts, showcasing the versatility of A.I. in content creation.

💡Generative A.I.

Generative A.I. refers to artificial intelligence systems that can create new content, such as music, art, or text, based on patterns learned from existing data. In the video, generative A.I. is central to the creation of music, demonstrating the technology's ability to produce innovative and experimental audio content.

💡Legal Issues

Legal issues in the context of the video pertain to the challenges and disputes that arise from the use of sampling in music, particularly concerning copyright infringement. As A.I.-generated music becomes more prevalent, it raises new questions about intellectual property and the rights of original content creators.

💡A.I. Music Production

A.I. music production refers to the process of creating music using artificial intelligence tools and algorithms. This includes generating beats, composing melodies, and even writing lyrics, all without direct human intervention. The video showcases the capabilities of A.I. in producing music that is both experimental and high-quality, highlighting a potential shift in the music industry.

Highlights

The introduction of Nobody and the Computer as a new concept in music creation, using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to make music.

The use of A.I. in music is described as a 'next level thing', indicating a significant advancement in the field.

The mention of a fresh video showcasing A.I. creating raw audios and sampling action, demonstrating the practical application of A.I. in music production.

The historical context provided, linking the use of existing sounds to create new music back to the mid-twentieth century with concrete music and musique concrète.

The evolution of music technology from the Mellotron in the 1960s to digital sampling instruments like the Fairlight CMI in 1979.

The role of turntablism and deejays like Grandmaster Flash in reshaping sounds and laying the groundwork for hip hop.

The impact of samplers like EMU, ESP 1200, and Akai MPC on music production in the eighties and nineties.

The legal challenges and copyright issues that arose with heavy sampling in music.

The emergence of generative A.I. as a new way to create music samples without legal complications.

The description of AudioGen by Meta as a textually guided audio generation tool for creating concrete music or sourcing samples.

The demonstration of generating multiple sounds at once using A.I., such as brush teeth, crystal glasses, beatbox, and refrigerator noise.

The creation of a music concrete beat powered by A.I., showcasing the potential of A.I. in beatmaking.

The use of SUNO's chirp model to generate a rapper voice vibe and the integration of lyrics created by chatGPT.

The innovative approach of stripping down the generated voice and using it over a music concrete beat.

The exploration of Google's MusicLM for creating loops sampled straight from its generative capabilities.

The concept of 'prompt digging' as a modern twist on record digging, using A.I. to discover eccentric music styles.

The combination of A.I.-generated music, lyrics, and visuals to create a comprehensive and immersive A.I. Geekdom experience.