AI is already being used to generate artwork and text. Now, Google has released research on its AI music generator, MusicLM. Like image-generating AIs, users submit a text prompt for which the tool generates music.
“We introduce MusicLM, a model generating high-fidelity music from text descriptions such as ‘a calming violin melody backed by a distorted guitar riff’,” writes Google in a recent publication.
Additionally, users can also hum or whistle a melody and MusicLM will transform the tune into the music style the text prompt describes. Google’s generative music AI is trained on a database consisting of over 280,000 hours of music, allowing it to output a variety of music genres.
MusicLM even adds voices to some of its tracks. However, they are usually unintelligible. There is even a story mode in which the user inputs multiple prompts, which the AI uses to construct an entire soundtrack.
Samples of the music generated by MusicLM are available for the public to listen to on Google Research’s GitHub. Among the examples are tracks in which famous paintings were used as prompts. Google also showcases how output varies for the same text prompt. The variation of its output for the prompt ‘Motivational music for sports’, among others, is quite impressive. While MusicLM is impressive, many of the melodies Google is sharing seem to be missing a certain spark. Besides the incoherent vocals, the tunes are often too repetitive.
MusicLM and copyright issues
However, the company doesn’t plan to release the AI for public use anytime soon. Instead, Google is opting to share this information due to concerns involving copyright. Additionally, roughly one per cent of the music generated by the AI is copied directly from training songs. This means that Google could face charges of copyright infringement if it were to release MusicLM in its current iteration. Considering the lawsuit and general backlash of the artist community against image-generative AI, it seems wise to hold off on the release.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
