The video discusses the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the music industry, highlighting that AI is unlikely to entirely replace human composers due to their unique creativity, emotional depth, and cultural understanding. It emphasizes the importance for composers to develop storytelling skills, music theory knowledge, musical proficiency, and collaboration abilities to effectively work alongside AI as a tool rather than a replacement.
In the video, the speaker discusses the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the music industry, particularly focusing on media composers. They emphasize that AI is unlikely to completely replace human composers, as AI lacks the unique creativity, emotional depth, and cultural context that human composers bring to their work. Instead, AI can serve as a collaborator to assist composers in exploring new ideas and streamlining their creative process. The video highlights the importance for aspiring media composers to focus on developing strong storytelling skills, understanding music theory, proficiency with musical instruments, and collaboration skills to effectively work with directors and other team members.
The speaker also provides a practical example using a generative AI website to create a 30-second song for a children’s TV show intro called “Billy the Banana.” The AI-generated song falls short in capturing the essence of kids’ TV music and lacks copyright protection, raising legal and creative concerns for composers. The video points out the risks and challenges posed by generative AI in the music industry, particularly for composers at the lower end of the market who may face competition from AI-generated music and royalty-free libraries like Pond 5.
Despite the potential challenges, the video asserts that AI may not wipe out entire segments of the music industry, but rather create a competitive landscape between generative AI and existing platforms. The speaker believes that AI will not replace the need for human composers in film, television, and games where producers seek original and cohesive creative ideas that AI may struggle to deliver. They stress the importance for composers to maintain their uniqueness, creativity, and ability to adapt to changing industry trends to stay relevant in the evolving landscape.
Furthermore, the video encourages composers to embrace the challenges posed by AI as an opportunity for growth and reinvention. Being a media composer requires constant adaptation to new technologies and business models, and the rise of generative AI is just another hurdle to overcome. The speaker concludes by drawing a metaphor from a historical anecdote about King Canute attempting to command the tides, highlighting the futility of resisting inevitable change. They urge creative individuals to focus on human qualities like empathy, intuition, communication, and originality to thrive in the evolving music industry landscape dominated by AI technologies.