When YouTube unveiled its innovative empirical AI feature, enabling selected users to create music clips with AI-generated vocals resembling popular artists such as Demi Lovato, Sia, and John Legend, it marked a significant advancement in artificial intelligence within the music industry.
The newly introduced Wish Track was launched as an exclusive beta test for approximately 100 carefully chosen creators in the U.S. The broader availability of this feature has not been disclosed by YouTube yet. While the highlight was the replication of voices, YouTube also introduced several other AI music tools, including one in development that can translate songwriters’ hummed ideas into actual music.
As an experimental project, the future evolution of Wish Track remains uncertain, as emphasized by both YouTube and music labels. Notably, this initiative marks the first instance where renowned musicians and audio producers have permitted their songs to be replicated through AI, a controversial aspect of music creation. This development signifies a significant progression in how the industry may embrace such technology moving forward.
The announcement raises various questions and implications that may be clarified in the upcoming months. Here is a summary of the key information regarding YouTube’s new AI music creator:
Why is Voice Replication Significant Now?
While voice cloning has been explored by enthusiasts and specialized songwriters using AI tools like UberDruck, record labels have urged the industry to crack down on AI-generated content that they argue infringes on their music copyrights. In contrast, major rights holders actively participated in YouTube’s latest feature.
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Since the era of Napster and peer-to-peer file sharing in the early 2000s, AI has emerged as a pivotal issue in the industry, potentially being one of the most disruptive technologies. Industry stakeholders are cautious of AI’s implications, ranging from enabling users to replicate artists’ works without consent to inundating the market with content, posing challenges for emerging musicians.
Reflecting on the past, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl, a former YouTube executive, mused during an earnings call, envisioning the music industry’s response to file-sharing companies proposing collaborative experimentation with new technology.
Major industry players have cautiously engaged with AI, as evidenced by Sony Music appointing an EVP of AI to navigate its integration. Universal Music Group (UMG) and the ambient audio app Endel collaborated to produce atmospheric tracks using artists’ stems. In August, UMG and YouTube announced a collaboration to establish an AI incubator and guidelines for leveraging AI in music.
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Who Participates in the New Initiative?
Dream Track involves nine musicians, including Lovato, Sia, Legend, Charli XCX, and others, signed with labels like Universal, Warner, and independent labels such as EMPIRE. Ghazi, CEO of EMPIRE, highlighted the collaboration with YouTube Music and Google as a progressive step for artists and music creators.
A participant, Alec Benjamin, expressed intrigue and apprehension about using AI to replicate his voice, acknowledging the potential longevity it offers to his music. Despite uncertainties and concerns, Benjamin views this technological advancement as an inevitable progression in the industry.
How Does Dream Track Operate?
Dream Track utilizes relational AI based on the participating artists’ voices. Users can submit text-based prompts for song ideas and select the AI artist to perform the song. Dream Track then generates music videos up to 30 seconds in duration.
The specifics of the AI training data used by YouTube have not been disclosed. However, it is known that UMG facilitated the trial by providing a limited amount of company content for training purposes.
Legal considerations regarding AI-generated music ownership and copyright authorization remain complex and unresolved within the industry. AI developers often argue for fair use of copyrighted material for training, while the music industry upholds intellectual property rights as fundamental to their business model. The ownership and rights pertaining to AI-generated works continue to be a subject of debate and legal ambiguity.
