The Velvet Sundown – What the AI Rock Band Hoax Is Telling Us About the Future of Music
The Velvet Sundown'S Their debut album Floating on Echoes hit the top of Soundcloud's download charts a few weeks back, to much aclaim, with them being likened to Crosby, Stills and Nash.
But by far the most interesting thing about the band IMO was/ is that they weren't/ aren't real.
The outift was composed by AI, its songs algorithmically derived , and their image and very identity similarly fabricated.
Personally I think their music is generic and inspid, perfect for a mass audience and clever of its creators to pitch it in this way.....
Implications for the Music Industry
At its heart, this story raises a question that has beset art ever since the invention of photography and film: does it matter who made it when it comes to the work of art?
Many Velvet Sundown fans vow they'll continue to listen, singing the praises of the music's "emotional tone" whether or not it was performed by a machine or a man.
And if a machine can evoke the same feeling as a man, does it matter anymore?
This development also highlights the threat of disruption that AI represents in music production. This AI generation has managed to figure out exactly what listeners want in terms of a music and style combo.
Record labels, streaming sites, and even individual artists might soon be competing against other people but against machine composers who never get tired, never need royalties, and can be endlessly adjusted to please fringe tastes.
The Problem of Authenticity and Trust
Whereas some appreciate the novelty, others feel betrayed. Fans tend to follow not just the tunes, but the life stories, struggle, and personalities of those who perform them. Discovering the band you thought you "knew" never actually existed can destroy that emotional bond.
There's also a transparency problem. If listeners aren't informed that a track is AI-composed, they may fantasize about a human touch where there's none. This blurring of lines can potentially redefine what we count in music awards, chart success, and even what we consider a "musician."
A Sign of Things to Come...?
The Velvet Sundown is only an early experimental example, but there will likely be more. With continuing improvements in AI technology, we can expect entirely AI-generated performances in all genres—pop and hip-hop, classical and ambient. Some will even counterfeit their humanity until discovered, while others will be transparent about being artificial from day one.
However at the end of the day I can't see a machine becoming as popular as the likes of Taylor Swift, her appeal goes far beyond her music, the story of a genuine, 'ordinary' teenage girl who made it big through her own efforts, that's the kind of American Dream AI simply can't replicate, or maybe I'm being too blinkered here?!?
Music production will benefit from AI, but It will not move above the complete replacement of the artist.
I suspect that the industry may fall if the transition is total.
Thank you for writing on this topic
Peace
Awesome train of thought, ending with the most thought-provoking item: Do real human artists like Taylor Swift actually exist? Sure, they are built around a flesh&blood human who know how to sing and move around on the stage. Or do they? Sound engineers have been great at hiding flaws and bringing out the most spectacular features of real voices, the same way light technicians and photographers have learned to set someone in the most favorable light. And that's not even including the PR crowd, who knows how to spin someone's life story to make them look like the embodiment of the American Dream, or whatever image they are going for.
So much about trust and authenticity. But do the fans really care about all this? Clearly not all that much, since this has been going on since the conception of show business, so no fan should be fooled unless they surrender to it. Which is exactly the point: the illusion of the stage. And at that point it's only secondary if the musicians, actors (or even set designers and make-up artists) are real people, or partially / entirely machine generated.
Yes fair points - for many it's the spectacle that counts!
Although NB I think Taylor can actually sing and play her instruments!