The Truth About AI Music: It’s Not as Great as You Believe

AI music technology has made notable progress in recent years, but it still falls short compared to the craftsmanship of human musicians. When you look beyond its flashy presentation, AI-generated music often lacks the resonance and emotional depth found in authentic human performances.

How Is AI Music Created?

Traditionally, music was created through the physical act of playing an instrument or singing, requiring ample time and effort to compose and arrange. This involves not just the physical movement but also the hours spent crafting a complete song.

In contrast, AI systems generate music using machine learning algorithms that analyze a vast database of recorded music. They learn aspects like melody, chords, instrumentation, and genres, breaking music down into fundamental components to replicate the work of talented artists.

Once the AI has mastered the basics of music reproduction, platforms like Suno, as well as earlier versions like Meta’s MusicGen, allow users to interact with their music generators by providing simple prompts. You can generate music just by describing what you want to create in a few phrases or sentences.

This process is a strange departure from thousands of years of music creation, where deep emotions and meanings are typically embedded in the craft. You can explore an AI music generator yourself to see how it functions firsthand.

AI Music Lacks High Fidelity

In its early stages, AI struggled with the basic structures of popular songs, like in the case of Meta’s MusicGen. However, advancements have led to sites like Suno that can produce full music tracks that are technically impressive.

That said, don’t be misled into thinking these tracks match the high-quality music standards to which we’ve become accustomed. Just like how we expect to watch videos in at least 1080p nowadays, previous limitations in video quality remind us that not everything can achieve this level of fidelity.

One major indicator of low-fidelity music is the presence of white noise, reminiscent of listening to an old vinyl record or cassette tape. This is a common trait in AI-generated music, leading to tracks that feel like they’re played over a vintage radio.

While the situation has improved, you can still hear this background noise in most AI tracks I’ve explored on Suno. For instance, take a listen to this example from Suno. The track “Strongest Duo” features noticeable noise throughout the vocals.

If I were producing this track, I would avoid adding distortion to the vocals; they sound best when clear and precise.

Another example is this track on Suno featuring classical violin. A trained violinist or audio engineer would quickly tell you that the strings do not sound as rich or accurate as real ones.

While there is a genre known as low-fi music that intentionally evokes that rich sound quality, it is usually a deliberate choice. In the case of AI-generated music, however, this background noise results from technical limitations that developers have yet to overcome.

AI Music Has Yet to Produce a Hit Song

As of now, AI-generated music hasn’t achieved any significant success or chart-topping hits, which suggests that its quality might not be what some claim.

Notably, the rap diss track “BBL Drizzy,” which sampled an AI-generated song, has spurred widespread legal action from major record labels like Universal Music Group, Sony, and Warner Records. According to The Verge, platforms like Suno and another AI music company named Udio are now facing lawsuits.

A troubling fact about AI music generators is they owe their existence to the mass ingestion of copyrighted music catalogs without permission. Instead of creating entire music tracks wholesale, a more beneficial application of AI would be in developing useful plugins for music production.

Ultimately, music is about more than just the sound. The allure of artists like Taylor Swift or Billie Eilish stems from the stories behind their success. Fans want to connect with their narratives and behind-the-scenes moments, not just their songs.

Can AI-generated music evoke the same kind of interest? Absolutely not.

The Complexity of Music Is Beyond AI’s Reach

Creating a song entails a lengthy process that can stretch over weeks, months, or even years. In contrast, AI solutions can produce a piece in mere minutes using just a few input words. However, real music creation demands a profound level of skill, creativity, and emotional investment.

Regardless of the sophistication of AI algorithms, nothing can match the intricate artistry of human musicians. Even if AI companies address existing quality issues, there’s no chance that machines can recreate music that resonates on a deeper level; after all, we care about the person behind the music.