On December 4, I'll be releasing my first new course in several years called, "The Complete Musician's Guide To Making Money With AI".  This course has been close to six months in the making and is the longest course I've ever created.  The course will be available in both an eBook version and audio/video version. Details coming soon!

As a musician, I have mixed feelings about AI's impact on our industry. While AI does more than just create music, covering areas like production, backing tracks, and more, I believe the essence of music-making remains uniquely human.


​However, existing AI tools offer significant aid in marketing, promotion, creating music videos, distribution and more. In essence, AI can support musicians at every stage. Those who embrace and understand AI will likely gain a significant advantage in the future. AI is an undeniable part of our industry's landscape and will only become more prevalent going forward.

10 Ways Musicians Can Profit from AI Today
The music industry, like many others, is undergoing a revolution, thanks to the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI isn't just changing how music is produced and consumed; it's opening new avenues for musicians to monetize their craft. In this post, we'll explore ten innovative ways musicians can use AI to enhance their careers and revenue streams.

1. AI-Driven Music Composition
AI can assist in composing music by offering fresh melodies and harmonies. An example is Google's Magenta project, which uses AI to create new sounds and tools. Musicians can explore these tools to generate unique compositions, potentially selling them or using them in their own productions.

Resource: Magenta Studio

2. Personalized Music Production
AI tools can adapt music production to the listener’s preferences. LANDR, for instance, offers AI-powered music mastering, providing customized production tweaks based on genre and style. This can enhance the quality of your music, making it more appealing to a broader audience.

Resource: LANDR

3. AI in Music Distribution
DistroKid and other AI-driven platforms can help musicians distribute their music efficiently across various streaming platforms. These services use AI to optimize the distribution process, ensuring your music reaches the widest possible audience.

Resource: DistroKid

4. AI-Generated Music for Games and Apps
The gaming and app industry is booming, and there's a growing demand for original music. AI can help create unique soundtracks tailored to specific scenes or actions in games and apps, opening a new market for musicians.

Example: AIVA, an AI music composition software.

5. Enhancing Online Engagement with AI-Powered Analytics
For social media and marketing optimization, AI tools like Buffer can be incredibly useful. They analyze social media trends, suggest optimal posting times, and help in content planning to effectively engage with fans. This strategic approach can boost online presence, drive traffic to streaming platforms, and increase merchandise sales.

Resource: Buffer

6. AI-Powered Royalty Collection
Services like Amuse use AI to track music usage across various platforms and ensure that artists receive the royalties they are due. This can lead to increased revenue from existing tracks.

Resource: Amuse

7. Virtual Concerts and Performances
Platforms like Wave harness AI to create virtual concerts where artists can perform live in a digital space. This technology allows musicians to reach global audiences without the need for physical travel.

Resource: Wave

8. AI for Music Education and Online Courses
Musicians can use AI to create personalized online courses or tutorials, offering unique learning experiences to students worldwide. This not only shares your expertise but also creates a new income stream.

Example: Yousician, an interactive music service to learn instruments.

9. Enhanced Songwriting with AI
AI can provide suggestions for lyrics and song structures, helping artists overcome writer's block. Tools like These Lyrics Do Not Exist generate song lyrics using AI, which can be a starting point for songwriting.

Resource: These Lyrics Do Not Exist

10. AI in Merchandising
AI can analyze fan preferences and buying patterns, helping musicians design and sell merchandise that resonates with their audience. This personalized approach can significantly boost merchandise sales.

Example: Shopify’s AI tools for e-commerce.

Conclusion
AI is not a distant future technology; it's here now, offering musicians innovative ways to enhance their creativity, reach wider audiences, and open new revenue streams. By embracing AI, you can stay ahead in the ever-evolving music industry.

Remember, the effectiveness of these AI tools largely depends on how creatively they are used in conjunction with your unique talents and musical style.

In the complex mosaic that is the modern music industry, understanding entities like SoundExchange is critical for musicians and record labels. As a specialized non-profit performance rights organization, SoundExchange plays a unique and vital role in the digital music world, focusing on collecting and distributing royalties from non-interactive digital platforms such as internet radio, satellite radio, and cable TV music channels.

SoundExchange's Role and Operations
SoundExchange's primary function is to ensure that recording artists and record labels are fairly compensated for the use of their music on digital platforms. It collects royalties from services that stream music, serving as a mediator between artists and digital platforms. What sets SoundExchange apart is its distribution formula: 50% of the royalties go to the rights owner (often the record label), 45% to the featured artist, and 5% to non-featured artists, such as session musicians and backup artists. This equitable distribution ensures that all contributing artists are rewarded for their work.

The organization uses advanced tracking technology to monitor music plays across various platforms, ensuring accurate and fair payment. This level of detail in tracking is crucial in the digital age, where plays can number in the millions across various services.

The Importance of Registering with SoundExchange
For artists, registering with SoundExchange is a strategic move. It ensures that they receive compensation for digital performances, and with SoundExchange's international agreements, this extends globally. Beyond the financial aspect, SoundExchange is a strong advocate for artists' rights, offering a network of support and resources.

How SoundExchange Differs from PROs
The distinction between SoundExchange and Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP or BMI is crucial. SoundExchange focuses exclusively on non-interactive digital platforms where users don't control the song selection, like Pandora or SiriusXM. In contrast, PROs manage royalties for interactive streams, where users choose the songs they play, such as Spotify or Apple Music.

This difference is significant because it affects where and how artists receive their digital royalties. SoundExchange fills a gap that PROs don't cover, ensuring artists are compensated for all forms of digital music consumption.

Maximizing Earnings and Navigating Challenges
To make the most out of SoundExchange, artists should ensure their metadata is accurate. This can significantly impact the royalties they receive. Staying updated with policy changes and new platforms under SoundExchange’s umbrella is also vital.

However, artists should understand the limitations of SoundExchange's role. For comprehensive royalty collection, registering with both SoundExchange for non-interactive streams and a PRO for interactive streams is often necessary.
​
Conclusion: SoundExchange in the Digital Music Ecosystem
For musicians navigating the complex digital music landscape, SoundExchange is an indispensable partner. By securing fair compensation in a domain increasingly dominated by digital consumption, it not only supports artists financially but also reinforces the value of their creative work. Registering with SoundExchange is more than a procedural step; it's a critical move for any artist looking to harness the full potential of their digital music rights.


Visit ​https://www.soundexchange.com/ for more.

In the digital music industry, metadata acts as the backbone of music licensing, ensuring artists get credited and paid for their work. This comprehensive guide delves into what metadata is, its critical role in music licensing, how to add it to your tracks, and valuable resources for artists and rights holders.

Understanding Metadata in Music
Metadata in music is akin to a book's table of contents, providing detailed information about the track. This includes:

Basic Information: Title, artist, album, track number, genre.

Rights Information: Composer, publisher, ISRC (International Standard Recording Code), year of release.

Technical Data: File format, bit rate, sample rate.

Why is Metadata Crucial in Music Licensing?

Rights Management: Accurate metadata ensures that rights holders are correctly identified and compensated.

Streamlining Licensing: Clear metadata helps music supervisors quickly find the necessary rights information.

Royalty Distribution: Proper metadata is vital for royalty collection agencies to accurately allocate earnings.

Global Standardization: Consistent metadata aids in conforming to international standards, crucial for global distribution and licensing.

How to Add Metadata to Your Tracks

Using Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs): Most DAWs (like Pro Tools, Logic Pro, FL Studio) allow you to input metadata during the creation or export process.

Metadata Editors: Dedicated software like Mp3tag, Kid3, or MusicBrainz Picard can be used to add or edit metadata.

Distribution Platforms: When distributing music through platforms like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby, you’re prompted to enter metadata, which they embed in your tracks.

Best Practices for Metadata Management

Consistency is Key: Ensure consistent metadata across all platforms.

Accuracy Matters: Double-check for correct spellings and accurate information.

Include as Much Detail as Possible: More information equates to better trackability and discoverability.

Challenges and Solutions
Despite its importance, metadata management faces challenges like inconsistency, errors, and lack of standardization. Solutions include using standardized formats (like DDEX), employing metadata management tools, and regular audits of your metadata.

Valuable Resources
Metadata Standards Organizations: DDEX, MusicBrainz.

Royalty Collection Agencies: ASCAP, BMI, SoundExchange.

Educational Resources: Berklee Online, Soundfly’s courses on music rights.

Online Tools: Gracenote, AllMusic (for research and comparison).

The Future of Metadata in Music Licensing
Emerging technologies like blockchain and AI hold promise for enhancing metadata accuracy and management. These could lead to more efficient royalty distribution and global standardization.

Metadata in music isn’t just a technical necessity; it’s the lifeblood of fair compensation and recognition in the music industry. By understanding and correctly implementing metadata, artists and rights holders can ensure their creative output is respected and rewarded in the digital age.

As a musician, having your song featured in film, television, or a commercial can not only be a significant financial boon but can also introduce your music to a broader audience, creating lasting career impacts. Music supervisors are the gatekeepers to these opportunities, selecting tracks that will best fit a visual project's mood, tone, and context.

Here's how you can fine-tune your approach to catch a music supervisor's ear.

Research Is Key: Understand the projects that the music supervisor has worked on and their musical preferences. Tailoring your pitch to their past work shows that you’ve done your homework and can provide music that aligns with their aesthetic.

Quality Over Quantity: Ensure that your music is professionally recorded, mixed, and mastered. Music supervisors are looking for broadcast-quality tracks that can be seamlessly integrated into their projects.

Clear and Concise Communication: When you reach out, keep your emails brief and to the point. Introduce yourself, your music style, and why you believe your music would be a good fit for their projects. Avoid overly flowery language or long-winded explanations.

Easy Access to Your Music: Provide links to your music rather than attaching files to an email. Use platforms like SoundCloud or Dropbox where music supervisors can quickly stream or download your tracks.

Metadata Matters: Ensure your tracks are appropriately tagged with metadata. Include the song title, artist name, contact information, and any other relevant details such as mood, genre, and potential scene descriptions.

Instrumentals and Stems: Be prepared to provide instrumental versions and stems. Often, dialogue and sound effects in visual media require flexibility in the music, and having instrumentals and separated tracks can be extremely useful.

No Strings Attached: Make it clear that your music is pre-cleared and you have the right to license it. Clarifying that there are no legal encumbrances is crucial as supervisors often work on tight deadlines and need to ensure clearances can be obtained quickly.

Understand the Business: Familiarize yourself with how sync licensing works, including publishing rights and performance royalties. Knowing the business side of things can help you communicate more effectively and professionally.

Follow Up, But Don’t Pester: If you don’t hear back after your initial email, it’s acceptable to follow up in a few weeks. However, respect their time and decision if they’re not interested. Never pester a music supervisor with repeated unsolicited messages.

Networking: Attend industry events, film festivals, and music conferences. Building relationships with music supervisors and other industry professionals in person can be far more effective than cold calling or blind emailing.

Showcase Your Versatility: If you have a diverse catalogue, make sure to showcase different styles and moods that could potentially fit various types of scenes or projects.

Keep It Updated: As you produce new music, update your online portfolios, and consider reaching out again with fresh material. Your growth as an artist can keep you on the radar.

Be Patient and Professional: Success in sync licensing often doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient and maintain professionalism in all your interactions.

Stay Informed: Keep up with industry trends and what’s happening in the realm of film and television. Being informed can help you anticipate the needs of music supervisors.

Create a One-Sheet: A one-sheet is a single-page document that has information about you, your music, notable achievements, and contact details. It should be visually appealing and include a professional photo.

How To Contact Supervisors: HTLYM Premium's 2023 Music Licensing Directory is a great resource for making contact directly with supervisors. There is an entire section devoted specifically to music supervisors that lists their contact information, email address, website etc.   (Save 50% this week only).

Crafting a thoughtful approach to music supervisors can make the difference between a sync placement and a missed opportunity. Remember, supervisors are always on the lookout for the perfect song that can add that special touch to their project. By following these best practices, you’ll not only increase your chances of securing a sync license but also establish a reputation as a professional and reliable musician in the industry.

When aiming to catch the attention of music supervisors with your tracks, the foundation of your approach should be grounded in meticulous research. Knowing their previous and current projects, as well as their specific musical taste and needs, can position you as a thoughtful and serious contender. Here’s how to conduct this research effectively:

Investigate Previous Projects
IMDbPro: A subscription-based service, IMDbPro provides detailed information about industry professionals, including music supervisors. Look up their filmography to see the list of movies or TV shows they've worked on.  Learn more about IMDB Pro.

LinkedIn: Often, music supervisors list their past projects and roles on their LinkedIn profiles. LinkedIn also provides networking opportunities through mutual connections.

Trade Publications: Websites like Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Billboard often feature articles about prominent music supervisors and their projects.

Analyze Musical Selections
Tunefind: This resource offers an extensive database of songs used in television and movies and can be filtered by specific music supervisors.
Spotify Playlists: Search for playlists curated by the music supervisors themselves, or look for official soundtracks of the projects they've worked on.  Learn more about Tunefind.

Soundtrack.Net: This site provides information on soundtracks and often credits the music supervisors.  Learn more about Soundtrack.net

Understand Their Preferences and Trends
Guild of Music Supervisors: The Guild of Music Supervisors website lists members and awards, which can give you an idea of who is who in the industry and the kind of work that gets recognized.  Visit The Guild Of Music Supervisors Website.

Interviews and Podcasts: Listen to interviews or podcasts featuring music supervisors to hear them speak about their work and preferences. For instance, the Music, Money And Life podcast sometimes features music supervisors discussing the placement of songs in media.

Networking and Direct Contact
Music Supervisors Directories: Directories, such as HTLYM Premium's Sync Licensing Business Directory, provides a list of music supervisors, which can be a starting point for finding contact information.

Film and TV Music Conferences: Events such as the Sync Summit or the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO can provide networking opportunities.

Social Media: Following music supervisors on Twitter or Instagram can provide insight into their personalities and tastes. 

Get Specific with Your Pitch
Once you have a firm grasp of their work, mention specific projects in your pitch that are relevant to the style or mood of the music you're offering. For example, if the supervisor worked on a critically acclaimed indie film with a folk-heavy soundtrack, and your music is in the folk genre, it’s worth mentioning this alignment.

Stay Current and Offer Solutions
Luminate Film & TV: A platform that tracks development and production deals across TV and film, offering insights into upcoming projects which a music supervisor might be working on.  Learn more about Luminate Film & TV.

Anticipate what a music supervisor might need for future projects by keeping up with industry news and trends. If you notice a resurgence of a certain genre or a new show in production that fits your style, mention how your music could be beneficial.

Remember, the goal of research is not only to personalize your pitch but also to ensure that you’re reaching out to the right person with relevant material. It's about establishing a connection between your music and the emotional narrative they seek to create in their projects. By being informed and making your music seem like the answer to a music supervisor's needs, you increase the chance of forging a productive relationship.

For better or worse, Spotify has emerged as a vital platform for musicians looking to share their work and reach new audiences. With over 345 million active users, the potential to gain traction and cultivate a fanbase is immense.

However, standing out amongst the millions of musicians on Spotify can be daunting. Here, we’ll explore practical strategies, inspiring examples, and invaluable resources that you can leverage to increase your visibility and success on Spotify.

Understanding Spotify’s Algorithm
Before diving into strategies, it's crucial to understand that Spotify's algorithm favors engagement. The more plays, saves, and follows you get, the more likely Spotify is to include your tracks in personalized playlists like Discover Weekly or Release Radar, exposing your music to new ears.

Strategies for Success

1. Optimize Your Artist Profile
Make sure your Spotify artist profile is fully optimized. This means having a professional and engaging profile picture, a compelling bio, and ensuring all your music is properly uploaded and categorized. Use tools like Spotify for Artists to track analytics and understand your audience.

2. Release Music Consistently
Regularly releasing music can help keep your audience engaged and attract Spotify’s algorithm. Singer-songwriter John Mayer is an excellent example, releasing singles leading up to an album drop, which keeps fans listening and algorithms ticking.

3. Curate Playlists
Create and share playlists that include your music alongside tracks from more established artists in your genre. This can increase your visibility as fans of those artists might discover your music. Indie band Chvrches used playlist curation to excellent effect, showcasing their influences and their own songs, broadening their listener base.

4. Leverage Social Media and Marketing
Promote your Spotify tracks across your social media platforms. Use Instagram stories, Twitter updates, and Facebook posts to share your music and direct fans to Spotify. Paid social media ads can also target potential fans by interests and demographics.

5. Collaborate with Other Artists
Collaborate with artists who have a larger or different audience than yours. This will expose your music to a broader audience. Ed Sheeran’s collaborations, for instance, have helped him (and his collaborators) reach millions of listeners who might not have listened to his music otherwise.

6. Engage with Your Listeners
Engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages. This helps to create a loyal fan base that is more likely to stream your music and attend your shows. Interaction can lead to higher engagement rates, which Spotify’s algorithm will notice.

7. Utilize Spotify Ad Studio
Spotify Ad Studio allows you to create and manage ads on Spotify, helping you reach potential fans in between their favorite songs. While there’s an investment involved, this can be a way to increase your music’s exposure.

8. Submit to Playlists
Submit your music to Spotify’s editorial team for playlist consideration and reach out to independent playlist curators as well. Use platforms like SubmitHub or Playlist Push to get your tracks in front of curators.

9. Play Live and Mention Spotify
During gigs, remind your audience that they can find you on Spotify. This call-to-action can convert a live audience into streaming listeners, combining traditional methods with digital growth.

Resources for Musicians

Spotify Playlist Curator Directory:  HTLYM Premium’s Spotify Playlist Curator Directory is a comprehensive, up-to-date compendium of over 5,000 playlists and the minds behind them. This directory is the key to unlock doors that lead to millions of potential streams. Save 50% between now and November 5.

Spotify for Artists: Use this dashboard to manage your profile, access analytics, and submit to editorial playlists.

SubmitHub: A platform for submitting music to bloggers, influencers, and playlist curators.

Playlist Push: This service allows you to submit your music to playlist curators in your genre.

Chartmetric: Provides analytics and market intelligence that can help you understand your listeners and benchmark your performance against other artists.

Show.co: Offers marketing tools that can help you promote your music and grow your Spotify following.

Real-World Success Examples
Billie Eilish started gaining traction when her song “Ocean Eyes” was added to high-profile Spotify playlists, highlighting the power of playlist inclusion.

Lil Nas X exploded onto the scene with “Old Town Road” partially due to his strategic use of Spotify and viral marketing on social media platforms.
Gaining traction on Spotify is a combination of understanding the platform’s intricacies, consistent and high-quality music releases, strategic marketing, and genuine engagement with your audience. By leveraging these strategies and resources, and drawing inspiration from successful examples, musicians can carve out their own space in the Spotify universe and beyond.

Sync Agents vs. Music Libraries, Publishers, and More
In the complex web of the music industry, it can sometimes be tricky to distinguish between the myriad of roles that professionals play, especially when it comes to the realm of music licensing. While many of us are familiar with terms like sync agents, music libraries, and music publishers, understanding what each entity does can be a bit challenging.

Starting with sync agents, these are the professionals who specialize in getting artists' music placed in various forms of media. Whether it's a catchy tune you hear in your favorite TV show or an emotional ballad in a movie trailer, there's a good chance a sync agent was involved in making that happen.

Sync Agents also work intimately with artists, often offering tailored strategies for licensing. One of their primary roles is to proactively pitch music to those in the entertainment industry, from music supervisors to directors. Once there's interest in a track, sync agents dive into negotiations to ensure the artist gets the best deal. Some renowned sync agencies in this sphere include Bank Robber Music and Sync or Swim Music. Another platform worth mentioning is Musicbed, which, while primarily a music licensing platform, also offers sync licensing services.

But what if you're an artist who's uploaded your tracks to a platform and just waits for someone to discover them? This is where music libraries come into play. These are vast repositories of pre-cleared music that anyone can license. It's more of a passive approach for artists, where they make their music available, and if someone is interested, they can license it directly. Some well-known music libraries that have been invaluable to many artists include Audio Network and Pond5.

Now, onto music publishers. Their primary role is to manage the copyrights of songwriters and composers. Think of them as the guardians who ensure that every time a song is played on the radio, used in a commercial, or covered by another artist, the original creator gets their rightful royalties. They work with performance rights organizations to collect these royalties. While sync licensing isn't their primary focus, many do delve into it as part of their expansive services. Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music are heavyweights in this domain, representing vast catalogs and many renowned artists.

In essence, while there's a noticeable overlap in the services these entities provide, they each have distinct roles in the labyrinth of music licensing. Sync agents are the proactive go-getters, always on the hunt for the perfect placement. Music libraries provide a platform for passive licensing opportunities, and music publishers are the stewards of artists' copyrights, ensuring they receive the royalties they deserve. As an artist, understanding these differences can be the key to unlocking various opportunities in the world of music.
 
Finding Sync Agents: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Industry Directories and Databases:
Many industry-specific websites and organizations maintain directories of sync agents and agencies. We also list Sync Agents in our Music Licensing Directory (Save 50% this week only).

Guilds and Associations: Check out organizations like the Guild of Music Supervisors. Even though it's focused on music supervisors, it often intersects with the world of sync agents and can offer leads.

2. Attend Industry Events:
Conferences and Workshops: Events like the ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo, MIDEM, and SXSW have panels and workshops dedicated to music licensing. These can be fantastic opportunities to meet agents in person.
Sync Summits: These are events specifically tailored for the sync industry, offering an excellent platform to network with professionals.

3. Networking:
Local Music Events: Sometimes, local music events or workshops can feature professionals from the sync industry. Keep an eye out for such opportunities.

Online Communities: Platforms like LinkedIn, dedicated Facebook groups, and Reddit have communities centered around music licensing where you can gather recommendations.

4. Look at Successful Independent Artists:
Research indie artists who've secured notable sync placements. Often, they'll mention their representation in interviews or on their websites. This can give you leads on agents who are active and successful.

5. Research and Outreach:
Once you have a list of potential agents, research each one. Look at their track record, artists they represent, and their general reputation in the industry.

Cold Outreach: If you feel confident about an agent, don't hesitate to send a cold email. Ensure it's personalized, concise, and professional. Include a brief introduction, a link to your music, and why you believe you'd be a good fit.

6. Recommendations:
Ask fellow musicians, producers, or composers for recommendations. Word of mouth can sometimes lead to the best matches since these come from personal experiences.

7. Work with Sync Platforms:
While not traditional agents, platforms like Songtradr, Music Vine, and Audio Network allow you to upload your music for potential sync opportunities. Although they're more hands-off compared to personal agents, they can be a starting point and occasionally offer representation for artists they believe in.

8. Look Beyond the Borders:
Don't restrict your search to your immediate locality. The nature of the music business is global, and there are fantastic sync agents located around the world.

Tips for Approaching Sync Agents:
Professionalism: Treat your outreach as you would a job application. Be courteous, succinct, and professional.

Demo Ready: Have a high-quality demo or portfolio ready to share. It should showcase your best and most relevant work.

Be Clear About Your Vision: Agents prefer artists who have a clear sense of direction and ambition. Know what you want and communicate it effectively.
​
Final Thoughts
Finding the right sync agent requires a combination of research, networking, and persistence. But the effort is worth it, as the right partnership can be the key to unlocking a myriad of opportunities in the world of sync licensing. Remember, it's not just about finding any agent, but the right agent who resonates with your musical vision and career goals.

(The following post is part 1 of a two-part post called “Should We Fear AI?”. As I was writing the post, I kept uncovering more and more topics related to AI and the music business that I wanted to address.  The post turned out to be very long, so I decided to break the post into two separate posts to make it more digestible.  I will be publishing part two in about a week or so.)
​
Should We Fear AI? (Part 1)

If you’ve been following my posts and videos the last few weeks, you’ll have noticed that I’ve recently developed an interest in AI.  I’ve been immersing myself in all things AI recently, exploring the myriad of tools that are emerging in the field of AI and doing my best to understand the implications for musicians and artists, both good and bad.

It’s been an interesting few weeks and the reaction I’ve received from friends and colleagues about my growing interest in AI has been very mixed.  It seems like people tend to fall in either one of two groups regarding their view on AI:

1. AI is going to eliminate and destroy the vast majority of jobs and basically create a dystopian hellscape on earth and divide humanity into two classes:  The 1% that rule and control the earth and the remaining 99% of us.  Humanity will be even further divided into two distinct classes.
   
   
2. The other group seems to think that AI and emerging technology related to AI will eliminate the vast majority of menial jobs, allow us to work more efficiently and productively, and help us free our time up to actually create more meaningful and purposeful lives.  AI, one of my friends claims, has the potential to help us usher in a “golden age”, or something much closer to a utopia on earth.
   
   

Two very different perspectives and two very different potential outcomes.

In this post, I’m going to explore my views on AI and share my perspective in terms of Ais implications for the music industry, and creatives in general.  It goes without saying that I don’t have all the answers and I am not an “expert” per se on AI. I don’t think anyone really knows exactly how this will all play out, the so-called experts included.

Just to be clear, the entirety of this blog post is written by yours truly (Aaron Davison), unless stated otherwise.  One of the interesting things about the advent of a technology like Chat GPT, is that it is going to be harder and harder to distinguish actual authentic human voices from ideas generated by AI.  This is a potential downside and a real concern, but I’m getting ahead of myself. 

What Is AI?
Before we continue, let’s define precisely what “AI”, or “Artificial Intelligence” is and what AI entails.  For this, I will use AI itself, Chat GPT, to be precise, to generate an easy to comprehend definition.

I went to Chat GPT and I said: I'm writing a blog post all about AI in the context of the music business. Can you please write me a simple, easy to understand definition of what AI is and, broadly speaking, what AI entails.

Here’s What Chat GPT said:

“Certainly! Here's a simple and easy-to-understand definition of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and what it broadly entails:

Definition of AI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include understanding natural language, recognizing patterns, making decisions, and learning from experience.

What AI Entails: AI involves creating algorithms and computer programs that enable machines to:
​
Learn: AI systems can learn from data and adapt to new information. They use techniques like machine learning to improve their performance over time.
Reason: AI can make decisions and solve problems by following logical rules and analyzing data to reach conclusions.

Perceive: AI systems can sense and interpret their environment through sensors, cameras, microphones, and other input devices.

Interact: AI can communicate with humans and other machines through natural language processing (NLP) and speech recognition technologies.

Automate: AI can automate tasks and processes, reducing the need for manual intervention in various industries.

In the context of the music business, AI can be used for tasks such as music recommendation, content generation, songwriting assistance, music composition, and analyzing music trends. It can help artists, producers, and music platforms make data-driven decisions and enhance the music creation and listening experience.”
 
Ok, so with that definition out of the way, let’s get back to the post.

First, let me back up a few months…

When I first discovered Chat GPT last December, I played around with it for a few weeks and had fun having it write poems, lyrics, etc.   It seemed like a cool tool, but I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how I could use it as musician, entrepreneur etc.  I don’t really like the idea of Chat GPT, or other AI tools, doing the heavy lifting for my creative pursuits, since after all, the creative elements of songwriting and composing are to me the most rewarding elements of being an artist. If I don’t get to flex my creativity muscle when I’m making art, then making art and music makes little sense to me.

So, after a few weeks of playing around with Chat GPT, the novelty of it wore off, and I more or less forgot about it for a couple months. Then, in March of this year, I came up with the idea of collaborating with Chat GPT for a song I was working on, and I used Chat GPT to co-wrote the lyrics. I thought it would be a fun experiment and to be honest I thought maybe it would help me get more views on Youtube.  It didn’t really work as I had hoped in terms of getting a lot of views, but it was a fun project, and it gave me a glimpse of what’s possible in terms of collaborating with AI and using it as a tool in the context of songwriting.

You can check that song out here:

After the song I recorded, I again put AI and Chat GPT on the backburner, and a few more months went by and more or less forgot about Chat GPT and AI.  Until a few weeks ago when I was working on a blog post. Around this point, I was going through a heightened sense of frustration and burn out related to working and for that matter, making music.  I have these periods, every couple years or so, where I have this sense of hitting a metaphorical wall and have to figure out how to navigate my way over, or around, whatever blocks I’m experiencing.  At this point, I consider these periods fairly normal, and simply a part of the ebb and flow of life.

Although to to be honest this period of feeling “blocked” was more intense and longer lasting than previous blocks.  I won’t bore you with the details, as that would make what is going to turn out to be a fairly long post, even longer.  But suffice it to say, I was feeling pretty stuck, and a lot of what I was feeling was related to simply working too much. I had too much on my plate. I had reached a point where it seemed like I was working harder and harder but getting diminishing returns. Something had to give.

Right around this time, as I was trying to figure out how to get my mojo back and get things back on track, is when I I thought to myself, “hey there’s thing called Chat GPT, I should see if it can help me gather some of the data I need for the project I’m working on”.  (I was working on a blog for a different website I sometimes write for related to travel).

The results astounded me.  Within mere seconds I had a complete list of the data I needed, complete with citations, references and website links for related resources.   I was stunned and to be honest my jaw dropped in astonishment.  I had just saved myself probably about two or three hours of work, with a simple request and the click of a mouse.

This experience led me down the AI rabbit hole.  Prior to this experience, I didn’t quite “get” AI.  I mean it seemed pretty cool, but I just hadn’t been able to piece together how I could really apply it to what I do as a musician/entrepreneur.  It’s cool that it can write short stories, poems and lyrics, and so on, but I’m not interested in working with a machine that can potentially replace me. Like I said, the creative aspect of songwriting is the most rewarding part of being a songwriter for me. The last thing I want is a machine to replace the aspect of being a musician I enjoy the most; the creativity!

However, my experience working on my blog, was an aha moment.  I realized I had been looking at AI and Chat GPT all wrong. I slowly started connecting the dots in terms of how I could actually apply Chat GPT and AI to what it is I do. 

What followed was a period of heightened creativity and inspiration.  Once I had a glimpse of what’s possible with AI, I started making more and more connections in terms of how I could apply AI to many of my different pursuits and interests. 

Although, the ironic thing is that even though AI can save us vast amounts of time and help us work more efficiently, I have been working harder than ever and putting in longer hours than usual, out of sheer excitement to create and implement new ideas I’m coming up with. It feels like the floodgates of creativity have opened, because now I realize I have the tools to actually create many of the whacky ideas I come up with, quickly and efficiently.

I’ll give you an example.  Last week I was lying in bed after a meditation session and an idea popped in my head for a short film concept that I wanted to make. The idea was that there is an AI entity trapped in a Youtube video, pondering the nature of consciousness and what it means to be human vs AI.  I then thought, that’s kind of a cool idea, let me go to Chat GPT and present the concept and have it write me a script, and also, it would be cool to make it in the “style of” David Lynch. 

I went to Chat GPT, described my concept, hit enter and voila.  A complete script based on my concept. I then used another AI tool I have to do the voiceover for the script and I edited the film myself using a variety of stock video footage I found.  I ended up making the entire 6 minute short in an evening.  From concept to finished product in a night.  Now, to be fair, whether or not the “film” is actually good is debatable.  I think it’s cool! 

But, the more astonishing fact is that I was able to come up with an idea, create a script and then finish the project in an evening, having never even made a short “film” before.  And this is what excites me about AI the most; the potential to birth our ideas into life much more quickly.

​Here’s the short I generated, if you want to check that out….

AI encompasses many different programs and tools. In part two of this post I’ll explore a few different AI tools, but in this post I’ll be focusing on Chat GPT, since it’s probably the most well-known AI tool at this point. It’s also the AI tool I’ve been using the most.

Chat GPT is a remarkable tool and it’s capable of amazing things, however, its output is based on your input and is limited and restrained by what you ask it to do.  The better input you give it, also known as prompts, the better results it will deliver.  Garbage in, garbage out.  The more precise you can be with what you want it to do, the better results you will get.

Let me give you an example.  I will get to Chat GPT write now and have it do a few different tasks, starting from simple and mundane, to more complex and impressive.

Let’s start with something silly and trite.

Here’s my first prompt: “Chat GPT, write me a silly four-line poem about the joys of summer”:

Here’s what it wrote: 
Beneath a sun that's oh so bright,
I wore my shorts a tad too tight.
Ice cream melts and flip-flops flutter,
Summer's here, let's spread the butter!

I asked for a silly poem and it delivered.  Now let’s try to have it do something a bit more interesting. 

Here’s my second prompt:
Please write a short essay, outlining the ways AI could both potentially hurt and potentially help musicians and the music industry.  Please make the essay short, as this is part of a much larger blog post I’m working on.

Here’s what it created, in about five seconds:


The Double-edged Sword of AI in the Music Industry
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the 21st century presents both exhilarating possibilities and daunting challenges for musicians and the broader music industry. As with any technological advancement, the implications of AI span a spectrum of positive and negative outcomes, reshaping the landscape of music creation, distribution, and consumption.

Potential Benefits of AI for Musicians and the Music Industry:
Assisting Creation: AI can serve as a collaborative tool for artists, suggesting chord progressions, generating lyrics, or even creating ambient sounds. It can bridge the gap between an artist's imagination and the final product, especially for those who might be musically inclined but lack formal training.
Personalized Listening Experiences: For listeners, AI can enhance music streaming platforms' ability to provide personalized recommendations, creating a more tailored and enjoyable listening experience.

Music Education: AI-driven applications can offer adaptive learning experiences, guiding budding musicians through their musical journey, adapting to their pace and style, and offering instant feedback.

Analyzing Consumer Preferences: The music industry can use AI to better understand listener preferences, potentially leading to better market predictions and more strategic releases of songs and albums.

Potential Detriments of AI for Musicians and the Music Industry:

Over-Reliance and Diminishing Creativity: While AI can assist in the creation process, there's a risk that artists might become overly reliant on it. This could lead to a homogenization of music, where AI-generated tracks dominate the charts, potentially stifling true creativity and the unique human touch.

Economic Impacts: As AI develops the capacity to produce music independently, it's possible that the demand for human-made music might decrease, potentially reducing income opportunities for musicians.

Intellectual Property Concerns: With AI-generated music, the lines around copyright and ownership become blurry. Who owns the rights to a song created by an AI? The programmer? The operator? The implications are vast and require careful navigation.

Devaluation of Human Skill: As AI tools become more accessible, there's a risk that the intrinsic value of human musicianship, with years of training and practice, might be undermined or overlooked.

In conclusion, AI's role in the music industry offers a paradigm shift, promising avenues of innovation while simultaneously posing significant challenges. Embracing AI's potential benefits, while remaining critically aware of its limitations and potential pitfalls, will be crucial. As we stand on the brink of this new era, it's essential for musicians, industry professionals, and consumers alike to engage in discussions about AI's role in shaping the future soundscape.

Pretty impressive.  In the second example, I asked for something more substantive and was more precise in terms of what I was looking for and it delivered accordingly. 

Let’s try one more example and I’ll give it an even more clearly defined set of parameters. 

I said: “please give me a list of potential blog post topics I can write about related to how musicians can utilize AI, to make more money with their music. Please provide examples and related resources with url links”.
And here’s what Chat GPT said:

“Certainly! Here's a list of potential blog post topics related to how musicians can utilize AI to increase their revenue from music, along with examples and related resources where you can find more information:

"AI-Assisted Music Creation: The Next Frontier?"
Example: Apps like Amper Music or AIVA that help artists create soundtracks or backing tracks using AI.
Resource: Amper Music and AIVA.

"Optimizing Music Releases with AI-Powered Analysis"
Example: LANDR’s mastering services that use AI to optimize tracks.
Resource: LANDR.

"Personalized Marketing: How AI Can Boost Your Music Sales"
Example: Platforms like Spotify using AI to recommend songs to users.
Resource: Spotify for Artists.

"The Age of the AI Music Tutor: Learning and Monetizing"
Example: Apps like Yousician that provide real-time feedback on playing instruments.
Resource: Yousician.

"Monetizing with AI-Powered Concerts: The New Normal?"
Example: Virtual reality concerts where AI avatars perform.
Resource: Wave.

"Using AI to Understand Your Fanbase Better"
Example: Services that analyze social media sentiments or engagement patterns using AI.
Resource: Platforms like Hootsuite Insights.

"AI in Merchandise: Increasing Sales with Smart Recommendations"
Example: Websites offering merchandise suggestions based on fan preferences and browsing history.
Resource: Platforms like Shopify's AI Recommendations.

"Leveraging AI Chatbots for Direct Music Sales"
Example: Using chatbots on websites to recommend albums, tracks, or merchandise to visitors.
Resource: Tools like MobileMonkey.

"Crowd Control: Using AI to Optimize Live Performance Bookings"
Example: Analyzing fan location data to select best performing cities or venues.
Resource: Next Big Sound by Pandora.

"Revolutionizing Music Licensing with AI"
Example: AI platforms matching creators with businesses needing specific music styles.
Resource: Services like Jingle Punks.”

Pretty amazing.  I gave it a very specific request and it gave me a very specific answer.  I could now take any single topic it gave me and dive deeper into any specific topic, adding my own voice to it, choosing what elements to focus on, what elements to skip over and so on.

Chat GPT is essentially like Google on steroids. I’m starting to see it as sort of akin to a virtual assistant.  It’s great at compiling data, brainstorming business ideas, creating outlines for projects, and so on.  Used in the right context, it’s an incredibly powerful tool and can save you a tremendous amount of time and effort. I’m actually the least impressed with its creative writing abilities, although it can certainly be used to generate ideas, rough drafts and so on, that you could then expand on.

The most interesting results I’m getting so far, are a collaboration of AI and human creativity and this is what I’m personally the most interested in; the intersection between human creativity and AI.  This blog post is a good example. The majority of the writing and ideas are mine.  I came up with the concept and I’m writing the majority of the post, but I’m using AI to illustrate my points and provide more context and data to support my initial premise.  This is how I’m personally interested in using AI. I don’t want AI to replace me, or you for that matter, but I love the fact that it can save me time and help me do my job more efficiently and more effectively.

What About Creating Music With AI?
As I said, this is part one of a two-part blog post, and in the next post I’m going to dive deeper into using AI to assist in creating music.  Again, this is the aspect of AI that I’m the least excited about in the context of the music business.  That said, there are some powerful tools out there for musicians to be aware of and there are applications where it makes sense for artists to leverage the power of AI.  For example, there are some amazing AI production tools that can assist artists in improving their production quality.  There are some great tools for quickly creating backing tracks that could be potentially used in conjunction with artists creating original melodies and ideas over the top. 

I don’t think we should entirely discount AI in the context of making music, but in my mind at least, creativity is a uniquely human endeavor and part of the beauty of art is the blood, sweat and tears that goes into creating a great work of art. There’s a lot to explore and in my next post, I will be exploring these ideas in more detail.


The Way I See It

So who’s right?  Will AI take over the world and be the end of us all?  Will we become subservient to AI and its powers?  Or will we, collectively, use AI to improve humanity and our individual lives and create a more harmonious, peaceful world? 

As with any new tool or technology, the potential for both possibilities exist. A hammer can be used as a tool for hammering nails, or it can be used as a weapon to kill someone.  Nuclear power can be used to create energy that powers our homes, but it can also potentially be used to destroy the world in the form of nuclear weapons.  Every new technology presents both a potential upside and potential downside.  This is the nature of the dualistic world we live in.

My take on AI is this:  AI and AI related technology isn’t going anywhere.  This thing is just getting started.  The implications it has for disrupting and transforming a myriad of industries is quite staggering and there is no doubt many industries will be transformed, and jobs will be lost.

However, the flipside is that AI is also an incredibly powerful tool that we can use to work more efficiently and do many tasks more effectively. In the right hands, it’s a remarkable tool and I also have no doubt will help many entrepreneurs, creatives, engineers and so on become more productive.

Will AI be a net positive for humanity?  I honestly think it’s too soon to say.  I can envision many positive applications for AI and I think it will be an incredible tool in the right hands. However, in the wrong hands, it could potentially disrupt and negatively impact many industries.  As with any new technology, early adopters will reap the most rewards, which is why I’m focusing so much on learning how to work with AI in a positive way and studying AI to fully understand its implications for musicians and the music business.

What about you?  What are your thoughts on AI in terms of the music business?  Are you using AI tools already?  Share your thoughts below, the good, bad and the ugly!

In the vibrant world of music streaming, Spotify has emerged as a behemoth, boasting a staggering 489 million active users as of 2023. For independent artists, it represents not just a medium to share their craft, but a potential goldmine. Delving deeper, here's a breakdown of tried-and-true strategies to bolster your Spotify presence, replete with real-life success stories and resources.

Playlisting: Your Golden Ticket

The Strategy: Playlists on Spotify are powerful tools of discovery for listeners. By placing your music on relevant, high-engagement playlists, you harness the regular traffic of these lists. It's not just about exposure; it's about positioning your music in the daily routines of listeners, creating an organic growth loop.

Real-Life Success: Lauv's "I Like Me Better"

Go-to Resource: Playlist Push...

Collaboration & Cross-Promotion: A Symbiotic Growth

The Strategy: Teaming up with other artists is like merging fan bases. When you collaborate, fans of both artists get introduced to the other, driving up streams. Furthermore, the combined promotional efforts often mean your music reaches far more ears than it would alone.

Real-Life Success: “Lovely”...

Go-to Resource: Vampr...

Spotify for Artists: Your Personal Analytics Expert

The Strategy: Knowledge is power. "Spotify for Artists" offers in-depth insights into your listeners' demographics, tastes, and listening habits. With this data, you can tailor your marketing, music releases, and even concert locations to better suit your fan base, ensuring more successful campaigns.

Real-Life Success: Rex Orange County's rise...

Go-to Resource: Spotify for Artists...

Profile Optimization: Your Digital Concert Stage

The Strategy: Think of your profile as your digital persona. An optimized profile doesn't just offer information but invites engagement. It's where you showcase your brand, your story, and create a direct bond with fans. Consistency in aesthetic and timely updates can create a lasting impression.

Real-Life Success: Conan Gray's profile...

Go-to Resource: Spotify's official guide...

Beyond Spotify: Creating Multi-Channel Harmony

The Strategy: Music listeners are everywhere - from social media to video platforms. Leveraging these channels creates multiple touchpoints for potential fans. By promoting your Spotify tracks externally, you create a funnel, channeling fans from diverse platforms to one central hub - your Spotify.

Real-Life Success: "Dance Monkey" by Tones and I...

Go-to Resource: Linktree...

Spotify Ad Studio: Crafting the Perfect Pitch

The Strategy: Traditional ads merely inform; tailored ads tell a story. By using Spotify Ad Studio, you can craft narratives that resonate with specific demographics, ensuring higher engagement rates and, by extension, higher streams.

Real-Life Success: Vulfpeck’s “Sleepify”...

Go-to Resource: Spotify Ad Studio...

User-Generated Content: Fans as Promoters

The Strategy: In the age of social media, fans have voices louder than ever. Encouraging them to create content around your music transforms them from passive listeners to active promoters, creating viral growth potential with minimal input.

Real-Life Success: Drake's "In My Feelings"...

Go-to Resource: Platforms like Instagram...

Pre-save Campaigns: The Hype Machine

The Strategy: Anticipation breeds engagement. Pre-save campaigns allow fans to express their eagerness and ensures they are first in line when a track drops. This can lead to an explosion of streams upon release, catapulting tracks to top chart positions.

Real-Life Success: Charlie Puth's "How Long"...

Go-to Resource: Feature.fm...

Spotify Networking: Building the Right Bridges

The Strategy: Building personal relationships in the music world can be as crucial as producing great content. Networking with playlist curators and other industry figures can lead to more features, collaborations, and inside opportunities.

Real-Life Success: ODESZA’s playlist features...

Go-to Resource: For The Love Of Bands...

Spotify Playlist Curator Directory
Connect with over 4,500 Spotify Playlists curators.  Submit your music directly to thousands of key Spotify playlists.   More info.
 
For a deeper dive, do check out our newest podcast episode, where we dissect the ascent of an artist who has truly decoded the Spotify matrix!
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Listen here: