News 24 November 2020

ARIA Masterclass: Machine Learning, A.I. & Music

It's all part of ARIA Week 2020, presented by Mitsubishi Motors.

ARIA Masterclass: Machine Learning, A.I. & Music

The next ARIA Masterclass panel features Linda Marigliano meeting with Claire Evans (YACHT), Taka Perry, Miss Blanks and Justin Shave and Charleton Hill from Uncanny Valley, to talk about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and what this means for the future of music.

Some highlights include:

AI and ML tools and technology are still being developed, making it interesting to navigate the use of this in terms of songwriting, says Claire Evans. She says when she first started using this technology to make her album 4 years ago it was frustrating, and in order to use the technology, a knowledge of coding was needed. Both Miss Blanks and Claire stress that there is a lot of work to be done in order to make the technology more accessible for people, and that the true AI and ML music revolution will come after this.

Taka says AI is exciting for him, as a listener he said there can be a tendency to want to know where music is coming from and a lean towards human made music. However, the ability of AI and ML to aid musicians is paramount, Claire says that it is exciting to integrate this new tool into the creative process as an artist.

The happy accident syndrome, as Justin and Charleton like to call it, can come with experimenting with new technology. They say this is exciting for the future of music.

Evans brings up that this new technology comes with a grey area. Using Intellectual Property and copyrighted work of others when training AI and ML models with datasets could mean a turbulent transition as ways to protect artist’s work are negotiated.

The panel discuss the endless opportunities that AI and ML tools can bring to the future of music, especially in the Australian context. As the technology becomes more accessible, the landscape of songwriting and music will change in an exciting and creative new way. The panel was left to ponder the notion, ‘What is beyond songs?’ and how can AI and ML aid the evolution of music.

You can watch the 2020 ARIA Awards, in partnership with YouTube Music, on Wednesday, 25 November.