Dream Track: Streaming Artificial Intelligence to Artists using Lyria’s DeepMind for Music Generative Automation
The new AI capabilities might help Google lure users from TikTok, where AI tools for adding visual or audio effects are hugely popular. The creators of music-generating systems that were used to train them will receive a cut of future ad revenue generated by videos featuring artificial intelligence. That test would be the first example of how artists might profit from artificial intelligence built into their work.
These new AI tools are powered by a music generation model called Lyria from Google’s DeepMind. When a track is modified, it will be preserved and carry an inaudible SynthID watermark which can be heard to the naked ear. So even if a track is compressed into an mp3 file, or changed to speed it up, it can still be seen that it contains an audio product from Lyria.
The reveal of the new tools comes just days after YouTube announced new content guidelines for AI-generated deepfakes meant to protect people and, ultimately, the platform’s music industry partners.
To whip up a 30-second clip with Dream Track a creator just has to enter a prompt, such as “a ballad about how opposites attract, upbeat acoustic,” then select which artist the song should be styled on.
Google’s Dream Track project: empowering the digital ecosystem to help artists realize their creative potential,” noted music executive, Legend, and entertainment lawyer Schuyler Moore
In an email to NPR, Google said these tools are currently in a pilot phase. They have not been released to the public yet, but instead are being tested by roughly 100 U.S.-based participating content creators already within Google’s orbit.
“Being a part of YouTube’s Dream Track experiment is an opportunity to help shape possibilities for the future,” said John Legend. “As an artist, I am happy to have a seat at the table and I look forward to seeing what the creators dream up during this period.”
“I’m grateful that this new development involves the artists, presumably meaning they are being compensated for what they are contributing to this,” said singer-songwriter and voice actor Dan Navarro. “But the commoditization of music, like so much toothpaste from a tube, leads me to wonder where is the inspiration?” I suspect, not present at all.”
Music fans were surprised to hear the release of the song “heart on my sleeve” on streaming and social media platforms last April without the consent of the artists.
“We have a fundamental responsibility to our artists to ensure the digital ecosystem evolves to protect them and their work against unauthorized exploitation, including by generative AI platforms,” said UMG chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge in a statement to NPR. “At the same time, we must help artists achieve their greatest creative and commercial potential – in part by providing them access to the kind of opportunities and cutting-edge creative tools made possible by AI.”
“This will obviously become more widespread,” said entertainment business lawyer Schuyler Moore, a partner at the Los Angeles-based law firm Greenberg Glusker.
Moore said that he expects licensing deals between tech and entertainment companies to rise in the future due to the fact that the right of publicity laws in various states varies greatly, and federal legislation is still being developed.
Whoever gets paid for their voice clone will be happy, because they’ll be able to sit at home, not have to go to a recording session. And other people will go have fun making whatever they want using those clones,” he said.