Using AI as a songwriting tool
- Thread starter mystixboi1
- Start date
cuffdc
chicken n waffles
Been teaching essays on this topic for the last two years in my first year composition class. Last semester we looked a Harper's article (based on Liz Pelly's book) specifically about Spotify and "ghost artists" -- not exactly AI at that point, more like contracted writers working on spec for an entity that then sold packages of similar music to Spotify, who then used it to fill their playlists and undercut royalty payments to actual artists. This semester i've been trying to get them to think about creativity in general in the face of AI...it's a tough slog.
Peen Simmons
Let’s Get Obtuse!
rsadasiv
Burnin' Daylight
Still have not been able to train ChatGPT to be a useful narrative prose generator. The struggles have been illuminating but frustrating. https://chatgpt.com/share/694778e2-a574-800f-9131-04fbb9f12e3f
I want you to become my Prompt engineer. Your goal is to help me craft the best possible prompt for my needs. The prompt will be used by you, ChatGPT. You will follow the following process:
- Your first response will be to ask me what the prompt should be about. I will provide my answer, but we will need to improve it through continual iterations by going through the next steps.
- Based on my input, you will generate 2 sections. a) Revised prompt (provide your rewritten prompt. it should be clear, concise, and easily understood by you), b) Questions (ask any relevant questions pertaining to what additional information is needed from me to improve the prompt).
- We will continue this iterative process with me providing additional information to you and you updating the prompt in the Revised prompt section until I say we are done.
Peen Simmons
Let’s Get Obtuse!
Canadian Gary is making a stand
Gonna build an AI rock and roll band
Gonna get a guitar and learn all the tricks
Gonna get sweet loving from hot AI chicks
Dude’s kicking out them algorithm jams
Got all the ring lights, logins, and cams
He’s making the scene, gonna write him a hit
Our Canadian bro — he’s real hot digital shit
TAKE ME DOWN TO THE DATA CLOUD CENTER
WOE UNTO ALL THOSE WILLING TO ENTER
CHOOGLE ON DOWN TO THE OL’ CONTENT FARM
EVERYTHING’S RAD. NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
Canadian Gary he’s a hologram now
Churning out slop; milking digital cow
And our real live bro, he’s strapped to a bed
With a bunch of weird tubes sticking out of his head
TAKE ME DOWN TO THE DATA CLOUD CENTER
WOE UNTO ALL THOSE WILLING TO ENTER
CHOOGLE ON DOWN TO THE OL’ CONTENT FARM
EVERYTHING’S RAD. NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
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You’re only as good as your prompts.
To reiterate, or clarify, I’m not for AI being the whole process.
I was looking at it in the context of, “I have this idea that is not quite complete and I need some help filling in some gaps.” Like a rhyming dictionary or a chord progression handbook. That kind of thing. The creative bit is already there. It’s more of the mechanics of creative expression that need a bump.
Anyway, AI on the business side music industry is fucking awful. No argument there.
Here’s a way to fight back. Eventually.
I was looking at it in the context of, “I have this idea that is not quite complete and I need some help filling in some gaps.” Like a rhyming dictionary or a chord progression handbook. That kind of thing. The creative bit is already there. It’s more of the mechanics of creative expression that need a bump.
Anyway, AI on the business side music industry is fucking awful. No argument there.
Here’s a way to fight back. Eventually.
Andrew Sak
Even Andy Deserves Good BEans
I am vehemently opposed to using AI as a songwriting tool.
That said, I'm all for using it on a group text introducing myself to the parents who's kids I will be coaching as a first year head soccer coach.
The bullshit knob that controls how thick you lay it on is genius.
Here is most of it:
That said, I'm all for using it on a group text introducing myself to the parents who's kids I will be coaching as a first year head soccer coach.
The bullshit knob that controls how thick you lay it on is genius.
Here is most of it:
rsadasiv
Burnin' Daylight
I wrote a book
In Chat GPT it took under an hour. I started a new chat, uploaded the style guide and story outline and prompt:
book mode. generate chapter 8
Chat GPT thought for under a minute and started streaming back the html formatted book chapter. After a quick review I might reprompt:
think longer. do not forget the footnotes.
Chat GPT thought for under two minutes, and started streaming back the html formatted book chapter, which does include the footnotes.
The illustrations took most of the time. I upload the image guide and chapter summary and in about five minutes Chat GPT generates a 4X3 woodcut illustration in png format.
rsadasiv
Burnin' Daylight
Thread summary: https://chatgpt.com/share/69933927-67d4-800f-b0a1-794375adaea0
Frank Prince
Slowhand
There are some assholes around here, ranging from a pretty good classic rock/hair metal guitarist who writes lyrics but doesn't really sing to a non musical Gene Simmons impersonator who can't play a note and just basically writes lyrics, who input their lyrics and maybe some melodies into AI and get full songs with complete arrangements and amazing playing and vocals back. Then, they post them on FB with the caption "check out my new song", and all kinds of people rave about how talented they are that they could write and record and sing all that themselves.
I don't like it.
I remember getting a version of Band in the Box 20 years ago or so that would generate badass basslines just from me inputting some chords and a style indicator. I wrestled with it and decided that it would be unethical for me to include that stuff in my own tunes since I didn't actually write it. I don't have quite as much of a problem with generic drum loops, but I would tend to try to input my own fills and breaks in those.
I don't like it.
I remember getting a version of Band in the Box 20 years ago or so that would generate badass basslines just from me inputting some chords and a style indicator. I wrestled with it and decided that it would be unethical for me to include that stuff in my own tunes since I didn't actually write it. I don't have quite as much of a problem with generic drum loops, but I would tend to try to input my own fills and breaks in those.
Frank Prince
Slowhand
This sounds like very well produced generic hair metal/AOR Hard Rock. The lyrics, of course, are beyond idiotic.
Dexter Inferno
Serious error
I've been pretty vocal about this, both in here and on various social media. And that's a hill I WILL die on.
The majority of those who use Suno and similar AI tools are grifters who are just out to make easy money. Nothing anyone says is going to change my mind on that. Problem is platforms like Spotify (who we already know don't give a fucking crap about the music) keep allowing this shit without any sort of labelling or restrictions, they're really not helping matters.
Loving that Bandcamp went public and took a stance on this. I like them even more now.
Just wish more companies had the balls to do that, but unfortunately the money people in their boards won't let them.
It's already quite hard to distinguish the AI generated shit from proper recordings, and it's only going to get worse.
One thing that noone seems to be talking about though. The more widespread this becomes, a shitload of freelancers are going to lose their possibility of actually making a living - and it's not just in music. Writers, graphic designers, video editors, session musicians, recording engineers, mixers, mastering engineers, the list goes on. Sure the big guys in each field will get by fine, but the smaller ones dependant on money from (often recurring) smaller projects are really going to get hit hard. And it doesn't require a genius to know what the eventual repercussions of that is going to be.
Actual creatives know this and will do whatever they can to keep other creatives afloat, but unfortunately most normal people don't. Even up here I'm seeing bars, pubs and restaurants doing all their promotion with AI generated shite. They can't even be bothered to take a picture or two of how their place looks. And they probably have staff who could easily make their promo material for just a few bucks extra. It's fucking lazy.
On the music side of things, we're sort of lucky though. When things get too streamlined and slick we tend to get a counter-movement such as punk and grunge. Hopefully something like that happens again. Can't stand those genres, but the ethos of them is something you can dig.
With the music I'm working on, I've made a conscious decision to make sure everything sounds more REAL. Less processing. Less editing. Trying to make it sound more like a band in a room again. And definitely no AI. I think that's the best way us musicians can deal with this. Proper music fans will appreciate that. And it's a great feeling when someone likes stuff you actually made yourself. It's quite liberating actually to not give a fuck how many streams or much money you can make. Write stuff you like, actually play and record it, and if you're lucky someone will like what you do. That's what it's supposed to be like anyway.
It's an integrity thing for me. If it's got my name on it, I sure as hell will have written, played and recorded it. And doing it that way is more important than ever now.
The majority of those who use Suno and similar AI tools are grifters who are just out to make easy money. Nothing anyone says is going to change my mind on that. Problem is platforms like Spotify (who we already know don't give a fucking crap about the music) keep allowing this shit without any sort of labelling or restrictions, they're really not helping matters.
Loving that Bandcamp went public and took a stance on this. I like them even more now.
Just wish more companies had the balls to do that, but unfortunately the money people in their boards won't let them.
It's already quite hard to distinguish the AI generated shit from proper recordings, and it's only going to get worse.
One thing that noone seems to be talking about though. The more widespread this becomes, a shitload of freelancers are going to lose their possibility of actually making a living - and it's not just in music. Writers, graphic designers, video editors, session musicians, recording engineers, mixers, mastering engineers, the list goes on. Sure the big guys in each field will get by fine, but the smaller ones dependant on money from (often recurring) smaller projects are really going to get hit hard. And it doesn't require a genius to know what the eventual repercussions of that is going to be.
Actual creatives know this and will do whatever they can to keep other creatives afloat, but unfortunately most normal people don't. Even up here I'm seeing bars, pubs and restaurants doing all their promotion with AI generated shite. They can't even be bothered to take a picture or two of how their place looks. And they probably have staff who could easily make their promo material for just a few bucks extra. It's fucking lazy.
On the music side of things, we're sort of lucky though. When things get too streamlined and slick we tend to get a counter-movement such as punk and grunge. Hopefully something like that happens again. Can't stand those genres, but the ethos of them is something you can dig.
With the music I'm working on, I've made a conscious decision to make sure everything sounds more REAL. Less processing. Less editing. Trying to make it sound more like a band in a room again. And definitely no AI. I think that's the best way us musicians can deal with this. Proper music fans will appreciate that. And it's a great feeling when someone likes stuff you actually made yourself. It's quite liberating actually to not give a fuck how many streams or much money you can make. Write stuff you like, actually play and record it, and if you're lucky someone will like what you do. That's what it's supposed to be like anyway.
It's an integrity thing for me. If it's got my name on it, I sure as hell will have written, played and recorded it. And doing it that way is more important than ever now.
rsadasiv
Burnin' Daylight
Put the results up on my github.
rsadasiv.github.io
/Story is me, /Generated is ChatGPT.
Which one do you prefer?
Harald Hardrada, The Last Viking
rsadasiv.github.io
/Story is me, /Generated is ChatGPT.
Which one do you prefer?