In an exciting development for the music industry, ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, released “Prelude in AI Major: Crafting a Creator-First Future for Music & AI” on March 20. The documentary short highlights their groundbreaking 2023 ASCAP Lab Music and AI Challenge.
Everything you need to know:
✓ ASCAP premieres “Prelude in AI Major: Crafting a Creator-First Future for Music & AI” documentary on YouTube
✓ 2024 ASCAP Lab Challenge announced, focusing on AI-driven solutions for music industry business processes
✓ Featured 2023 Challenge teams showcase innovative AI tools for music composition, production, and accessibility
ASCAP’s AI documentary premiered
The documentary, which premiered on March 20 on ASCAP’s YouTube channel, offers a captivating exploration of the intersection between music and artificial intelligence.
The 2023 Challenge, a collaboration between ASCAP Lab and the NYC Media Lab led by NYU Tandon School of Engineering, brought together five talented teams to develop cutting-edge technologies that harness the power of AI in music creation and experience. The documentary follows these teams as they navigate the 12-week challenge, receiving mentorship and grants to bring their innovative concepts to life.
One of the most compelling aspects of “Prelude in AI Major” is its focus on the teams’ backgrounds as composers and musicians, emphasizing how their firsthand knowledge informs the development of their AI tools. The film also features valuable insights from ASCAP mentors, including songwriter and composer members, who share their experiences guiding the teams and exploring the copyright implications of their work.
The 2024 ASCAP Music & AI challenge is more than a competition.
Following the documentary’s premiere, ASCAP and NYC Media Lab are already looking ahead to the future with the announcement of the 2024 ASCAP Lab Challenge: AI and the Business of Music. This year’s challenge takes a targeted approach, seeking AI-driven solutions that can revolutionize music industry workflows, business processes, and data exchanges.
Read more: ASCAP believes AI companies should obtain consent & pay market value to use music
Applications for the 2024 Challenge are now open, with submissions closing on Sunday, April 14, at 11:59pm ET. Aspiring participants can attend online info sessions on March 28 and April 10 to learn more about the challenge and how to submit their proposals.
The selected teams, approximately four startups and/or university-affiliated groups, will receive mentorship and grants to develop their technologies over the course of the 12-week challenge. In addition to weekly meetings with ASCAP Lab and NYC Media Lab team members, the cohort teams may have the opportunity to engage with ASCAP’s songwriter and publisher community and senior leadership for valuable feedback.
ASCAP’s challenge teams are like the Avengers of music & AI.
Each one’s got a superpower that’s about to change the game.
ASCAP’s commitment to being creator-first and future-forward shines through in these initiatives.
“It’s important for us to have a seat at the table, to be in the room where these concepts are not just concepts – but where they’re being applied in the industry.”
ASCAP Chief Strategy & Digital Officer Nick Lehman
The 2023 Challenge teams featured in “Prelude in AI Major” showcase the incredible potential of AI in music:
- DAACI: Developing a comprehensive AI system for composing, arranging, orchestrating, and producing original music with emotional and narrative awareness.
- Infinite Album: Generating continuous, copyright-safe video game music that reacts to gameplay in real-time and allows for user customization.
- Sounds.Studio: Creating a browser-based music production platform with AI-powered assistive tools for stem splitting, vocal conversion, timbre transfer, and automatic song alignment.
- Overture Games: Building video games for beginner musicians that use AI-based pitch detection to provide responsive visual feedback and reduce burnout.
- Samplifi: Combining digital signal processing techniques with AI to isolate and enhance auditory information, making the sonic world more accessible for hearing-impaired musicians.
As the music industry continues to evolve, ASCAP’s dedication to supporting and empowering creators remains unwavering. Through initiatives like the ASCAP Lab Challenges, the organization fosters innovation, encourages collaboration between music and technology, and ensures that the rights and interests of songwriters, composers, and publishers are protected in the age of AI.
If you missed the premiere of “Prelude in AI Major: Crafting a Creator-First Future for Music & AI” on March 20, be sure to watch it now on ASCAP’s YouTube channel. Keep an eye out for the groundbreaking developments that will undoubtedly emerge from the 2024 ASCAP Lab Challenge: AI and the Business of Music. Together, ASCAP and the music tech community are shaping a future where artificial intelligence enhances the creative process and opens up new possibilities for the industry as a whole.
