NEWS
Timbaland has unveiled his plans to venture further into artificial intelligence, despite recently receiving criticism for using AI-generated Biggie vocals.
As Timbaland explained to Forbes magazine in a recent interview, he plans to “commercialize artificial intelligence software” with the goal of “revolutionizing how songs are made.”
“It’s going to really be a new way of creating and a new way of generating money with less costs,” he said. “I’m already here. This is what I’m doing. I’m going to lead the way.”
According to Forbes, the software was developed by Light Energy Labs, a Miami-based company the producer cofounded last year with software programmer and producer Zayd “Creatrgod” Portillo.
It is Timbaland’s belief that AI voice filters will “open up an unprecedented world of creativity in music.” As a result, he hopes his startup and AI voice filter technology will “usher in the new era.”
Besides benefiting emerging artists, the software could also benefit established ones, he said. Also, it may mean that a producer can use the voice of “a music legend who is no longer with us.”
However, he pointed out there are a host of “legal issues centering on copyright and revenue-sharing” that need to be resolved before the music can be released.
The internet has been saturated with AI-generated songs in recent months — notably “heart on my sleeve”, a track with AI-generated vocals from Drake and The Weeknd that was released earlier this year.
But in Timbaland’s opinion most AI voices have been amateurish, and that “it’s not being done in a way that would make artists and record labels feel proud to be involved.”
In his view, the industry and consumers need high-quality voice filters, human involvement, and a verification system showing that AI voices were authorized: “I don’t want to be afraid of what’s going on. I want to be the guy to figure out a solution.”
NEWS
Taylor Swift is encouraging rising artists to stay away from reading social media comments too closely.
During a conversation with The New York Times about songwriting, the “Shake It Off” singer explained that although criticism can sometimes become a “creative writing prompt,” constantly checking comments online can leave artists overwhelmed by negativity.
“My favourite thing when I sit down with new artists or songwriters, I'm like, ‘Why are you reading your comments?’ Like, that's too much of it,” she said. “You're inundating yourself with too much criticism that doesn't really have a focus. But a little bit of it, you've got to just be like, this is part of (the job). Like, don't make this make you stop writing or make you edit yourself or whatever.”
Swift, 36, also shared that she often tells other musicians to channel criticism into music instead of firing back at people online or posting long responses in the Notes app.
“If it's an interesting point to you to kind of respond to, then that's a gift for you to be able to write something. Maybe you wouldn't have written something that day,” she continued. “But don't go to the Notes app and post it, like write (a song) about it. Make art about this. Don't respond to trolls in your comments. That's not what we want from you. We want your art.”
The global superstar went on to say that criticism has inspired some of the biggest songs throughout her career. She pointed to her 2014 hit “Blank Space,” saying it likely would not have happened without people constantly focusing on her dating life and creating “slideshow” style narratives about her relationships.
Speaking about her 2022 track “Anti-Hero,” Swift added, “That song doesn't exist if I don't get criticised for every aspect of my personality that people have a problem with or whatever.”
