2023 Music AI Achievements: Significant progress in text-to-music generation, melody-conditioned music generation, prompt-based music search, audio understanding/generation in chatbots, and music description AI.
Gaps in Music AI: Despite advancements, Music AI lags behind Speech AI, NLP, and Computer Vision in technology maturity and commercial product development.
2024 Expectations: Predicted breakthroughs include advanced source separation, general-purpose music embeddings, and practical applications bridging tech with real-world use.
2023 marked an exciting phase in Music AI, bringing innovations like MusicLM for text-to-music generation and Cyanite for music search. Open-source tools like AudioGPT and Doh expanded capabilities in audio understanding and music description. Despite these leaps, Music AI still trails behind related fields like Speech AI and Computer Vision in terms of technological maturity and commercial viability.
Predicted 2024 Breakthroughs
Flexible and Natural Source Separation: A crucial area, source separation, is set for major strides in 2024. Its improvement is vital for music classification, tagging, and data augmentation. Innovations in speed and flexibility, including prompt-based systems, could revolutionize its application in the industry.
General-Purpose Music Embeddings: Similar to NLP, music embeddings promise a more nuanced understanding and efficient data processing in music AI. Although progress has been made, a domain-specific, high-quality music embedding model is yet to emerge. This breakthrough could transform music search and machine learning efficiency.
Practical Application and Integration: The biggest potential change in 2024 lies in transitioning from research to practical, user-focused products. This involves understanding the music industry’s needs, navigating legal concerns, and successfully marketing these innovations.
The advancements in 2023 set a solid foundation for Music AI, but the real impact will be felt when these technologies are seamlessly integrated into real-world applications. This integration will influence how music is created, distributed, and consumed. With the groundwork laid in 2023, 2024 stands poised to be a landmark year for AI in music, potentially reaching a pivotal point in the Gartner Hype Cycle.
As we step into 2024, the excitement for the potential of Music AI is palpable. With the advancements made in 2023, the coming year promises not only technological innovations but also practical applications that could redefine the music industry. It’s an exhilarating time for musicians and tech enthusiasts alike, as we anticipate the transformative power of AI in music.
