The rise of AI music generators like Suno AI sparks both excitement and concern among musicians. Many wonder if these platforms will replace human creativity, while others see them as innovative tools for music creation. A recent Reddit post in the r/aiwars community offered a unique perspective on Suno AI from a working musician, providing valuable insights into its capabilities and limitations. Let's delve into the musician's thoughts and explore the potential impact of AI on the music industry.
The musician, u/purpleguitar1984, with over two decades of classical training and experience in pop/rock music, initially expressed astonishment at Suno AI's ability to generate coherent songs from simple text prompts. The AI could create lyrics and differentiate between song sections, even adding transitional elements like drum fills and cymbal crashes, a feat that demonstrates the advancements in AI music generation.
However, the musician's praise stopped there. Despite the coherence, the generated music lacked depth and originality. The AI seemed confined to a limited training dataset, excelling at replicating "2012-sounding electro-pop templates" but struggling with other genres.
Beyond genre limitations, the musician pointed out two significant drawbacks: degraded audio quality and awkward, "stilted" lyrics.
The musician concludes that, as of February 2024, Suno AI and similar platforms are impressive but not yet a threat to most musicians. While they could create "fun chachki music" for casual listening, they lack the artistic nuance and high-quality production needed for professional releases.
While AI music generators may not be replacing musicians anytime soon, they are evolving rapidly. As data sets grow and algorithms improve, these platforms may overcome their current limitations.
The musician's perspective on Suno AI offers a balanced view of the current state of AI music generation. While these platforms show promise, they are still far from replacing human creativity and expertise. For now, AI remains a tool that musicians can use to enhance their creative process, not a replacement for their talent. But as AI continues to evolove, musicians should be prepared to learn how to co-exist with AI and potentially use it for their music creation. For an alternative perspective, check out this article that discusses the impact of AI voice technology on musicians.
