Oversupply of Music Creators and the Future of Creation with AI

1. creator saturation: starvation rather than saturation

In the past, the act of music production was privileged. Record labels and studios erected strong walls around them, and only a select few were allowed to set foot inside. But times have changed: the evolution of DTM, tutorial videos accessible to all, and inexpensive DAWs have intertwined to democratize music production. And now the world is flooded with songs.

A quick peek at Spotify or YouTube will tell you exactly what I mean. Huge numbers of songs are uploaded daily, but not all of them reach the right listeners. Rather, they are only played for a short time. Songs that fail to attract listeners' attention are mercilessly pushed into oblivion. Gone are the days when making music was a value in itself; now it is merely a starting point.




2. the rise of AI and the position of creators

Then came AI.

OpenAI's "Jukebox," Google's "MusicLM," and a host of other AI music generation tools have entered the realm of creation once reserved for humans. They can construct melodies, progress chords, and even generate vocals. AI-generated music now dominates the background music market, creating additional competitive pressure for unsigned music creators.

Some may say, "AI is just a tool. However, it is too optimistic to underestimate AI, considering its generation speed and mass-production capabilities. Moreover, if a future in which AI even acquires "originality" is to come, how should human musicians survive - such a question is slowly creeping up on us.




3. the difference between "music" created by AI and "musical works

There is no doubt that AI can create music. However, can we call it a "musical work"?

Music is not just a sequence of sounds. AI creates sounds, but it does not have a context for the listener. Many music creators are sending out their works as mere "songs" without being aware of the context.

Whether AI becomes a threat or not depends on this "giving a story," "creating a context," and "expressing physicality. Those who cannot create these will be easily eliminated in the competition with AI.



4. to be a master of AI or to be swallowed up by it

When synthesizers first appeared on the scene, they were said to be the destroyer of live performance. But how did it turn out? New musical genres were born and the range of expression expanded.

The question is, will we be the ones who "master" AI or the ones who are "swallowed up" by it?

For example, AI can be used as a supplementary tool,

Speeding up idea sketching

Analyze and learn from past masterpieces

Emulation of specific genres
There is also a way to utilize this information for original creation in the form of

Those who can use AI to its fullest extent and still create "value unique to humans" will be the ones who survive in the next era.



What is expected of future music creators?

What is required of future music creators is not simply "making good music. It is,

Redefining the value that humans should create in the age of AI

Creating works with an awareness of one's own brand and story

Making maximum use of AI while highlighting unique human elements

It is no longer enough to just create "good music"; what is truly needed is to coexist with AI and continue to ask "why I create" and "what kind of story I weave".

Those who make music must adapt to the changing times. Making the best use of AI while continuing to refine the kind of expression that only humans are capable of - this is the key to opening up a new future for music.